If you’re an Omaha fan, there was a lot to like about the Mavericks’ home sweep last weekend over 13th-ranked Colorado College.
It was especially rewarding for some of UNO’s veteran players.
That includes graduate student forwards Brady Risk and Harrison Israels, a pair of Alaska transfers who, on a line with Myles Hilman, combined for 10 points in the series. Risk bagged three goals, Israels had a goal and two assists, and Hilman bagged a goal and three helpers.
Risk scored three times in UNO’s 5-2 win Friday, breaking an early scoreless deadlock with 7.7 seconds left in the first period before he made it 3-1 early in the second. His last goal of the night, 8:01 into the third period, clinched his second career hat trick and made him the sixth Maverick to record one inside Baxter Arena since it opened in 2015.
Israels set up two of Risk’s goals Friday, before the former scored Saturday’s eventual game-winner early in the third period. Putting away a centering feed from Hilman off a rebound, Israels had a wide-open net to fill. That put UNO up 2-1, before Hilman added an empty-netter to cap off a 3-1 victory.
Risk now has points in eight of his last 13 games, after not factoring into the scoring in his first seven games of the season. Israels’s recent form is similar. He didn’t record any points in his first six games this campaign but has points in four of his last five.
“That’s a great example of sticking with it,” UNO coach Mike Gabinet said. “Earlier on in the year, they were struggling a little bit there, and they’re just great individual people, high-character, work, work, work, work and work some more, and sure enough, getting rewarded with really contributing to the team’s success right now, which is great to see.”
Another big reason for the Mavericks’ success last weekend was junior goalie Simon Latkoczy. The Slovakian had 75 saves over the two games against CC, earning him NCHC goaltender of the week honors. No other starting netminder in the conference was busier last weekend.
“I thought he played really well this weekend,” Gabinet said. “I thought he was really poised and really calm in net, and didn’t have a lot of rebounds. I thought he played tremendously.”
He and his UNO (10-10-0) teammates have now won four of their last five games and will look to jump back above the .500 mark this weekend at Miami.
