The No. 13 UMass hockey team will embark on its farthest road trip of the regular season this weekend when it travels more than 1,000 miles west for a set with Nebraska-Omaha.
The Minutemen matched up against the Mavericks during last season’s Ice Breaker Tournament in Las Vegas in a game UNO won, 3-2, in overtime.
This year’s series will take place at Baxter Arena (7,898 capacity) in Omaha, so UMass will strive to get back to a successful brand of hockey in the Cornhusker State, after a pair of uneasy performances last weekend versus Northeastern (loss) and Bentley (OT win) at the Mullins Center.
“We like to get out into the NCHC [conference] and the Big 10 [conference] once a year and get on a plane and have that challenge of playing a good team on the road,” Minutemen head coach Greg Carvel said. “I think it’s good timing for us. We had a little bit of a setback this weekend and it’ll be a good test for us to see what we’re made of.”
During Saturday’s postgame press conference following Francesco Dell’Elce’s OT dart against the Falcons, Carvel used adjectives such as “off,” “loose,” and “disjointed” to describe his team’s play during the mini-homestand.
While the 10th-year UMass bench boss didn’t delve too deep into specifics during his weekly Zoom with the news media earlier this week, Carvel hinted at a couple of upcoming changes to the Minutemen lineup for their two non-conference contests with the Mavericks.
“We’re going to put [Daniel] Jencko with [Jack] Galanek and Vaclav [Nestrasil], obviously those two [freshmen] have chemistry,” Carvel said.
Jencko didn’t play against Bentley, while Jack Musa was plugged next to the two freshmen forwards on UMass’ top line on Saturday.
“We had a couple guys who couldn’t practice [Monday], we’re probably going to have a couple guys that can’t play this weekend,” Carvel said. “I thought Justin Kerr played really well on Saturday, so he’s going to get a chance in the lineup. I think a guy like [Lukas] Klecka continues from game to game to show us what he’s capable of, so he’s kind of become a mainstay in the lineup.”
Three goals in five games will help anyone’s cause when it comes to earning a spot in the Minutemen lineup and that is exactly what Klecka, the Slovakian freshman, has done.
Goals against Bentley and Northern Michigan (two) gave Klecka the chance to make an impact on the scoresheet for UMass. However, the 5-foot-11, 184-pounder’s willingness to muck it up in the corners and ability to create energy as part of the Minutemen’s bottom-six forward group has been just as valuable.
“I’m always happy when I’m anywhere in the lineup, or not in the lineup, I’m just happy to be here, it’s amazing here,” Klecka said. “Wherever the guys play, the coach puts me, I’m happy there. The fourth line has been great. We need to bring some energy. Throwing some hits has been fun.”
Considering Klecka is the only freshmen of the eight-player, Class of 2029, that didn’t play in North America last season, Carvel has been impressed with Klecka’s seemingly instant transition to NCAA Division I hockey.
“The kid’s built like a tank,” Carvel said. “You see him with his shirt off, he should probably be modeling for Calvin Klein underwear, he’d probably make a lot more money than getting to the NHL. But he’s got a really nice combination of talent and grit and sense and skill. He’s a good young player.”
Across the sheet, UNO boasts its own Slovakian star in starting senior goalie Simon Latkoczy. The 23-year-old goaltender has been the go-to guy for the Mavericks since arriving in Omaha as Latkoczy has played in 87 career games and has compiled a .910 save percentage or better (career-best .922 last year) in each of his first three seasons.
Latkoczy and the rest of the Mavericks split their season-opening series against Minnesota State-Mankato Oct. 10-11.
UMass junior netminder Michael Hrabal will do his best to outshine Latkoczy in familiar territory as the Minutemen’s 6-foot-6 puck-stopper played his junior hockey with the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League during the 2022-23 season.
“I love playing on the road,” Hrabal said. “I think Omaha is going to be great. I’m going to see my billet [family] there, so I’m excited.”
Despite allowing seven goals in the split at home last weekend, Carvel raved about Hrabal’s performance and instead, shifted his concern to the team’s inefficiencies on defense.
The Minutemen goalie didn’t let himself off the hook quite as easily and knows he still has more to give.
“My job is to stop pucks,” Hrabal said. “I let in seven goals so I still need to be better and work on my stuff.”
Hrabal and his UMass teammates will see a UNO team that plays in a NCHC conference that is right alongside Hockey East, as far as top-tier college hockey conferences go. Seven of the previous nine NCAA champions have come from the NCHC, including last year’s winners in Western Michigan.
So, what differentiates NCHC schools from its college hockey counterparts?
“The NCHC is a much more fluid game, not as much body contact, from what I watched so far with Omaha,” Carvel said. “A lot of puck possession by them and I think that’s probably how I would describe Omaha. They look like a really good puck-possession, skill team.”
Puck drop for the Friday-Saturday arrangement in Omaha is scheduled for 8 p.m.
