Home Sweet Home

As the Mavericks prepare for tonight's showdown against the No. 13 Minnesota Gophers, there is no shortage of storylines. 

Let's start with the coaches. 

Head coach Dean Blais and his star-studded supporting cast of Mike Hastings and Mike Guentzel are all making homecomings of some sort this weekend. 

Blais is a 1973 graduate of the "U of M", where he had some measure of success under the legendary Herb Brooks.  Guentzel, a 1987 graduate, was an assistant at Minnesota from 1994-2008 where he coached two national championship teams.  Hastings, a St. Cloud State graduate, was an assistant for one season on head coach Don Lucia's Gopher staff prior to joing UNO in 2009. 

All three coaches learned their hockey by lacing it up on the frozen lakes of Minnesota (Blais is from International Falls, Guentzel is from Grand Rapids, and Hastings is from Crookston), while Blais and Guentzel got the chance to play on the big stage.

"The oppurtunity to play for the main university in your home state was a special oppurtunity," said Guentzel.

While Blais and Guentzel have both been back to Maruicci Arena as opposing coaches since their departures, the feeling for UNO will be anything but familiar, as the Mavs prepare for the grind of the WCHA.

"People play fast and hard," said Guentzel.  "There is more offense. [Teams] take chances and pressure the puck."

The UNO players also know the challenege ahead of them.

"Going into a new league we wanna make a good first impression," said goaltender John Faulkner. "Just the fact that you know you can beat anyone on any given night, that's as good as it gets."

We'll see if that confidence holds up tonight.