When Head Coach Dean Blais looks down his bench next season, a familiar face in Omaha hockey will no longer be by his side.  Assistant Head Coach Mike Hastings, who spent 15 seasons with the Omaha Lancers and the last three with UNO, was named the head coach of the Minnesota State-Mankato hockey team last Saturday.

Heartbreak has become a theme of the UNO hockey season over the last few weeks.  It seemed appropriate then that the Mavs would have their season end on a goal in a tie game with just 42 seconds remaining in the third period.

Coming into the weekend the goal for the UNO hockey team was simple - earn two points and grab home ice for the WCHA playoffs.

In 34 games this season, UNO has scored the first goal almost as many times as they've given up the first goal.  Last weekend against Minnesota, the Gophers scored first on Friday, and then UNO came back and scored first on Saturday.

For the first time since last season's WCHA playoffs, an opponent came to Omaha and skated away with a sweep of UNO.  After seemingly solidifying home ice with a split last week at Colorado College, back-to-back 3-2 losses to Minnesota have home ice in jeopardy heading into the final week of the regular season.

It's been said that goaltenders are a different breed.  While many are known for their work between the pipes, they also build reputations based on off-the-ice adventures, locker room hijinks and strange habits.

Prior to the weekend it appeared the logjam in the middle of the WCHA conference standings might be cleared up.  But after UNO split a series at Colorado College, things have only gotten tighter in the race for the final three home ice playoff spots.

After a bounce back weekend at Michigan Tech, UNO sits tied for fourth in the WCHA standings.  A 3-3 tie then a 4-0 win plus struggles by Colorado College and Denver have the Mavs in fourth place, and within just five points of the top spot.

After months, perhaps years of speculation, an announcement was made Tuesday afternoon confirming an outdoor hockey game at TD Ameritrade Park in 2013.  On Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013 the Lincoln Stars will play the Omaha Lancers and the University of North Dakota will play UNO at an ice rink that will be constructed on the field of the downtown ballpark.

There's nothing like raining on someone else's parade to start a late-season run.  A week after Bemidji St. came to Omaha and ran their record at the CenturyLink Center to 5-0-1 all-time, UNO traveled to Houghton, Mich. and ruined the celebration.

When Kyle Ensign was a 14-year-old freshman at New Richmond High School in New Richmond, Wisc., he had already come to a crossroads in life.  Though he was just beginning his high school career, Ensign had shown the talent and ability to maybe someday play college hockey.

UNO's troubles with Bemidji St. in 2011 might have been considered somewhat of an anomaly.  After all, the Beavers had only nine conference wins all of last season, and five of those came against the Mavs.

A season ago, Johnnie Searfoss had the luxury of playing alongside veteran players such as Rich Purslow, Joey Martin, Matt Ambroz and Alex Hudson.  In his first year in the program, Searfoss showed a scoring touch.