Friday, October 2
USAFA, Colo.
7:05 pm MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Omaha (exh.)
Air Force hosts exhibition game vs. Omaha, Oct. 2
9/28/2026 2:11:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
THE GAME
Game 1: vs. Omaha (Exh.), Friday, Oct. 2, 7:05 pm MT, Cadet Ice Arena
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television: None
Stream: FloHockey
Radio: XtraSports 1300 AM / xtrasports1300.com
Live Stats StatBroadcast
THE BREAKDOWN
Quick Facts: Air Force Omaha
2025-26 Record: 18-15-3 12-24-0
Streak: -- --
Last Series: -- --
Next Series: at St. Thomas, Oct. 9-10 vs. Manitoba (exh.), Oct. 7
THE COACHES
Head Coach: Frank Serratore Mike Gabinet
School Record: 490-472-106 (30th year) 147-155-19 (9th year)
Career Record: 539-564-115 (34th year) Same
THE SERIES
Overall: Omaha leads, 5-1
Last Meeting: L 2-3 ot at Omaha (exh.), Oct. 3, 2025
Last Reg. Season Series: Omaha swept Air Force, 4-2 and 4-1, Oct. 23-24, 2015, in Omaha
Streak: Omaha - W 5
Looking Back at Last Season
* Air Force closed out the 2025-26 season with an 18-15-4 record, the first winning season since 2018-19. The 18 wins tie (2023-24) as the most since 2017-18.
* Air Force went 8-4-2 in the final 14 games of the season
* The Falcons earned 11 road wins, the most since the 2017-18 season.
* In all games, Air Force led the AHA, and was sixth in the nation, in shots per game (34.1). AF had 30 or more shots in 12 of the last 14 games, including a season-high 62 at Robert Morris, March 8
* The Falcons had six players with 20+ points (Hedden 34, Stitz 32, Sajevic 32, Dawson 25, Gibbons 20, Cunningham 20) for the first time since 2008-09 and four return this season.
* Dominik Wasik, from Superior, Colo., earned third-team all-AHA honors last season
* Wasik had four shutouts last season. In Air Force's conference era (since 1999-00), only four Falcon goalies have recorded more than four or more shutouts in a season
* Wasik started the last 32 games and led the Falcons to 17 wins. His 17 wins are the sixth most in the conference era.
* He finished tied for the league lead in shutouts (4), fourth in saves (790), fifth in GAA (2.47) and was named the AHA Goalie of the Week four times and AHA Goalie of the Month twice.
* Junior defenseman Nolan Cunningham was named third-team all-AHA. Cunningham was third in the league in points (16) and plus-minus (+7) among league defensemen in conference games.
About the Mavericks
Omaha closed out the 2025-26 season with a 12-24-0 overall record. The Mavericks were the eighth seed in the NCHC playoffs and fell to top-seeded North Dakota in the NCHC Quarterfinals. The Mavs named four captains this season as
junior defenseman Marc Lajoie will wear the "C". Sophomore forward Luke Woodworth and junior forwards Maxime Pellerin and Myles Hilman will wear the "A". Pellerin led the team with 23 points last season while Woodworth was second on the team with 21 points.
Series vs. Omaha
Air Force and Omaha have played six times in the regular season and the Mavericks hold a 5-1 lead in the series. Omaha has won five straight, not including Omaha's 3-2 overtime win in an exhibition game last season. The teams first played at the Academy in 1997-98 in Omaha's first season at the Division I level. That series was also Frank Serratore's first at Air Force. Air Force won the first game, 4-2, while Omaha won the second game, 6-1. The second game of the series was delayed until Sunday afternoon due to a snowstorm that dropped more than three feet of snow in northern Colorado Springs. The teams also met for a two-game series in Omaha, Jan. 15-16, 1999. The Mavericks swept the series, 6-2 and 4-0. Omaha , ranked No. 1 in the nation, swept Air Force, 4-2 and 4-1, in the first games at Baxter Arena, Oct. 23-24, 2015.
Last Season vs. Omaha
Air Force rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third period, but fell to Omaha, 3-2 in overtime, in an exhibition game, Oct. 3, 2025, at Baxter Arena in Omaha, Neb. Omaha, receiving votes in the national polls, scored a goal in each of the first two periods for a 2-0 lead. The Falcons rallied with goals by senior Chris Hedden and freshman Oliver Genest to force overtime. In overtime, Omaha's Joel LaPlante scored the game-winner to lift the Mavericks to the exhibition win.
Game 1: vs. Omaha (Exh.), Friday, Oct. 2, 7:05 pm MT, Cadet Ice Arena
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television: None
Stream: FloHockey
Radio: XtraSports 1300 AM / xtrasports1300.com
Live Stats StatBroadcast
THE BREAKDOWN
Quick Facts: Air Force Omaha
2025-26 Record: 18-15-3 12-24-0
Streak: -- --
Last Series: -- --
Next Series: at St. Thomas, Oct. 9-10 vs. Manitoba (exh.), Oct. 7
THE COACHES
Head Coach: Frank Serratore Mike Gabinet
School Record: 490-472-106 (30th year) 147-155-19 (9th year)
Career Record: 539-564-115 (34th year) Same
THE SERIES
Overall: Omaha leads, 5-1
Last Meeting: L 2-3 ot at Omaha (exh.), Oct. 3, 2025
Last Reg. Season Series: Omaha swept Air Force, 4-2 and 4-1, Oct. 23-24, 2015, in Omaha
Streak: Omaha - W 5
Looking Back at Last Season
* Air Force closed out the 2025-26 season with an 18-15-4 record, the first winning season since 2018-19. The 18 wins tie (2023-24) as the most since 2017-18.
* Air Force went 8-4-2 in the final 14 games of the season
* The Falcons earned 11 road wins, the most since the 2017-18 season.
* In all games, Air Force led the AHA, and was sixth in the nation, in shots per game (34.1). AF had 30 or more shots in 12 of the last 14 games, including a season-high 62 at Robert Morris, March 8
* The Falcons had six players with 20+ points (Hedden 34, Stitz 32, Sajevic 32, Dawson 25, Gibbons 20, Cunningham 20) for the first time since 2008-09 and four return this season.
* Dominik Wasik, from Superior, Colo., earned third-team all-AHA honors last season
* Wasik had four shutouts last season. In Air Force's conference era (since 1999-00), only four Falcon goalies have recorded more than four or more shutouts in a season
* Wasik started the last 32 games and led the Falcons to 17 wins. His 17 wins are the sixth most in the conference era.
* He finished tied for the league lead in shutouts (4), fourth in saves (790), fifth in GAA (2.47) and was named the AHA Goalie of the Week four times and AHA Goalie of the Month twice.
* Junior defenseman Nolan Cunningham was named third-team all-AHA. Cunningham was third in the league in points (16) and plus-minus (+7) among league defensemen in conference games.
About the Mavericks
Omaha closed out the 2025-26 season with a 12-24-0 overall record. The Mavericks were the eighth seed in the NCHC playoffs and fell to top-seeded North Dakota in the NCHC Quarterfinals. The Mavs named four captains this season as
junior defenseman Marc Lajoie will wear the "C". Sophomore forward Luke Woodworth and junior forwards Maxime Pellerin and Myles Hilman will wear the "A". Pellerin led the team with 23 points last season while Woodworth was second on the team with 21 points.
Series vs. Omaha
Air Force and Omaha have played six times in the regular season and the Mavericks hold a 5-1 lead in the series. Omaha has won five straight, not including Omaha's 3-2 overtime win in an exhibition game last season. The teams first played at the Academy in 1997-98 in Omaha's first season at the Division I level. That series was also Frank Serratore's first at Air Force. Air Force won the first game, 4-2, while Omaha won the second game, 6-1. The second game of the series was delayed until Sunday afternoon due to a snowstorm that dropped more than three feet of snow in northern Colorado Springs. The teams also met for a two-game series in Omaha, Jan. 15-16, 1999. The Mavericks swept the series, 6-2 and 4-0. Omaha , ranked No. 1 in the nation, swept Air Force, 4-2 and 4-1, in the first games at Baxter Arena, Oct. 23-24, 2015.
Last Season vs. Omaha
Air Force rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third period, but fell to Omaha, 3-2 in overtime, in an exhibition game, Oct. 3, 2025, at Baxter Arena in Omaha, Neb. Omaha, receiving votes in the national polls, scored a goal in each of the first two periods for a 2-0 lead. The Falcons rallied with goals by senior Chris Hedden and freshman Oliver Genest to force overtime. In overtime, Omaha's Joel LaPlante scored the game-winner to lift the Mavericks to the exhibition win.
Players Mentioned
D
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
D
/ Men's Ice Hockey
G
/ Men's Ice HockeyTuesday, October 13
Tuesday, October 13
Tuesday, October 13
Tuesday, October 13
