Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.ST. LOUIS — The burning question — was the puck completely past the goal line? — will presumably never have a conclusive answer.
The sting of everything ending in such bizarre fashion — a 10-minute video review that felt more like an eternity — will linger long into the offseason.
But something UNO's Dean Blais said during his postgame comments Friday night offer a direct glimpse into the coach's mindset. After a controversial overtime goal gave Michigan a 3-2 NCAA tournament win over the Mavs, here's how Blais summed up the disappointment:
“We've had tough losses, obviously,” Blais said. “But just the circumstance in overtime — the potential national championship, gone.”
Not the chance to move on to the regional final — in Blais' eyes, the University of Nebraska at Omaha went into the postseason intent on taking four games and winning the whole thing.
The records will show that UNO didn't get any closer to that mission this year than it did in 2006, the Mavs' only other trip to the NCAA tournament. Both times, UNO lost its opening-round game and had to come to grips with quick postseason exits.
Yet it's undeniable that there's a whole different definition now for what's possible for UNO hockey.
Blais came to Omaha to win NCAA championships. His belief that it will happen is unwavering, and he's confident his first two seasons leading the Mavs have built a sound foundation.
“You don't want your season to end with a loss like that,” he said. “But looking at the things we did this year, the way we played all year long — I couldn't be more proud of the guys.”
In its 14 years as a program, UNO has put together five 20-win seasons. Two of them have been under Blais. His 2009-10 team finished 20-16-6, and the Mavs' final record this season is 21-16-2.
But it's not only that UNO has 41 wins during Blais' brief watch, it's also about which teams the Mavs have started defeating.
In the past 12 months, the list of teams they've beaten includes almost every college hockey heavyweight: North Dakota, Denver, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado College and Minnesota Duluth from the WCHA; Michigan, Miami and Notre Dame from the CCHA.
UNO's third-place finish this year in the WCHA was the highest in program history. Same, too, for the No. 4 national ranking the Mavs earned in early December.
And while Friday's loss to Michigan did put an abrupt end to the careers of UNO's six seniors, Blais said the group will be able to take ownership in the success the Mavs enjoy down the line.
Forwards Joey Martin, Matt Ambroz and Rich Purslow were the team's captains and leading scorers. Defensemen Eric Olimb, Pasko Skarica and Nick Von Bokern were steady veteran leaders for an inexperienced D-corps that should get better and better.
“It's been a great season,” Martin said. “Obviously we've had a lot of success — making it to the tournament, it's pretty special. But we didn't want to just make it here, we wanted to win. So it's bittersweet right now. But I bet in a few weeks, I can look back and say overall that it was a pretty good year.”
Contact the writer:
402-444-1207, chad.purcell@owh.com
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