FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The Columbus Mavericks’ Premier team took care of business at the USPHL Midwest Showcase. Columbus won three of four games at PSM Icehouse. The Mavericks opened with a 1-0 shutout of the Fort Wayne Spacemen on Thursday, then rallied past the Red River Spartans 5-3 on Friday. They routed the Decatur Blaze J18 7-2 on Saturday, a game that included three shorthanded goals, before falling 4-1 to the Chicago T-Rex J18. The Mavericks are now 10-2-2 on the season. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn Thursday: Mavericks 1, Fort Wayne Spacemen 0 One goal was all Robert Cook needed. He stopped all 21 shots he faced for the shutout. Douglas Loethen scored the only goal of the game in the first period, with assists from Patrik Frydecky and Evan Moore. Columbus outshot Fort Wayne 46-21, but Spacemen goaltender Gunnar Zosel kept it close with 45 saves. Friday: Mavericks 5, Red River Spartans 3 For the second time this season, the Mavericks fell behind Red River early. This time, they found an answer. Alexander Woodworth scored twice in the first period to put the Spartans up 2-0. Kirill Tabunov assisted on both goals, with Ilja Kozlovs and Tyler Stoesz adding helpers. Pascal Bezares Ramirez got Columbus on the board before intermission, assisted by Timothy Boyd Jr. and Jan Valenta. The Mavericks took over in the second period. Dylan Harris tied the game with an unassisted goal. Moore put Columbus ahead, assisted by Boyd. AJ Alan Faulkner Jr. made it 4-2, set up by Giovanni Valentine and Boyd. Tabunov pulled Red River within one, assisted by Granger Greely and Benjamin LeVan. Owen Abraham sealed the win with 28.5 seconds left. Boyd finished with three assists. The Mavericks outshot the Spartans 40-33, and Columbus goaltending made 30 saves. Saturday: Mavericks 7, Decatur Blaze J18 2 The Mavericks were at their best on Saturday, scoring three shorthanded goals. William Reeves gave Decatur an early lead, assisted by Chase Bradbury and Logan Ley. Columbus answered with four straight goals in the first period. Samuel Heckathorne tied it, assisted by Harris. Faulkner Jr. put the Mavericks ahead, set up by Loethen and Frydecky. Sam Pies then scored twice. His first came shorthanded, assisted by Moore. His second came on the power play, assisted by Konstantin Schleiermacher. Ian Fowler scored for Decatur late in the period, assisted by Gerrit Harville and Parker Titus. Ethan Dufour scored an unassisted goal early in the second period. Later in the period, Columbus scored twice while killing a five-minute major. Harris scored into an empty net, assisted by Faulkner Jr. Matthias Phillips then added a shorthanded goal with 32.5 seconds left, assisted by Harris. Harris finished with a goal and two assists, while Pies scored twice and Faulkner Jr. had a goal and an assist. Gavin Jones made 16 saves on 18 shots for the win. Columbus outshot Decatur 42-18. Chicago T-Rex J18 4, Mavericks 1 Abraham gave Columbus a 1-0 lead in the first period, assisted by Pies. The T-Rex answered with four goals in the second period. Konstantin Yurkevich scored twice. Hunter Pope and Sonmin Tsoy each added a power-play goal. Showcase Leaders Dylan Harris: 2 goals, 2 assists, 4 points Sam Pies: 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points AJ Alan Faulkner Jr.: 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points Evan Moore: 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points Timothy Boyd Jr.: 3 assists, 3 points Owen Abraham: 2 goals, 2 points Douglas Loethen: 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points Patrik Frydecky: 2 assists, 2 points Next up The Mavericks visit the Metro Jets at Mount Clemens Ice Arena on Friday, Nov. 6. They return home to host the Toledo Cherokee at OhioHealth Chiller North on Saturday, Nov. 7. Tickets are available at columbusmavericks.com/fan-zone/tickets, and both games will stream on USPHL+ through Black Bear Sports.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Every unbeaten run ends eventually. For the Columbus Mavericks, it ended in a four-day stretch that tested them like nothing else had this season. The Mavericks came to the USPHL Midwest Showcase at PSM Icehouse with an 8-0 record. They left with one win in four games. Columbus lost 3-2 in overtime to the Minnesota Squatch on Thursday and 4-1 to the Toledo Cherokee on Friday. The Mavericks rallied to beat the Fort Wayne Spacemen 3-2 on Saturday, then fell 2-1 to the Red River Spartans on Sunday. Three of the four games were decided by a single goal. Columbus outshot its opponents in two of the three games for which shot totals are available. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn Thursday: Minnesota Squatch 3, Mavericks 2 (OT) Jack Rytel opened the scoring late in the first period, assisted by Kenneth Cadwallader and Austin Letcher. Tanner Robinson tied the game early in the second for Minnesota, with assists from Dallen Robinson and Alexander Bever. Jameson Motyka restored the Columbus lead midway through the second period, set up by Jan Sebastien Vancura. Bever answered with a shorthanded goal less than three minutes later, assisted by Weston Schenkelberg. After a scoreless third, Bever won it on the power play in overtime. He finished with two goals and an assist. Columbus outshot Minnesota 41-33, but Squatch goaltender Collin Rosenau made 39 saves. Kellen Ceraldi made 30 saves for the Mavericks. Friday: Toledo Cherokee 4, Mavericks 1 Rytel scored for the second straight game, assisted by Vancura and Devyn Bittner, to give Columbus a 1-0 lead after the first period. Toledo took over from there. Robert Leis tied the game in the second period, and Charlie Nolette scored twice in the third to put the Cherokee ahead. Joey Terpstra added an empty-net goal with 23.3 seconds left. It was the Mavericks’ first regulation loss of the season. Gino Texter made 28 saves on 31 shots. Toledo goaltender Bronx Bodnar stopped 26 of 27. Saturday: Mavericks 3, Fort Wayne Spacemen 2 For the second time in eight days, the Mavericks beat Fort Wayne. This one took a late goal. Columbus built a 2-0 lead in the second period. Letcher scored first, assisted by Parker Arlet and Nicholas Borg. Giovanni Valentine added a goal set up by Carter Holbrook and Ethan Zuvela. Fort Wayne came back in the third. Mikhail Gorbunov scored twice, the first on the power play, both assisted by Ivan Barnashov, to tie the game 2-2 with 5:23 left. With 1:35 remaining, Bittner scored the winning goal, assisted by Ethan Alexander. Gregor Kalinovsky made 25 saves on 27 shots. The Mavericks outshot the Spacemen 33-27. Sunday: Red River Spartans 2, Mavericks 1 Columbus faced Red River for the third time this season after sweeping the Spartans on its home-opening weekend. This time, Red River came out on top. Hugo Olsson gave the Spartans a 1-0 lead in the first period, assisted by Anton Melotindos. The teams traded goals in the third period. Motyka scored for Columbus, assisted by Alexander and Cadwallader, and Vilem Karal scored on the power play for Red River, set up by Lennart Britsch. Showcase Leaders Jack Rytel: 2 goals, 2 points Jameson Motyka: 2 goals, 2 points Devyn Bittner: 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points Austin Letcher: 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points Kenneth Cadwallader: 2 assists, 2 points Ethan Alexander: 2 assists, 2 points Jan Sebastien Vancura: 2 assists, 2 points Next up The Mavericks visit the Metro Jets at Mount Clemens Ice Arena on Friday, Nov. 6, at 5:00 PM. They return home on Saturday, Nov. 7, to host Toledo at OhioHealth Chiller North at 7:40 PM, a chance to answer Friday’s loss to the Cherokee. Tickets are available at columbusmavericks.com/fan-zone/tickets, and both games will stream on USPHL+ through Black Bear Sports.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jack Rytel needed just one night to put himself in the Columbus Mavericks’ record books. Rytel had three goals and three assists, and the Mavericks beat the Great Lakes Division rival Fort Wayne Spacemen 7-2 on Saturday night at OhioHealth Chiller North. Columbus remains perfect at 8-0 in its inaugural NCDC season and has outscored opponents 55-12. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn Spacemen strike first Fort Wayne took an early lead when Reid Hyde scored in the first period, assisted by Maximus Workman and Davin Robison. It was only the second time this season the Mavericks had trailed. Columbus tied it with 3:51 left in the period. Jack Devlin scored, set up by Kenneth Cadwallader and Austin Letcher. Four-goal second period The Mavericks took over in the second period. Rytel gave Columbus the lead just 33 seconds in, assisted by Cadwallader and Letcher. He then had a hand in the next three goals. Cameron Hill scored with assists from Devlin and Rytel. Max Bloomfield followed, set up by Arturs Zirnitis and Rytel. Cadwallader closed the period’s scoring, assisted by Rytel, for a 5-1 lead. Rytel completed his hat trick in the third. He scored 36 seconds into the period, assisted by Letcher and Devyn Bittner. Petter Olsson got one back for Fort Wayne on the power play, with an assist from Mikhail Gorbunov. Rytel answered with 5:06 remaining, set up by Letcher and Ethan Zuvela. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn By the numbers Rytel finished with three goals and three assists. Letcher had four assists, and Cadwallader added a goal and two assists. Devlin had a goal and an assist. Gino Texter made 23 saves on 25 shots for the win. The Mavericks outshot the Spacemen 32-25. Season Scoring Leaders (8 games) Austin Letcher: 7 goals, 13 assists, 20 points Kenneth Cadwallader: 6 goals, 12 assists, 18 points Lukas Marek: 6 goals, 8 assists, 14 points Jan Sebastien Vancura: 6 goals, 5 assists, 11 points Jameson Motyka: 2 goals, 8 assists, 10 points Rytel has eight points (3 goals, 5 assists) in the two games he has played. Next up The Mavericks head to PSM Icehouse next week for four games in four days. They face the Minnesota Squatch on Thursday, Oct. 29 (11:30 AM) and the Toledo Cherokee on Friday, Oct. 30 (2:30 PM). On Saturday, Oct. 31 (9:30 AM), they get a rematch with the Fort Wayne Spacemen. The trip ends Sunday, Nov. 1 (12:30 PM) against the Red River Spartans. Every game will stream on USPHL+ through Black Bear Sports.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The first time the Columbus Mavericks’ Premier team saw the Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones, it was a 9-0 rout. The rematch was a much tighter affair. Ethan Dufour scored the winning goal with 50.9 seconds left in the second period, and Robert Cook made 33 saves. The Mavericks held off Cincinnati 3-2 on Friday night at OhioHealth Chiller North. The win improves Columbus to 7-1-2 on the season and 2-0 against the Cyclones. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn A shorthanded start Columbus opened the scoring in the first period while killing a penalty. Douglas Loethen scored an unassisted shorthanded goal. Owen Abraham doubled the lead late in the period, assisted by Parker Arlet and Sam Pies, and the Mavericks took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. Cincinnati pushed back in the second. Max Urban-Matejcik cut the lead in half, with an assist from Jace Vanderham. Columbus answered just before the period ended. Dufour scored with 50.9 seconds left, set up by Abraham, to restore the two-goal cushion. That goal proved to be the winner. Gavin Seitz pulled the Cyclones within one with 3:54 remaining in regulation, assisted by Nathan Bossola and Hudson Klause. Cook and the Mavericks held on the rest of the way. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn Cook stands tall Cincinnati outshot Columbus 35-29, and Cook was the difference. He stopped 33 of 35 shots, including all 14 he faced in the first period. Nigel Smith made 26 saves on 29 shots for the Cyclones. Abraham led the Mavericks with a goal and an assist. Loethen and Dufour each scored, while Arlet and Pies each had an assist. Next up The Mavericks hit the road next week, with games scheduled at PSM Icehouse beginning Thursday, Oct. 29. Follow along on the Premier schedule page, and catch every game on USPHL+ through Black Bear Sports.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Austin Letcher had a weekend to remember, and the Columbus Mavericks’ unbeaten start rolls on. Letcher had four goals and five assists as the Mavericks swept the Great Lakes Division rival Chicago Union at OhioHealth Chiller North. Columbus won 8-0 on Friday night and 4-3 on Saturday, with Letcher scoring the winning goal in the final minutes. The Mavericks are now 7-0 in their inaugural NCDC season and have outscored opponents 48-10. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn Friday: Mavericks 8, Chicago Union 0 The Mavericks scored twice in a 62-second span early in the game and never looked back. Letcher opened the scoring in the first period, assisted by Max Bloomfield and Kenneth Cadwallader. Devyn Bittner followed with an unassisted goal for a 2-0 lead. Jan Sebastien Vancura scored on the power play early in the second period, set up by Cadwallader and Letcher. Bloomfield made it 4-0 late in the period, again with assists from Cadwallader and Letcher. Columbus added four more in the third. Nicholas Borg scored first, assisted by Zack Shepherd. Letcher then scored his second goal of the night, set up by Ethan Zuvela and Cadwallader. Bloomfield added his second goal, assisted by Letcher, and Lukas Marek closed the scoring with assists from Zuvela and Vancura. Gino Texter stopped all 21 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season and the second in Mavericks NCDC history. Letcher finished with two goals and three assists, while Cadwallader had four assists. Bloomfield added two goals and an assist. The Mavericks outshot the Union 45-21. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn Saturday: Mavericks 4, Chicago Union 3 Chicago made the Mavericks work for it Saturday, erasing a two-goal deficit before Letcher delivered the game-winner. Ethan Alexander opened the scoring on a first-period power play, assisted by Marek and Letcher. Colin Murphy answered for Chicago with 1:31 left in the period, set up by Miran Janezic. Columbus took control in the second period. Letcher scored with assists from Cadwallader and Jack Rytel. Cadwallader then made it 3-1, assisted by Alexander and Letcher. Lincoln Stochl pulled the Union within one later in the period. He then set up Anthony Ostrowski for the tying goal early in the third. With 2:23 left in regulation, Letcher scored the winning goal, assisted by Rytel and Cadwallader. Letcher had two goals and two assists, while Cadwallader had a goal and two assists. Alexander added a goal and an assist, and Rytel had two assists. Gregor Kalinovsky made 25 saves on 28 shots for the win. The Mavericks outshot Chicago 31-28. Weekend Leaders Austin Letcher: 4 goals, 5 assists, 9 points Kenneth Cadwallader: 1 goal, 6 assists, 7 points Max Bloomfield: 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points (in one game) Ethan Alexander: 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points Jan Sebastien Vancura: 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points Lukas Marek: 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points Ethan Zuvela: 2 assists, 2 points Jack Rytel: 2 assists, 2 points Season Scoring Leaders (7 games) Austin Letcher: 7 goals, 9 assists, 16 points Kenneth Cadwallader: 5 goals, 10 assists, 15 points Lukas Marek: 6 goals, 8 assists, 14 points Jan Sebastien Vancura: 6 goals, 5 assists, 11 points Jameson Motyka: 2 goals, 8 assists, 10 points Next up The Mavericks return to OhioHealth Chiller North on Saturday, Oct. 24, to host the Fort Wayne Spacemen, another Great Lakes Division rival. Puck drop is 8:10 PM. Tickets are available at columbusmavericks.com/fan-zone/tickets, and the game will stream on USPHL+ through Black Bear Sports.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Mavericks’ Premier team took three of a possible four points from the Chicago Crush this weekend at OhioHealth Chiller North. They needed a three-goal comeback to get the first one. On Friday afternoon, Konstantin Schleiermacher’s hat trick helped Columbus erase deficits all game long and force overtime. Chicago won 8-7 in the extra period. The Mavericks answered Saturday with a 5-1 win, led by Owen Abraham’s two goals and two assists. Columbus is now 6-1-2 on the season and earned its first win over the Crush in three meetings. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn Friday: Chicago Crush 8, Mavericks 7 (OT) Chicago came out flying. Brandon Herschbach, Konstantin Yurkevich and Nikita Tashkinov-Eidemiller scored in quick succession early in the first period for a 3-0 Crush lead. Columbus started chipping away. Schleiermacher scored his first of the afternoon, assisted by Hudson Gerber and Evan Moore. Joshua Yeates restored Chicago’s three-goal lead on the power play. Abraham answered before intermission, set up by Patrik Frydecky and Ryder Gamey, to make it 4-2. The second period followed the same pattern. Zachary Bentivenga and Nathan Dazey scored for Chicago. Schleiermacher and Simon Sochor answered for Columbus, Schleiermacher assisted by Moore and Samuel Heckathorne, Sochor by Pascal Bezares Ramirez and Timothy Boyd Jr. Ethan Dufour then scored with 47.5 seconds left in the period, assisted by Alan Faulkner III and Parker Arlet. That cut the deficit to 6-5 heading into the third. Yurkevich scored on the power play midway through the third for a 7-5 Crush lead. The Mavericks didn’t fold. Boyd answered on a power play of their own, set up by Abraham and Sam Pies. With 4:31 left in regulation, Schleiermacher completed his hat trick to tie the game 7-7, assisted by Frydecky and Sochor. Tashkinov-Eidemiller ended it in overtime, assisted by Mikey Large and Alex Yakimenka. Schleiermacher led Columbus with three goals. Abraham, Boyd and Sochor each had a goal and an assist, and Frydecky had two assists. The Mavericks outshot Chicago 51-39. Robert Cook and Liem Nguyen split time in net, with Nguyen making 22 saves. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn Saturday: Mavericks 5, Chicago Crush 1 The Mavericks left no doubt in the rematch. Dufour opened the scoring in the first period, assisted by Benjamin Marquardt. Dylan Harris doubled the lead before intermission, set up by Pies and Abraham. Pies made it 3-0 early in the second, with assists from Abraham and Boyd. Large got Chicago on the board with a power-play goal, but Abraham answered on a Columbus power play, assisted by Boyd and Sochor. Abraham added his second goal of the night in the third, set up by Dufour and Marquardt. Kellen Ceraldi made 32 saves on 33 shots for the win. Abraham finished with two goals and two assists. Pies and Dufour each had a goal and an assist, while Boyd and Marquardt each had two assists. Columbus outshot the Crush 43-33. Weekend Leaders Owen Abraham: 3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points Timothy Boyd Jr.: 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points Konstantin Schleiermacher: 3 goals, 3 points Ethan Dufour: 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points Sam Pies: 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points Simon Sochor: 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points Patrik Frydecky: 2 assists, 2 points Benjamin Marquardt: 2 assists, 2 points Next up The Mavericks stay home next weekend to host the Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones at OhioHealth Chiller North on Friday, Oct. 23. Columbus opened its season with a 9-0 win over Cincinnati on Sept. 20. Tickets are available at columbusmavericks.com/fan-zone/tickets, and the game will stream on USPHL+ through Black Bear Sports.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Mavericks’ first NCDC home weekend looked a lot like their first road trip: two games, two wins. Columbus swept the Great Lakes Division rival Red River Spartans in its home-opening weekend. The Mavericks rallied for a 5-2 win Friday night at OhioHealth Ice Haus, then won 6-0 Saturday at OhioHealth Chiller North. The sweep improves the Mavericks to 5-0 in their first NCDC season. They have outscored opponents 36-7 so far. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn Friday: Mavericks 5, Red River Spartans 2 For the first time in their brief NCDC history, the Mavericks found themselves chasing a game. Lukas Marek made sure it didn’t last. Red River struck twice in the first period. Denis Portnoy scored with an assist from Hugo Olsson, then set up Vilem Karal for a 2-0 Spartans lead. Columbus answered 1:40 later when Kenneth Cadwallader scored with 1:58 left in the period, assisted by Ethan Alexander. The Mavericks took over in the second period. Marek tied the game, assisted by Jan Sebastien Vancura and Jan Valenta. Ethan Zuvela then gave Columbus its first lead of the night, set up by Jameson Motyka and Marek. Marek added two more in the third to complete his hat trick. His first came with assists from Cadwallader and Austin Letcher. He closed the scoring with 37.2 seconds remaining, set up by Cameron Hill and Motyka. Marek finished with three goals and an assist. Motyka added two assists, and Cadwallader had a goal and an assist. Gino Texter made 16 saves on 18 shots for the win. The Mavericks outshot the Spartans 49-18. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn Saturday: Mavericks 6, Red River Spartans 0 Saturday night belonged to Kellen Ceraldi. He stopped all 21 shots he faced for the first shutout in Mavericks NCDC history. Columbus broke through late in the first period with two goals just 30.6 seconds apart. Vancura opened the scoring with 1:04 left, assisted by Motyka and Marek. Carter Holbrook followed with 33.4 seconds left, set up by Hill and Gavin Gopal. Cadwallader made it 3-0 in the second period, with assists from Letcher and Alexander. Arturs Zirnitis opened the third period scoring with an unassisted goal, his first of the season. Max Bloomfield then scored twice for his first two goals of the year. Gopal and Zirnitis assisted on the first, and Gopal and Holbrook on the second. Gopal led the way with three assists. Bloomfield had two goals, and Holbrook and Zirnitis each had a goal and an assist. The Mavericks outshot Red River 53-21. Weekend Leaders Lukas Marek: 3 goals, 2 assists, 5 points Jameson Motyka: 3 assists, 3 points Gavin Gopal: 3 assists, 3 points Kenneth Cadwallader: 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points Max Bloomfield: 2 goals, 2 points Carter Holbrook: 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points Arturs Zirnitis: 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points Jan Sebastien Vancura: 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points Cameron Hill: 2 assists, 2 points Austin Letcher: 2 assists, 2 points Ethan Alexander: 2 assists, 2 points Through five games, Marek leads the Mavericks with 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists). Motyka has 10 points (2 goals, 8 assists), and Vancura has 9 (5 goals, 4 assists). Next up The Mavericks stay home next weekend for two more Great Lakes Division games against the Chicago Union at OhioHealth Chiller North. Puck drop is 8:30 PM on Friday, Oct. 16, and 7:50 PM on Saturday, Oct. 17. Tickets are available at columbusmavericks.com/fan-zone/tickets, and both games will stream on USPHL+ through Black Bear Sports.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Mavericks’ Premier team got its first taste of adversity this weekend, and responded the next night. The Mavericks split their home-opening weekend with the Red River Spartans. They fell 4-2 on Friday afternoon at OhioHealth Ice Haus, then bounced back with a 4-3 win on Saturday night at OhioHealth Chiller North. The split moves Columbus to 5-1-1 on the season. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn Friday: Red River Spartans 4, Mavericks 2 The Mavericks controlled the shot chart but couldn’t solve Red River goaltender Benjamin Knutson. He made 47 saves on 49 shots to hand Columbus its first regulation loss of the season. After a scoreless first period, Logan Almeida put the Spartans ahead in the second, assisted by Marshall McMurtry. Hudson Gerber answered for the Mavericks, set up by Benjamin Marquardt. But McMurtry restored Red River’s lead with just 5.7 seconds left in the period, assisted by Naythan Richer. The Spartans pulled away early in the third. Benjamin LeVan and Harold Segars IV scored to make it 4-1, with Ilja Kozlovs assisting on Segars’ goal. Alan Faulkner III got one back for Columbus, assisted by AJ Alan Faulkner Jr. and Simon Sochor, but the Mavericks couldn’t get any closer. Columbus outshot Red River 49-14 but went scoreless on five power-play opportunities. Robert Cook made 12 saves in net for the Mavericks. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn Saturday: Mavericks 4, Red River Spartans 3 Sam Pies made sure the Mavericks didn’t drop two in a row. He had a goal and three assists, figuring in all four Columbus goals. Pies opened the scoring on a first-period power play, assisted by Marquardt and Timothy Boyd Jr. Jakub Vesely doubled the lead later in the period, with assists from Gerber and Pies. Dylan Harris and Parker Arlet also scored for Columbus. Pies assisted on both, with Owen Abraham assisting on Harris’ goal and Boyd on Arlet’s. Red River got goals from Kozlovs, Daniel Rowley and Bailey Weisman, but the Mavericks held on for the one-goal win. Liem Nguyen was in net for Columbus. Weekend Leaders Sam Pies: 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points Hudson Gerber: 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points Benjamin Marquardt: 2 assists, 2 points Timothy Boyd Jr.: 2 assists, 2 points Next up The Mavericks stay home next weekend for a rematch with the Chicago Crush. That’s the team that handed Columbus its shootout loss at the Chicago Showcase. The teams meet at OhioHealth Chiller North on Friday, Oct. 16, and Saturday, Oct. 17. Tickets are available at columbusmavericks.com/fan-zone/tickets, and both games will stream on USPHL+ through Black Bear Sports.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Mavericks waited eight seasons to play an NCDC game. Once they got the chance, they wasted no time making themselves at home. The Mavericks opened their first season in the USPHL's Tier 2 division with three wins in three days at the USPHL Chicago Showcase. They beat the Minnesota Blue Ox 9-1 on Thursday, the Northwest Express 11-1 on Friday and the Hudson Havoc 5-3 on Saturday. Columbus outscored its three Midwest Conference North Division opponents 25-5 over the weekend. The offense came from everywhere. Jan Sebastien Vancura, Jameson Motyka and Lukas Marek each finished the weekend with seven points. Fifteen different Mavericks scored at least one point, and three different goaltenders shared the work in net. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn Game 1: Mavericks 9, Minnesota Blue Ox 1 Thursday, Oct. 1 The first goal in Mavericks NCDC history came just 3:26 into the opening period. Carter Holbrook scored it, with Cameron Hill picking up the assist. Motyka doubled the lead later in the first, set up by Marek. Columbus pulled away in the second period. Zack Shepherd converted on the power play, with assists from Nicholas Borg and Kenneth Cadwallader. Vancura and Giovanni Valentine then added goals for a 5-0 lead through 40 minutes. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn The Mavericks scored four more in the third. Marek, Cadwallader and Valentine each scored, and Vancura capped the night with an unassisted goal for his second of the game. Cooper Hedin spoiled Gino Texter's shutout bid late in the third period, with assists from Eddie Drury and Jaiken Mackedanz. Vancura led the way with two goals and an assist. Valentine also scored twice, while Marek, Cadwallader and Hill each had two points. Game 2: Mavericks 11, Northwest Express 1 Friday, Oct. 2 If Thursday was a statement, Friday was an exclamation point. Gavin Gopal recorded the program's first NCDC hat trick, capping it with a shorthanded goal in the final two minutes. Columbus led 3-0 after one period on goals from Motyka, Gopal and Jan Valenta. Valenta, Austin Letcher and Ethan Alexander scored in the second to make it 6-0. The third period opened with a burst. Cadwallader, Letcher and Gopal scored three goals in an 82-second span to push the lead to 9-0. Ethan Bellamy got the Express on the board midway through the period, with an assist from Jacob Kolker. Vancura answered just seven seconds later. Letcher (two goals, two assists) and Motyka (one goal, three assists) each had four points. Ethan Zuvela added three assists, and Cadwallader had a goal and two assists. Gregor Kalinovsky was in net for the win. Game 3: Mavericks 5, Hudson Havoc 3 Saturday, Oct. 3 The Havoc gave Columbus its first real test of the season, but the Mavericks found an answer every time. Zuvela opened the scoring on a first-period power play, set up by Motyka and Marek. Hudson tied it in the second when Lucas Kiel scored on the power play. Columbus responded with two goals 36 seconds apart. Vancura scored first, assisted by Marek and Devyn Bittner. Marek then scored with assists from Vancura and Motyka for a 3-1 lead. The third period got tight. Isaac Berberena pulled Hudson within one, and Douglas Loethen restored the two-goal cushion, assisted by Gopal and Max Bloomfield. Jackson Dougherty cut it to 4-3 with 9:50 to play. The game was settled with 3:26 left in regulation. Letcher was awarded a penalty shot and converted it to seal the win. Kellen Ceraldi made 28 saves on 31 shots. Marek led Columbus with a goal and two assists, and the Mavericks outshot the Havoc 47-31. Weekend Leaders Jan Sebastien Vancura: 4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points Jameson Motyka: 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points Lukas Marek: 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points Austin Letcher: 3 goals, 2 assists, 5 points (in two games) Ethan Zuvela: 1 goal, 4 assists, 5 points Kenneth Cadwallader: 2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points Gavin Gopal: 3 goals, 1 assist, 4 points Cameron Hill: 4 assists, 4 points Next up: Home sweet home The undefeated Mavericks now return to Central Ohio for the first NCDC home games in program history. Columbus hosts the Red River Spartans at OhioHealth Chiller North, 8144 Highfield Drive in Lewis Center, on Friday, Oct. 9, at 5:30 PM. The two teams meet again Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7:40 PM. Tickets are available at columbusmavericks.com/fan-zone/tickets, and both games will stream on USPHL+ through Black Bear Sports.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Mavericks' Premier team came within a shootout of a perfect weekend at the USPHL Chicago Showcase. The Mavericks beat the Northwest Express 9-0 on Thursday and the Dells Ducks 5-1 on Friday morning. They fell 5-4 in a shootout to the Chicago Crush on Friday night, then closed the showcase Saturday with a 9-0 win over the Fresh Coast Freeze. Columbus went 3-0-1, outscored its opponents 27-5 and recorded two shutouts. Including their 9-0 season-opening win over the Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones on Sept. 20, the Mavericks are now 4-0-1 and have yet to lose in regulation. Alexander Chilicki led the way with seven points, including a four-goal game Saturday. Parker Arlet matched him with seven points, while Sam Pies and Evan Moore had six apiece. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn Game 1: Mavericks 9, Northwest Express 0 Thursday, Oct. 1 Pascal Bezares Ramirez set the tone for the weekend with a hat trick. Robert Cook stopped all 13 shots he faced for the shutout. Arlet opened the scoring in the first period, assisted by William Dabb. Bezares Ramirez then scored twice before intermission, both times set up by Pies, for a 3-0 lead. Columbus added six more in the second period. Dabb, Moore, Alan Faulkner III and Patrik Frydecky each scored. Bezares Ramirez completed his hat trick, assisted by Ryder Gamey. Moore closed the scoring with his second goal of the night, with assists from Hudson Gerber and Dabb. Pies had three assists, while Arlet and Dabb each had a goal and two assists. The Mavericks outshot the Express 60-13. Game 2: Mavericks 5, Dells Ducks 1 Friday, Oct. 2 The Ducks scored first when Jakub Lokvenc found the net early in the first period, with an assist from Gianluca Minicozzi. The lead didn't last long. AJ Alan Faulkner Jr. tied the game, assisted by Faulkner III and Simon Sochor. Just nine seconds later, Sochor put Columbus ahead with assists from Faulkner Jr. and Arlet. Frydecky added his second goal of the showcase before the end of the period, set up by Gamey, for a 3-1 lead. Chilicki and Pies scored in the second period, Pies on the power play. Dylan Harris assisted on both goals. Liem Nguyen made 29 saves on 30 shots for the win. Faulkner Jr. and Sochor each had a goal and an assist, while Faulkner III and Harris each had two assists. Game 3: Chicago Crush 5, Mavericks 4, Shootout Friday, Oct. 2 Friday night was the Mavericks' toughest test of the young season. Neither team led by more than a goal all night. Chilicki opened the scoring, assisted by Konstantin Schleiermacher. Brandon Adolfino answered for Chicago, and Dabb restored the Columbus lead before the end of the first period, set up by Gamey. The game went back and forth through the second period. Adolfino tied it again, and Schleiermacher put Columbus back on top, assisted by Moore. Blake Adolfino and Joseph Bledsoe then scored for the Crush, Bledsoe on the power play, to give Chicago its first lead of the night at 4-3. Columbus answered late in the second period. With 2:15 left, Sochor scored a power-play goal to tie the game 4-4, assisted by Pies and Dabb. Overtime solved nothing, and the Crush won the shootout to take the extra point. Chilicki scored for Columbus in the shootout. Cook was outstanding, making 46 saves on 50 shots through regulation and overtime. Game 4: Mavericks 9, Fresh Coast Freeze 0 Saturday, Oct. 3 The Mavericks answered their first blemish of the season in a big way. Chilicki had four goals and an assist, and Gavin Jones made 31 saves for the shutout. Arlet scored first, assisted by Schleiermacher. Sochor followed with a goal assisted by Moore. Chilicki then took over, scoring on the power play from Owen Abraham and Arlet, then again from Arlet, for a 4-0 lead after one period. Chilicki completed his hat trick early in the second period, assisted by Johnny McHugh. He then set up Moore for a 6-0 lead. In the third, Abraham scored shorthanded, assisted by Pies. Chilicki added his fourth goal of the morning on the power play, set up by Schleiermacher. Moore finished the scoring with just 10.7 seconds left, assisted by Abraham. Arlet and Abraham each added a goal and two assists, while Moore had two goals and an assist. Columbus outshot the Freeze 57-31. Weekend Leaders Alexander Chilicki: 6 goals, 1 assist, 7 points Parker Arlet: 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points Sam Pies: 1 goal, 5 assists, 6 points Evan Moore: 4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points Simon Sochor: 3 goals, 2 assists, 5 points William Dabb: 2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points (in three games) Konstantin Schleiermacher: 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points Pascal Bezares Ramirez: 3 goals, 3 points In Goal Robert Cook: 1-0-1, shutout vs. Northwest Express (13 saves); 46 saves vs. Chicago Crush Liem Nguyen: 1-0-0, 29 saves vs. Dells Ducks Gavin Jones: 1-0-0, shutout vs. Fresh Coast Freeze (31 saves) Next up: Home opener The Premier Mavericks also return to Central Ohio next weekend for their home opener. Columbus hosts the Red River Spartans at OhioHealth Chiller North, 8144 Highfield Drive in Lewis Center, on Friday, Oct. 9, at 2:30 PM. The two teams meet again Saturday, Oct. 10. Tickets are available at columbusmavericks.com/fan-zone/tickets, and both games will stream on USPHL+ through Black Bear Sports.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Eight seasons in, the Columbus Mavericks are about to play a game they've never played before. The Mavericks' new Tier 2 team will play the first NCDC game in program history Thursday night. They face the Minnesota Blue Ox at the USPHL Chicago Showcase. The Mavericks' Premier team is in Chicago too, carrying a 1-0 record into a four-game showcase slate. Between them, the two teams will play seven games in three days at Summit Sports & Ice Complex. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn A new chapter for the NCDC squad For seven seasons, the Mavericks have competed at the Tier 3 Premier level of the USPHL. This year, the organization added a team in the NCDC, the league's Tier 2 division. The program's new top tier gets its first test against three teams from the North Division of the NCDC's Midwest Conference. The NCDC Mavericks, who play in the conference's Great Lakes Division, open Thursday against the Blue Ox. They face the Northwest Express on Friday and close their showcase Saturday against the Hudson Havoc. All three games are at Summit Sports & Ice Complex North. Showcases like this one matter for players. The USPHL bills the Chicago event as one of its premier early-season stops. It gives players a chance to compete against teams outside their regular schedule in front of junior, college and professional scouts. For a first-year NCDC roster, that exposure starts with the opening face-off. Premier team already rolling The Premier Mavericks got their season off to an emphatic start on Sept. 20. They blanked the Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones 9-0 at Queen City Sportsplex. They'll look to build on that this week with four games at Summit Sports & Ice Complex South. Thursday's game is against the Northwest Express. Friday brings a doubleheader against the Dells Ducks and the Chicago Crush. The Premier team wraps up its showcase Saturday against the Fresh Coast Freeze. Showcase Schedule NCDC Thursday, Oct. 1 — vs. Minnesota Blue Ox, 7:30 PM (Summit Sports & Ice Complex North) Friday, Oct. 2 — vs. Northwest Express, 11:15 AM (Summit Sports & Ice Complex North) Saturday, Oct. 3 — vs. Hudson Havoc, 1:30 PM (Summit Sports & Ice Complex North) Premier Thursday, Oct. 1 — vs. Northwest Express, 5:15 PM (Summit Sports & Ice Complex South) Friday, Oct. 2 — vs. Dells Ducks, 7:15 AM (Summit Sports & Ice Complex South) Friday, Oct. 2 — at Chicago Crush, 2:15 PM (Summit Sports & Ice Complex South) Saturday, Oct. 3 — vs. Fresh Coast Freeze, 5:30 AM (Summit Sports & Ice Complex South) How to watch Every Mavericks showcase game will stream live on USPHL+ through Black Bear Sports. Full schedules for both teams are on the NCDC and Premier schedule pages. Coming home After Chicago, both teams return to Central Ohio to host the Red River Spartans the following weekend. The NCDC Mavericks will play their first-ever home games on Friday, Oct. 9, and Saturday, Oct. 10. Both games are at OhioHealth Chiller North, 8144 Highfield Drive in Lewis Center. The Premier team will also face Red River that weekend, at OhioHealth Ice Haus on Friday and Chiller North on Saturday. Tickets are available at columbusmavericks.com/fan-zone/tickets.

LEWIS CENTER, Ohio — May 15, 2026 — The Columbus Mavericks are officially opening the door to the next generation of Maverick hockey players. The organization has announced its 2026 Main Camp, scheduled for Thursday, July 9th through Sunday, July 12th, at OhioHealth Chiller North in Lewis Center, Ohio. Players born between 2006 and 2010 are invited to apply for the chance to earn a roster spot on either the Columbus Mavericks NCDC or Premier team for the 2026-27 season. This year's Main Camp carries added significance. The Mavericks are entering their eighth season of competition in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) and, for the first time in program history, will field two teams — a Tier 3 Premier squad and a brand-new Tier 2 team competing in the National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC). That means more roster spots, more opportunity, and more ways to be a Maverick. An Application-Only Process Main Camp operates on an application-only basis. Interested players do not pay a registration fee upfront — they must first submit an application through the Mavericks' website. The coaching staff will review all applicants and notify selected players approximately two weeks prior to camp. Registration fees are collected only after a player receives an invitation to participate. Forwards, defensemen, and goalies may all apply through separate registration tracks at no cost. This approach reflects the Mavericks' commitment to a thorough and intentional evaluation process — every player who steps on the ice at OhioHealth Chiller North in July will have earned the right to be there. What Selected Players Can Expect Players invited to Main Camp will receive a comprehensive evaluation experience that goes well beyond a standard tryout skate. The four-day camp includes one practice and skills session followed by three guaranteed games, with the possibility of a fourth game for players selected to participate in an All-Star game. Off the ice, players and their families will receive locker room and facility tours of OhioHealth Chiller North. The camp also features direct access to the Mavericks' leadership. Players will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with the NCDC and Premier coaching staffs, giving prospects a rare look at the program's vision and expectations from the people who will be behind the bench in 2026-27. Parents will have their own dedicated Q&A session with Mavericks President and General Manager Joey Recktenwald and Assistant General Manager Jaime Antello — an opportunity to ask questions, understand the program's culture, and learn what life as a Maverick family truly looks like. A Pivotal Moment for the Program Since their inaugural season, the Columbus Mavericks have built a reputation as one of the more player-focused programs in the USPHL's crowded landscape of 80-plus teams. The addition of an NCDC team for 2026-27 represents the most significant step forward in program history — and Main Camp is where it all begins. Players selected to the NCDC team will compete at the Tier 2 level against some of the top junior hockey programs in the country, with a direct pathway toward college hockey opportunities. Premier players will continue the Mavericks' tradition of competitive, development-focused hockey at the Tier 3 level in the USPHL. The Main Camp timeline flows directly into the Mavericks' broader summer calendar. The day after camp concludes, the organization will host its 2026 Charity Golf Outing at Glenross Golf Club in Delaware, Ohio — giving the extended Mavericks community a chance to come together and celebrate the start of a new chapter for the program. How to Apply Players born between 2006 and 2010 who are interested in competing for a spot on the 2026-27 Columbus Mavericks NCDC or Premier roster should submit their application at the link below. There is no cost to apply. Applicants selected to participate in the Main Camp will be notified approximately two weeks before camp. Applications are available now at: www.columbusmavericks.com/event-details/columbus-mavericks-main-camp-2026 For questions, contact the Columbus Mavericks at info@columbusmavericks.com. About the Columbus Mavericks The Columbus Mavericks are a proud member of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL), entering their eighth season of competition in 2026-27. Based at OhioHealth Chiller North in Lewis Center, Ohio, the Mavericks will expand to two teams this season — a USPHL Premier (Tier 3) squad and a new NCDC (Tier 2) team — continuing the program's mission of developing players on and off the ice and growing the game of hockey across Central Ohio.