The Omaha Mavericks claimed the Summit League conference tournament crown with a 4-2 victory on Saturday night in Kansas City, securing their third conference title in program history.
The win not only earned Omaha the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, but it also set a new program record for most wins in a season by securing the team’s 11th victory of the year. The Mavericks avenged a loss to the Tommies suffered a few weeks prior.
“It’s a special group of guys, and just to see us achieve one of our goals and to do it as a team it just feels amazing,” said Italo Jenkins, All-Tournament MVP.
Omaha opened the scoring in the 13th minute when Jeppe Runge found the net off an assist from Jenkins. Momentum shifted less than a minute later when Jenkins was whistled for a foul in the box, resulting in a penalty kick for the Tommies.
Following a brief video assistant referee review, officials upheld the call, and Rodrigo Salamanca Lopez converted the kick in the 14th minute to tie the match 1-1.
The score remained deadlocked through a physical first half marked by intense play as both squads fought to keep their seasons alive. Reflecting on his senior mindset, Jenkins noted the urgency of the moment.
“Because you never know if this is the last time I ever play,” Jenkins said.
In the second half, Omaha broke open the match with a flurry of offensive scores. In the 62nd minute, Maguire Perkins fired an initial shot that deflected directly back to him, allowing him to bury his second attempt into the upper left corner to put the Mavericks ahead 2-1.
Perkins struck again in the 71st minute, emerging from a goalmouth scrum to convert from six yards out for an insurance goal. Less than 15 minutes later, Jenkins broke free on a counter-attack alongside trailing teammate Mikey Stukenholtz. Facing a two-on-one against the goaltender, Jenkins fed the ball to Stukenholtz for a wide-open tap-in.
The Tommies answered a minute later with a goal from Eliot Beaumale, but the deficit proved too steep as Omaha held on through the final whistle. The chippy affair featured 30 total fouls and seven yellow cards amid bitter cold conditions at the UMKC campus.
Despite being outshot 6-5 in total shots on goal, the Mavericks remained clinical, converting four of their five shots on target. Alongside Jenkins winning All-Tournament MVP, Perkins, Stukenholtz, and Runge earned spots on the All-Tournament squad.
The record-breaking victory caps a dramatic one-year turnaround for the Mavericks under head coach Donovan Dowling, following a three-win campaign the previous season.
“One of the huge reasons for success is we’ve had guys who have been in the program now for three years, four years,” Dowling said. “Bad teams, nobody leads, average teams coaches lead and great teams the players lead, and they set the example each and every day.”
Dowling and his players frequently credited their chemistry and camaraderie as foundational to their success. “From the beginning you could sense there was something special about this group and the way we just melted together week after week to be where we are now,” Jenkins said.
The Mavericks will discover their postseason path when the official tournament bracket is announced on Monday during the selection show beginning at 12 p.m.
