Omaha, Neb., might be 1,000 miles away from Yost Ice Arena, but the No. 8 Michigan hockey team is hoping this weekend's series against Nebraska-Omaha will be some sort of a homecoming for the Wolverines.

For four players, the homecoming is simple. It's a return to the city where they played their junior hockey. Juniors Tim Cook and Jason Dest played for the River City Lancers from 2001-03 and 2002-03, respectively, and freshmen Tim Miller and Brandon Naurato played there from 2003-05.

For the older Wolverines, Omaha has become a home away from home: This is the sixth consecutive year Michigan has played there.

"It's a tough place to play, and this particular rink is a tough place to play," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "We have a lot at stake, and our team needs to take a step and I think they'll play well there."

Each of the last five trips have been quite successful. Michigan has come away with a 7-1-2 record overall. The Wolverines hope to experience similar success and earn their first sweep since December.

Since Michigan (13-8-3 CCHA, 18-11-3 overall) swept Nebraska-Omaha on Dec. 9 and 10, the team has been unable to come away with both wins in a single weekend series. And although the Wolverines managed to take four points from the Mavericks on that occasion, they certainly can't expect easy points this weekend.

Michigan skated away with two easy victories on its home ice, but a rivalry began to build between the two teams. Scuffles broke out during the Wolverines' 7-3 victory on Dec. 10. After the game, many of the Michigan players expressed frustration with the Mavericks' desire to turn the game into a boxing match.

If the Wolverines hope to return to first-half form and take four points from Nebraska-Omaha, one key will be patience with the Mavericks if scuffles break out after the whistle. During the Dec. 10 game, Michigan was slapped with 47 penalty minutes, including two ejections. The second was a game disqualification to David Rohlfs that resulted in an automatic one-game suspension for the junior.

The Mavericks (11-9-4, 17-11-4) were not far behind, receiving 44 penalty minutes in that game. Should Nebraska-Omaha begin to rack up penalties this weekend, Michigan will be forced to rely on its recently hapless power play. Berenson hopes that his power play unit will begin to repair itself, as well.

"(The power play) can be something that comes together - you can't force it," Berenson said. "Obviously, it hasn't been one of our strengths in recent games. You need it to be able to help you in a tight game. I'm not worried about averages, I'm worried about, 'Can our power play make a difference when we need them to?' "

If Michigan can shore up its power play and compete with more composure, it has the opportunity to secure a first-round bye in the CCHA playoffs. The week off would guarantee the Wolverines home-ice advantage in the second round of the league playoffs.