Jack Hoover
SPORTS EDITOR
Even if you can’t watch current Maverick athletes play sports right now, you might be in luck elsewhere.
Sports are gradually returning across the country and the globe, even if that is not the case on campus yet. So if you’re missing out on watching UNO sports, you can get your fill by watching former Mavericks play professionally. Here are a few former Omaha athletes who now play professionally and where to find them.
Elvir Ibisevic – Union Omaha
You don’t have to go very far to find this former Omaha men’s soccer player. Elvir Ibisevic scored 13 goals in a three-year career for the Mavericks. After a short stint in European soccer, the star striker has returned home to play for USL League one side Union Omaha. Union Omaha games are currently open to fans at Werner Park, if you want to see Ibisevic play in person. Their games can also be found on ESPN+ and Mavradio.fm.
If you’re tuning in to a Union Omaha game, you’ll also get two Mavericks for the price of one, as the team is coached by former Omaha men’s soccer head coach Jason Mims.
Jake Guentzel – Pittsburgh Penguins
Unfortunately, you may have already missed your chance to see Jake Guentzel play hockey this season. Due to a shortened season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Guentzel’s team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, were made to play a qualifying round for the NHL postseason. The Penguins lost out to the 12 seed Montreal Canadiens, eliminating the from the playoffs. However, the NHL plans on beginning the new season around December of 2020.
KJ Robinson – Horsens IC
For many former college basketball players who don’t make it to the NBA right away, Europe can provide a path to the pros. That’s the route that former UNO men’s basketball standout KJ Robinson will be taking, after it was announced over the summer that he was signing with Horsens IC in Denmark. At Horsens, Robinson will be playing at the top level in Denmark against other former NCAA college standouts. The season for Horsens IC kicks off on Oct. 2 against BK Amager.
Greg Zurlein – Dallas Cowboys
Greg Zurlein is one last former Mavericks that you may see playing on Sundays. Staying at UNO until the football program shut down in 2011, Zurlein is arguably one of the most successful former Omaha players in the NHL. In a six-year career with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, Zurlein made 201 field goals and appeared in one Pro Bowl in 2017. Now at a new team with the Dallas Cowboys this season, Zurlein will look to keep up his amazing accuracy.
