University of St. Thomas Athletics
Tommie freshman Nicole Vallario (26) and teammate Saskia Maurer will represent Switzlerland in the 2022 Winter Olympics (Rebecca Twite photo)
Photo by: Rebecca Twite
Gene's Blog: Winter teams' by-the-numbers edition
12/7/2021 9:35:00 AM | Athletics, Gene's Blog
If you haven't looked closely you may not realize that the inaugural Division I winter sports seasons at St. Thomas are flying by.
Tommie Hockey and Swim-Dive squads have already reached the halfway point for their seasons. Both Tommie Basketball teams will play their 10th games in the coming week and have just over 10 weeks left in their seasons.
Two more Purple teams will join in the fun starting this Friday afternoon when Women's and Men's Track and Field hosts a small season-opening indoor competition in the Anderson Fieldhouse.
Even our traditional spring sports are watching the calendar and getting excited. Women's Tennis starts playing its 2022 schedule in just over seven weeks at the University of Minnesota. Softball starts play in just over nine weeks in Kentucky. Baseball's opening trip is just over 10 weeks away in Florida.
Here are some interesting Tommie highlights so far in a by-the-numbers check in on the courts, ice and pool:
He's No. 1
1st: Division I national ranking for both made 3-pointers (48) and made 3-pointers per game (5.33) for Tommie senior Riley Miller
3rd: Division I national ranking for 3-point percentage by Tommie grad student Ryan Lindberg (55.8%, 24-of-43)
2nd: St. Thomas' Division I national ranking out of 358 teams for made 3-pointers per game (121, 13.4 per game)
75: Number of seasons since Drake and St. Thomas played in men's basketball (1946-47) prior to Sunday's 74-64 Bulldogs win in Des Moines
2,674: Sunday attendance at Drake, largest involving Tommie men's basketball so far in 2021-22
65-61: Drake's four-point lead going into final 90 seconds on Sunday with Toms in possession before a turnover helped the hosts close out the win with a 9-3 run
26-5: Drake's MBB record last season, including a 1-1 NCAA tournament mark
4-5: Tommie men's record so far in their first Division I season, with eight of the nine games so far played away from Minnesota
11: Career-best rebound total, recorded at Drake, for Tommie junior Brooks Allen, who finished two points shy of a double double.
12: Consecutive wins for Tommie MBB at home (nine) or neutral courts (three)
.439: Career 3-point shooting clip for senior Riley Miller (145 made in 74 games)
Making a Splash
75: Days left in inaugural Division I season for Tommie Swim-Dive teams
3: Top 11-Summit League event performances this season for Swim-Dive freshman Alex Foti (500, 100, 1650 free)
3: Top 13-Summit League event performances this season for Swim-Dive freshman Joe Rudd (200 IM, 100, 200 breast)
3: Top 12-Summit League event performances this season for Swim-Dive freshman Elizabeth Bonneville (500, 100, 1650 free)
2: Top 7-Summit League event performances this season for Swim-Dive sophomore Grace Urkiel (100, 200 Fly)
42: Freshmen and sophomores out of 71 total athletes on Tommie Swim-Dive rosters
9: Out of 10 starting spots, filled by Minnesota natives last weekend for Tommie men's and women's basketball
4th: WBB national ranking for minutes played per game among all Division I freshmen for the Tommies' Jade Hill (35 mpg)
40: Minutes played in 40-minute game Saturday in a win at Chicago State for Tommie WBB junior Jordyn Glynn, who closed with 11 points, five boards and six assists
2: Double doubles so far this season for Tommie WBB (Jo Langbehn, grad transfer Erin Norling)
.446: Career 3-point shooting clip for Tommie fifth-year grad student Kaia Porter (79 made in 50 games)
91: Career games scoring in double figures for Tommie grad transfer Erin Norling, including 84 at Wayne State, with 1,705 career points in 112 games
Ice, Ice Baby
16: Number of games played so far in the 32-game regular season for Tommie Women's Hockey
18: Number of games played -- with 16 games to go -- in the regular season for Tommie Men's Hockey
14,403: Total six-game home and away attendance for six Men's Hockey against in-state opponents St. Cloud State, Minnesota State and Bemidji State
5th: St. Thomas' national Division I Women's Hockey ranking for most saves (575, 35.9 per game)
6th: St. Thomas' national Division I Women's Hockey ranking for fewest penalty minutes per game (6.0)
.894: Penalty-kill rate so far for Tommie Women's Hockey, 13th best in Division I (42 of 47 killed)
37.8: Saves per game in eight full games for Tommie senior goalie Alexa Dobchuk
29.2: Saves per game in his last 12 contests for Tommie grad transfer goalie Peter Thome 15th: Tommie women's projected ranking in toughest schedule on wins/losses to date among 41 Division I teams
0-24: Tommie Hockey record so far against nationally-ranked teams or teams receiving votes in this week's men's or women's polls
5-4-1: Tommie Hockey record so far against teams not ranked or receiving votes in this week's polls
10: Goals scored by Tommie Women's Hockey freshmen, out of team's total of 19
25: Points for Tommie Men's Hockey players who are Division I newcomers so far (12 goals, 13 assists)
8: Different players to score the last eight goals for Tommie Men's Hockey
3,042: Career minutes played in net by Tommie grad student Peter Thome (four seasons at North Dakota, one at St. Thomas)
33: Saves needed for Thome to reach 1,200 career saves
Parting Shots
13: Number of 2021-22 Tommie sports teams that will play games, exhibitions or swim/track meets against the Minnesota Gophers
60: Days until start of 2022 Beijing Olympics, which will include Women's Hockey coach Joel Johnson leading the U.S team and freshmen Saskia Maurer and Nicole Vallario potentially playing for Switzerland
4-11: Tommies' head-to-head record thus far against teams with a Bulldog as its mascot
21: Division I university teams that wear Purple as a primary color
2: Division I university teams that have Purple and Grey as their official colors (Tommies, Central Arkansas)
18: Days left to buy some Tommie gear or tickets to make a great Christmas present
Tommie Hockey and Swim-Dive squads have already reached the halfway point for their seasons. Both Tommie Basketball teams will play their 10th games in the coming week and have just over 10 weeks left in their seasons.
Two more Purple teams will join in the fun starting this Friday afternoon when Women's and Men's Track and Field hosts a small season-opening indoor competition in the Anderson Fieldhouse.
Even our traditional spring sports are watching the calendar and getting excited. Women's Tennis starts playing its 2022 schedule in just over seven weeks at the University of Minnesota. Softball starts play in just over nine weeks in Kentucky. Baseball's opening trip is just over 10 weeks away in Florida.
Here are some interesting Tommie highlights so far in a by-the-numbers check in on the courts, ice and pool:
He's No. 1
1st: Division I national ranking for both made 3-pointers (48) and made 3-pointers per game (5.33) for Tommie senior Riley Miller
3rd: Division I national ranking for 3-point percentage by Tommie grad student Ryan Lindberg (55.8%, 24-of-43)
2nd: St. Thomas' Division I national ranking out of 358 teams for made 3-pointers per game (121, 13.4 per game)
75: Number of seasons since Drake and St. Thomas played in men's basketball (1946-47) prior to Sunday's 74-64 Bulldogs win in Des Moines
2,674: Sunday attendance at Drake, largest involving Tommie men's basketball so far in 2021-22
65-61: Drake's four-point lead going into final 90 seconds on Sunday with Toms in possession before a turnover helped the hosts close out the win with a 9-3 run
26-5: Drake's MBB record last season, including a 1-1 NCAA tournament mark
4-5: Tommie men's record so far in their first Division I season, with eight of the nine games so far played away from Minnesota
11: Career-best rebound total, recorded at Drake, for Tommie junior Brooks Allen, who finished two points shy of a double double.
12: Consecutive wins for Tommie MBB at home (nine) or neutral courts (three)
.439: Career 3-point shooting clip for senior Riley Miller (145 made in 74 games)
Making a Splash
75: Days left in inaugural Division I season for Tommie Swim-Dive teams
3: Top 11-Summit League event performances this season for Swim-Dive freshman Alex Foti (500, 100, 1650 free)
3: Top 13-Summit League event performances this season for Swim-Dive freshman Joe Rudd (200 IM, 100, 200 breast)
3: Top 12-Summit League event performances this season for Swim-Dive freshman Elizabeth Bonneville (500, 100, 1650 free)
2: Top 7-Summit League event performances this season for Swim-Dive sophomore Grace Urkiel (100, 200 Fly)
42: Freshmen and sophomores out of 71 total athletes on Tommie Swim-Dive rosters
9: Out of 10 starting spots, filled by Minnesota natives last weekend for Tommie men's and women's basketball
4th: WBB national ranking for minutes played per game among all Division I freshmen for the Tommies' Jade Hill (35 mpg)
40: Minutes played in 40-minute game Saturday in a win at Chicago State for Tommie WBB junior Jordyn Glynn, who closed with 11 points, five boards and six assists
2: Double doubles so far this season for Tommie WBB (Jo Langbehn, grad transfer Erin Norling)
.446: Career 3-point shooting clip for Tommie fifth-year grad student Kaia Porter (79 made in 50 games)
91: Career games scoring in double figures for Tommie grad transfer Erin Norling, including 84 at Wayne State, with 1,705 career points in 112 games
Ice, Ice Baby
16: Number of games played so far in the 32-game regular season for Tommie Women's Hockey
18: Number of games played -- with 16 games to go -- in the regular season for Tommie Men's Hockey
14,403: Total six-game home and away attendance for six Men's Hockey against in-state opponents St. Cloud State, Minnesota State and Bemidji State
5th: St. Thomas' national Division I Women's Hockey ranking for most saves (575, 35.9 per game)
6th: St. Thomas' national Division I Women's Hockey ranking for fewest penalty minutes per game (6.0)
.894: Penalty-kill rate so far for Tommie Women's Hockey, 13th best in Division I (42 of 47 killed)
37.8: Saves per game in eight full games for Tommie senior goalie Alexa Dobchuk
29.2: Saves per game in his last 12 contests for Tommie grad transfer goalie Peter Thome 15th: Tommie women's projected ranking in toughest schedule on wins/losses to date among 41 Division I teams
0-24: Tommie Hockey record so far against nationally-ranked teams or teams receiving votes in this week's men's or women's polls
5-4-1: Tommie Hockey record so far against teams not ranked or receiving votes in this week's polls
10: Goals scored by Tommie Women's Hockey freshmen, out of team's total of 19
25: Points for Tommie Men's Hockey players who are Division I newcomers so far (12 goals, 13 assists)
8: Different players to score the last eight goals for Tommie Men's Hockey
3,042: Career minutes played in net by Tommie grad student Peter Thome (four seasons at North Dakota, one at St. Thomas)
33: Saves needed for Thome to reach 1,200 career saves
Parting Shots
13: Number of 2021-22 Tommie sports teams that will play games, exhibitions or swim/track meets against the Minnesota Gophers
60: Days until start of 2022 Beijing Olympics, which will include Women's Hockey coach Joel Johnson leading the U.S team and freshmen Saskia Maurer and Nicole Vallario potentially playing for Switzerland
4-11: Tommies' head-to-head record thus far against teams with a Bulldog as its mascot
21: Division I university teams that wear Purple as a primary color
2: Division I university teams that have Purple and Grey as their official colors (Tommies, Central Arkansas)
18: Days left to buy some Tommie gear or tickets to make a great Christmas present
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Gene's Blog is a sports column penned by Tommie sports information director Gene McGivern. Gene is working his 28th season at St. Thomas and 34th overall working with college athletics teams. He blogs periodically on various topics regarding the Tommies and college sports.
If you have comments or questions, e-mail Gene at ejmcgivern@stthomas.edu
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