University of St. Thomas Athletics
Arizona State
Game Notes - Men's Hockey gets non-conference road test at Arizona State
1/25/2023 2:16:00 PM | Men's Hockey
St. Paul, Minn. - St. Thomas Men's Hockey (7-15-2 overall) is back on the road to face Arizona State (11-16) for a Friday-Saturday Jan. 27-28 series in Tempe, Ariz. Puck drop is 8 p.m., Minnesota time, on both nights.
The Sun Devils, who are looking to snap a four-game losing streak, have six one-goal losses and four two-goal defeats. They are 2-10 in games vs. top-20 ranked teams, including a split with Minnesota and one-goal losses to Denver and Minnesota-Duluth. ASU is 8-8 at home this season. The Sun Devils topped the Toms last season on home ice, 5-2 and 4-2.
In its second season of Division I play, St. Thomas continues its steady growth as a program. After a 2-12 start this winter -- with eight defeats by one or two goals -- the Toms have compiled a 5-3-2 record over their last 10 games, and have compiled the program's first three-game unbeaten streak of the D-I era.
The Purple are coming off a Jan. 13-14 road split at No. 13-ranked Michigan Tech -- a 2-0 loss on Friday followed by Saturday's 3-2 comeback victory, and last week's home games with first-place Bowling Green which resulted in a 4-2 win and 3-3 tie. Coach Rico Blasi's team also recently played a Dec. 31 road exhibition game at Minnesota-Duluth, resulting in a 2-1 loss. UMD had just played then No. 1-ranked Denver to a pair of overtime losses.
The recent win at Michigan Tech was the Toms' first triumph over a nationally-ranked team in the D-I era. It also ended a 0-6-1 winless streak against the Huskies, and gave the Toms just their third road victory of the D-I era.
Live video stream can be accessed here:
https://pac-12.com/live/arizona-state-university
Friday Live stats can be accessed here: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=422727
Sat. Live stats can be accessed here: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=422728
Live audio can be accessed at SkorNorth AM 1500 listen live.
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Most Improved D-I Men's Hockey Teams -- From 2021-22 to 2022-23
(60 D-I programs -- Through games of Jan. 21)
Based on Winning Percentage
+.251 Penn State (17-20-1 in 2021-22 to 18-7-1 in 2022-23)
+.229 St. Thomas (3-32-1 to 7-15-2)
+.200 Michigan State (12-23-1 to 13-11-2)
+.196 Niagara (11-22-3 to 11-9-2)
+.186 St. Cloud State (18-15-4 to 16-6-0)
+.180 Ferris State (11-24-1 to 10-10-2)
+.180 RIT (18-16-4 to 15-6-1)
Close Calls
As part of its D-I learning curve, the Purple have 22 losses by one or two goals so far in the D-I era (11 so far this season). That includes a 5-10 mark in one-goal decisions, and a 1-12 slate in games decided by two goals. They opened the season with 3-1 and 4-0 losses to current No. 1-ranked St. Cloud State
Breakthroughs
The Oct. 8 win over Alaska-Fairbanks was the Toms' first of the D-I era when trailing after two periods, ending an 0-29 string. Twice last season the Toms rallied after a 40:00 deficit to force overtime but were unable to complete the comeback with a win. The Oct. 8 win also was first overtime victory of the Division I era (1-5-2 in the D-I era in 3-on-3 overtime results).
In the Jan. 20 home tie with Bowling Green -- 3-3 followed by a shootout loss for the final CCHA point -- the Purple ended a streak of losses in games when it trailed 2-0. Last season the Toms went 0-15 in contests when they fell behind 2-0, and this season they were 0-8 in such games. Last Friday they fell behind 2-0, rallied to lead 3-2, and took an eventual 3-3 tie.
Did You Know?
- St. Thomas has scored points in five consecutive CCHA series. Picked for eighth place, the Toms are tied for sixth place with 10 games to play.
- With 12 games left in the regular season, the Toms have already surpassed last season's total of 61 goals (now at 62). Mack Byers (13 goals) and Josh Eernisse (12 goals) have already broken the Toms' D-I school record for goals in a season set last year when Luke Manning had eight.
- Nine of the Toms' losses have come vs. top-10 ranked Penn State and St. Cloud State and top-20 ranked Minnesota State and Michigan Tech
- This season, 11 Tommie defeats have come by one or two goals. The Purple have led or been tied in the third period in nine of their losses.
- Luke Manning has 23 career D-I goals at Air Force and St. Thomas. Manning scored goals in five of his last seven games last season, and has contributed goals in six of his last 18 games in 2022-23.
- Last season (36 games), the Toms were outscored 167-61. In this season's 24 games the Purple have been outscored by a 80-62 margin.
- Three freshmen -- Cooper Gay, Josh Eernisse and Carson Peters -- have joined a growing list of Toms to record a multi-goal game this season. Gay did it on Nov. 4 against Minnesota State. Eernisse's did it Nov. 25 against Lake Superior State; again Dec. 16 vs. Ferris; and Jan. 14 at Michigan Tech; Peters did it Jan. 14 against Michigan Tech. Also on that list is junior Mack Byers, who has five such instances this season (Oct. 29 against Ferris State; Dec. 1 and again Dec. 2 against Bemidji State; Dec. 16 vs. Ferris; Jan. 19 vs. Bowling Green). Manning also scored two on Dec. 16 vs. Ferris.
- Mack Byers has scored nine goals over his last eight contests.
- Aaron Trotter went over 600 saves on the season (606) last Friday, and recently surpassed the .900 mark in season save %. He ranks No. 2 among D-I freshmen men's goalies in saves and minutes played.
- Through 24 games last season, the Toms were 2-22 and were outscored 111-39 (5.0 goals allowed, 1.5 scored per game)... through 24 games this season, the Purple are 7-15-2, and outscored just 80-62 (3.5 to 2.5 per game)... over the last 15 games they've been outscored just 46-43
- Jan. 13's 2-0 defeat (capped by a late empty-net goal) was the Toms' first shoutout loss since game two of this season at St. Cloud State (4-0)... also the Toms' first shutout loss to conference foe in 22 games dating back to 2-0 home loss to Michigan Tech on Feb. 5, 2022.
Tommie D-I Era, Most Games Scoring a Point (Current Players)
18 -- #8-Cameron Recchi
17 -- #16 Luke Manning and #4-Nolan Sawchuk
14 -- #2-Trevor Zins
13 -- #3-Lucas Wahlin
12 -- #9-Matthew Jennings, #11-Ryan O'Neil and #6 Josh Eernisse
11 -- #17-Jake Braccini and #12-Tim Piechowski
10 -- #22-Mack Byers, 18-Ethan Gauer and 19-Luc Laylin
9 -- #29-Jarrett Lee
Quoting Coach Rico Blasi (on major facility announcement and team's strong play Jan. 19-20)
"(The announced $75 million gift to help fund a new on-campus hockey/basketball arena) was a wow moment for everybody, really. I did not tell the team. I said something to them Monday to make sure they were there for the (Tuesday Jan. 18) press conference at 10:45 and to look sharp, which they did . A couple of guys came up to me and asked me, 'Is this the big announcement?' and I said, 'I don't know what you're talking about.' But I could see them when the announcement was happening, and you could tell there was a sense of pride for everybody in what we're building. They get to build it on the ice, as well, so this is going to be an important piece for our program. Some of those guys won't (be here to) play in (the new arena which would open in 2025), but I can tell you they are just as excited and proud to be part of St. Thomas.
"It was a week we won't forget. It's exciting for our program, exciting for our alums, our community and our fans, and for athletics at St. Thomas. Then to have good games (like we did) following up that (announcement) was important. I thought we played some pretty good, spirited hockey... good energy against a really good Bowling Green team. I thought both were really good college hockey games, back and forth, goaltenders played well, both penalty-kill units did a really good job on power plays. If you (take) four of six points against a first-place team, you must be doing something right.
"I don't compare (our) last year's team and this year's team. I like to compare our team from the beginning of the (season) until where we are today. The mentality and the mindset is entirely different. Obviously, we have grown a little bit... Our goal was to be playing really good hockey come January and February, that's always the goal. I think our guys have bought in. Remember, we have 17 new guys -- 12 freshmen and five transfers... to get those guys acclimated to how we want to play and to our identity has taken some time. We've been really pleased with the effort, the focus and the mindset."
Hockey Honors
Tommie Men's Hockey has the reigning CCHA Forward of the Week with Mack Byers (three goals, one assist) in the win and tie vs. first-place Bowling Green. One week earlier, Aaron Trotter was named CCHA Rookie of the Week after he stopped 63 of 66 shots in a road split at No. 13-ranked Michigan Tech. He was CCHA Goalie of the Week earlier in the season.
On Nov. 28 St. Thomas had two of the four players chosen as CCHA Players of the Week: Goaltender of the Week Aaron Trotter, and Rookie of the Week forward Josh Eernisse. Both are freshmen.
Two weeks earlier, Jake Braccini was named CCHA Rookie of the Week. A Hanover, Minn., native and Buffalo High graduate,
Braccini scored a goal and three assists in a split vs. Ferris State. Both of his goals were scored on the power play, and he is tied for 12th among CCHA players with three power-play goals on the season. Braccini has collected three goals over his last six contests. His 11 points (four goals, seven assists) rank him tied for fifth on his team in scoring. The Toms previously had only had three CCHA Players of the Week in the two-year D-I era, and none in the same week. Trevor Zins (Defenseman) and Tim Piechowski (Rookie) were selected last season, and Ethan Gauer (defenseman) was honored earlier this season.
Trotter recorded his first college shutout with 23 saves in the Toms' Friday, Nov. 25 4-0 defeat of Lake Superior State. He came back on Saturday, Nov. 26 and stopped 21 of 22 shots in a 2-1 win that gave the Purple their first weekend series sweep of their D-I era. Trotter and his teammates killed off all five Laker power plays on the weekend.
Bemidji Trip
The Toms played Dec. 2-3 at Bemidji State -- their 10th weekend in a row of competition. They fell 6-4 on Friday, then tied 2-2 on Saturday -- gaining their first point in the standings against a Minnesota foe in the team's brief D-I history. Mack Byers scored two goals in each game, Lucas Wahlin recorded four total assists, and Aaron Trotter saved 63 of the 71 shots he faced.
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Click HERE to access complete Tommie Men's Hockey weekly notes
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