University of St. Thomas Athletics
Sunday, October 8
Mendota Heights, Minn.
4:07 p.m. Central
vs
St. Cloud State
Men's Hockey opens 2023-24 slate with home-and-home against #7/8 St. Cloud State
10/6/2023 5:53:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Live Stats (Saturday)Watch on Fox 9+Live Stats (Sunday)Watch on FloHockeyListen on 1500 ESPNGame Notes (PDF)
The Tommies, who are receiving votes in a national poll for the first time, will head to St. Cloud for game one against the #7/8 ranked Huskies and then turnaround and host an early evening matchup at the Saint Thomas Ice Arena.
ST. PAUL, Minn. – St. Thomas Men's Hockey (11-21-2, 10-14-2 CCHA in 2022-23) opens their stacked nonconference schedule with a home-and-home against the #7/8 Huskies of St. Cloud State University (25-13-3, 12-9-3-5 NCHC in 2022-23) this weekend, October 7-8.
The Tommies were the most improved team in the country last season based on winning percentage and are armed with 15 returners from their 2022-23 squad alongside 13 new reinforcements that includes six freshman and seven transfer student athletes.
A season ago
Year two of the DI era for head coach Rico Blasi's team was a major step in the right direction. After winning just three games in year one under Blasi the Tommies more than tripled their wins.
The Purple finished out the season by grabbing at least one points from nine straight CCHA series. They beat all seven conference opponents at least once, including two wins against the top-two finishers in the league (Michigan Tech and Minnesota State).
Picked for eighth place in the preseason coaches' poll, the Toms finished in seventh.
Eight freshmen skaters combined to score more than half of the team's points: 45 goals and 72 assists by Luc Laylin, Ryan O'Neill, Lucas Wahlin, Jake Braccini, Josh Eernisse, Cooper Gay, Carson Peters, Quinton Pepper and Brady Simmons-Fischer (52 percent of team's goals). The Tommies welcome back all but one of those back this season.
It was another freshman standout between the pipes for the Tommies in Aaron Trotter. Trotter finished the season with a goals against average below three and a save percentage above .900. The freshman secured all 11 wins for the Toms and finished of the first shutout in program history against Lake Superior State on Nov. 25, 2022.
The program's first shutout was not the only "first" that happened during the 2022-23 season. The team picked up its first overtime win (Oct. 8 vs. Alaska-Fairbanks), first road overtime win (Feb. 3 at Minnesota State), first win when trailing after two periods (Oct. 8 vs. Alaska-Fairbanks), and first series sweep (Nov. 25-26 vs. Lake Superior State).
St. Thomas battled through 10 one-goal losses and allowed 50 fewer goals from the previous season over 36 games (1.3 per game less). They were 10-3-1 when allowing two goals or less.
Scouting the Huskies
St. Cloud State's roster includes five players who are either seniors or entering their 5th year. The Huskies lost their top-two point scorers in Jami Krannila and Grant Cruikshank, who combined for five points in their two matchups against the Tommies last year. St. Cloud were 25-13-3 last season, finishing ranked fifth in the NCAA while clinching a spot in the NCAA tournament. The Huskies lost in the first round, 5-4 versus Quinnipiac, the ultimate national champions. This year, St.Cloud was voted to finish third in the NCHC.
Junior Defenseman Jack Peart was voted Preseason ALL-NCHC first team for the Huskies. He appeared in all 39 games as a sophomore, dishing out 21 assists while also burying 3 goals. Peart was a finalist for NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year last season. Prior to last year, Peart was drafted 54th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2021 draft.
Tommies in the Polls
St. Thomas received votes in a national poll for the first time this preseason. When the first USCHO National Poll came out on Sept. 25, the Tommies received four votes, one of 20 programs listed outside of the top-20. Also found on the poll were St. Thomas opponents Minnesota (3), St. Cloud (8), Michigan Tech (10), Minnesota Duluth (17), with Minnesota State, Northern Michigan, Bemidji State and Bowling Green also receiving votes.
The Toms were also given some love in the CCHA preseason coaches' poll. St. Thomas was picked to finish fifth, two places above where they finished out the season last year. The Purple were one of just three teams to receive a first place vote (Michigan Tech-4 and Northern Michigan-3).
Tommies and Huskies Head-to-Head
St. Cloud State and St. Thomas have met in each of the Tommies' first two seasons at the DI level, and the rivalry has not been kind to the side from St. Paul.
The Huskies have outscored the Tommies 21-3 in the four meetings. Each year the Huskies played much more dominantly on their home ice than away from the Herb Brooks Center. At home, the decisions have been 12-2 and 4-0 in favor of the Huskies. On the road they have won both, but by slimmer margins, 2-0 at the Xcel Energy Center in 2021 and 3-1 at the Saint Thomas Ice Arena in 2022.
Cameron Recchi scored a power play goal in the teams' first ever meeting. Carson Peters is the only other Tommie to best the St. Cloud goaltenders in the series.
Valuable Experience
Rico Blasi and his staff signed seven transfer players for the 2023-24 season, including six Minnesota natives.
The newcomers bring a collective 436 games of college hockey experience to the Purple. The group consists of four forwards, two defensemen, and one goalie. Five of the players have at least two seasons of eligibility remaining.
The transfers include defensemen Jake Ratzlaff who played football for the Wisconsin Badgers and is making his return to the sport of hockey, forward Ryder Donovan who is a draft pick of the Vegas Golden Knights and played 88 games for the Wisconsin Badgers, Matthew Gleason, a forward from Colorado College who is a St. Paul native, Liam Malmquist, a forward from Edina, Minn. who skated in 70 games for the Badgers, defenseman, James Marooney, a former Buckeye with 80 games experience, Noah Prokop, also a forward from Colorado College, and goaltender Jake Sibell who played 14 games for the Niagara Purple Eagles.
The Tommies were the most improved team in the country last season based on winning percentage and are armed with 15 returners from their 2022-23 squad alongside 13 new reinforcements that includes six freshman and seven transfer student athletes.
A season ago
Year two of the DI era for head coach Rico Blasi's team was a major step in the right direction. After winning just three games in year one under Blasi the Tommies more than tripled their wins.
The Purple finished out the season by grabbing at least one points from nine straight CCHA series. They beat all seven conference opponents at least once, including two wins against the top-two finishers in the league (Michigan Tech and Minnesota State).
Picked for eighth place in the preseason coaches' poll, the Toms finished in seventh.
Eight freshmen skaters combined to score more than half of the team's points: 45 goals and 72 assists by Luc Laylin, Ryan O'Neill, Lucas Wahlin, Jake Braccini, Josh Eernisse, Cooper Gay, Carson Peters, Quinton Pepper and Brady Simmons-Fischer (52 percent of team's goals). The Tommies welcome back all but one of those back this season.
It was another freshman standout between the pipes for the Tommies in Aaron Trotter. Trotter finished the season with a goals against average below three and a save percentage above .900. The freshman secured all 11 wins for the Toms and finished of the first shutout in program history against Lake Superior State on Nov. 25, 2022.
The program's first shutout was not the only "first" that happened during the 2022-23 season. The team picked up its first overtime win (Oct. 8 vs. Alaska-Fairbanks), first road overtime win (Feb. 3 at Minnesota State), first win when trailing after two periods (Oct. 8 vs. Alaska-Fairbanks), and first series sweep (Nov. 25-26 vs. Lake Superior State).
St. Thomas battled through 10 one-goal losses and allowed 50 fewer goals from the previous season over 36 games (1.3 per game less). They were 10-3-1 when allowing two goals or less.
Scouting the Huskies
St. Cloud State's roster includes five players who are either seniors or entering their 5th year. The Huskies lost their top-two point scorers in Jami Krannila and Grant Cruikshank, who combined for five points in their two matchups against the Tommies last year. St. Cloud were 25-13-3 last season, finishing ranked fifth in the NCAA while clinching a spot in the NCAA tournament. The Huskies lost in the first round, 5-4 versus Quinnipiac, the ultimate national champions. This year, St.Cloud was voted to finish third in the NCHC.
Junior Defenseman Jack Peart was voted Preseason ALL-NCHC first team for the Huskies. He appeared in all 39 games as a sophomore, dishing out 21 assists while also burying 3 goals. Peart was a finalist for NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year last season. Prior to last year, Peart was drafted 54th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2021 draft.
Tommies in the Polls
St. Thomas received votes in a national poll for the first time this preseason. When the first USCHO National Poll came out on Sept. 25, the Tommies received four votes, one of 20 programs listed outside of the top-20. Also found on the poll were St. Thomas opponents Minnesota (3), St. Cloud (8), Michigan Tech (10), Minnesota Duluth (17), with Minnesota State, Northern Michigan, Bemidji State and Bowling Green also receiving votes.
The Toms were also given some love in the CCHA preseason coaches' poll. St. Thomas was picked to finish fifth, two places above where they finished out the season last year. The Purple were one of just three teams to receive a first place vote (Michigan Tech-4 and Northern Michigan-3).
Tommies and Huskies Head-to-Head
St. Cloud State and St. Thomas have met in each of the Tommies' first two seasons at the DI level, and the rivalry has not been kind to the side from St. Paul.
The Huskies have outscored the Tommies 21-3 in the four meetings. Each year the Huskies played much more dominantly on their home ice than away from the Herb Brooks Center. At home, the decisions have been 12-2 and 4-0 in favor of the Huskies. On the road they have won both, but by slimmer margins, 2-0 at the Xcel Energy Center in 2021 and 3-1 at the Saint Thomas Ice Arena in 2022.
Cameron Recchi scored a power play goal in the teams' first ever meeting. Carson Peters is the only other Tommie to best the St. Cloud goaltenders in the series.
Valuable Experience
Rico Blasi and his staff signed seven transfer players for the 2023-24 season, including six Minnesota natives.
The newcomers bring a collective 436 games of college hockey experience to the Purple. The group consists of four forwards, two defensemen, and one goalie. Five of the players have at least two seasons of eligibility remaining.
The transfers include defensemen Jake Ratzlaff who played football for the Wisconsin Badgers and is making his return to the sport of hockey, forward Ryder Donovan who is a draft pick of the Vegas Golden Knights and played 88 games for the Wisconsin Badgers, Matthew Gleason, a forward from Colorado College who is a St. Paul native, Liam Malmquist, a forward from Edina, Minn. who skated in 70 games for the Badgers, defenseman, James Marooney, a former Buckeye with 80 games experience, Noah Prokop, also a forward from Colorado College, and goaltender Jake Sibell who played 14 games for the Niagara Purple Eagles.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
D
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
D
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
D
/ Men's Hockey
G
/ Men's Hockey
G
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's HockeyPress Conference: Rico Blasi January 27th 2025
Monday, January 27
St. Thomas Men's Hockey 2023-24 Intro Video
Friday, October 27
Rico Blasi Pre-Season Press Conference, September 26th, 2022
Friday, October 21
Rico Blasi Press Conference October 3rd
Friday, October 21
