University of St. Thomas Athletics
Friday, November 3
Mendota Heights, Minn.
7:07 p.m. Central
vs
Northern Michigan
Photo by: Wesley Dean
Men's Hockey welcomes in Wildcats of Northern Michigan for a pair in Mendota Heights
11/2/2023 1:19:00 PM | Men's Hockey
The Tommies are coming off a disappointing week series against the Bemidji State Beavers in which they were swept to open their CCHA schedule.
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The University of St. Thomas Men's Hockey team (2-5-1, 0-2-0 CCHA) is in search of its first conference victory of the season after dropping its first two CCHA bouts 3-2 and 2-0 on the road against Bemidji State. The Tommies welcome in another team off to a slow start in 2023-24, the Northern Michigan Wildcats (1-4-1, 1-1-0 CCHA).
Due to the CCHA's irregular schedule construction, the Tommies have played the Wildcats just four times over their first two seasons in DI (as opposed to the eight contests with every other conference foe). The 2023-24 season will be the first time UST and NMU play four games in the regular season.
St. Thomas has been outscored 17-8 overall but was victorious in the teams' last matchup defending home ice, 4-2. Now sophomore Ryan O'Neill scored the game-winning goal with 2:04 to play in the third and former Wildcat Mack Byers sent home an empty-netter to seal the game with one tenth of a second left on the clock. Aaron Trotter got the win in goal with 21 saves on 23 shots faced.
Bemidji State Battles
Special teams woes plagued the Toms in both games on the shores of Lake Bemidji at the Sanford Center a weekend ago. The power play was a combined 0-7 between the two games and the penalty kill allowed two goals in the game one 3-2 loss. In eight games this season the Purple's power play ranks 54th in the country with an 8.8% conversion rate and the penalty kill is second worst at a 70% kill rate.
The Beavers scored their first goal of the series in the first on the power play. Cooper Gay answered right back 50 seconds after with his fifth point in three games. Bemidji State grabbed two more goals in the second period and kept the Toms off the scoreboard until Luke Manning sent home his team-leading third goal of the season with under three to play.
St. Thomas was 0-5 in game two while up a man and placed just six shots on goal in their ten minutes on the power play. The Beavers scored once in the second and then again on an empty net late in the third.
Jake Sibell was the highlight for the Toms stopping 27 of 28 shots faced between the pipes.
Super Sibell
Jacob Sibell, an Isanti, Minn. native has enjoyed an early-season mid-career renaissance since joining St. Thomas in the offseason. He has played in three contests during the month of October and has earned himself career lows in save percentage and goals against average and now the first Goaltender of the Month Award of the 2023-24 CCHA season.
Sibell has played in three games to start the season. He made 22 saves on 24 shots faced on the road against Minnesota, 15 saves on 16 shots in a win over Lindenwood, and 27 saves on 28 shots faced on the road against Bemidji State.
His 1.36 goals against average is the best mark in the CCHA and ranks sixth in the entire country. Stopping 64 of 68 shots faced to start the season, Sibell's .941 save percentage is second highest in the conference and 10th in the nation.
Sibell is the first Tommie to win a CCHA monthly honor in program history.
Series History – Northern Michigan
The Tommies and Wildcats have matched up four times during the last two seasons. Northern took both games at home in 2021-22 with scores of 4-1 and 8-3. The Tommies dropped the first game in 2022-23 at home 3-0 against NMU but rallied back for the split with a 4-2 victory.
In four games the Tommies power play has converted three of 19 chances (.158) and NMU has capitalized on two of 15 (.133). Neither team scored a power play goal in Mendota Heights last season going a combined 0-17.
The only current Tommies to score against Northern Michigan are Luke Manning (10/8/21), Ryan O'Neill and Mack Byers (2/11/23). NMU goal scorers still on the roster are Andre Ghantous (one goal), Rylan Van Unen (two) and Michael Colella (three).
Both teams deployed fantastic goaltending in the series a season ago and both Aaron Trotter and Beni Halasz have returned to their respective squads this year. Trotter has a .884 save percentage and 3.00 goals against average when facing NMU, he stopped 38 of 43 shots faced in two games last season. Halasz was lockdown against the Tommies last year with a .952 SV% and 1.51 GAA, he stopped 59 of 62 shots faced in two games against the Purple.
Tommie Tidbits
Due to the CCHA's irregular schedule construction, the Tommies have played the Wildcats just four times over their first two seasons in DI (as opposed to the eight contests with every other conference foe). The 2023-24 season will be the first time UST and NMU play four games in the regular season.
St. Thomas has been outscored 17-8 overall but was victorious in the teams' last matchup defending home ice, 4-2. Now sophomore Ryan O'Neill scored the game-winning goal with 2:04 to play in the third and former Wildcat Mack Byers sent home an empty-netter to seal the game with one tenth of a second left on the clock. Aaron Trotter got the win in goal with 21 saves on 23 shots faced.
Bemidji State Battles
Special teams woes plagued the Toms in both games on the shores of Lake Bemidji at the Sanford Center a weekend ago. The power play was a combined 0-7 between the two games and the penalty kill allowed two goals in the game one 3-2 loss. In eight games this season the Purple's power play ranks 54th in the country with an 8.8% conversion rate and the penalty kill is second worst at a 70% kill rate.
The Beavers scored their first goal of the series in the first on the power play. Cooper Gay answered right back 50 seconds after with his fifth point in three games. Bemidji State grabbed two more goals in the second period and kept the Toms off the scoreboard until Luke Manning sent home his team-leading third goal of the season with under three to play.
St. Thomas was 0-5 in game two while up a man and placed just six shots on goal in their ten minutes on the power play. The Beavers scored once in the second and then again on an empty net late in the third.
Jake Sibell was the highlight for the Toms stopping 27 of 28 shots faced between the pipes.
Super Sibell
Jacob Sibell, an Isanti, Minn. native has enjoyed an early-season mid-career renaissance since joining St. Thomas in the offseason. He has played in three contests during the month of October and has earned himself career lows in save percentage and goals against average and now the first Goaltender of the Month Award of the 2023-24 CCHA season.
Sibell has played in three games to start the season. He made 22 saves on 24 shots faced on the road against Minnesota, 15 saves on 16 shots in a win over Lindenwood, and 27 saves on 28 shots faced on the road against Bemidji State.
His 1.36 goals against average is the best mark in the CCHA and ranks sixth in the entire country. Stopping 64 of 68 shots faced to start the season, Sibell's .941 save percentage is second highest in the conference and 10th in the nation.
Sibell is the first Tommie to win a CCHA monthly honor in program history.
Series History – Northern Michigan
The Tommies and Wildcats have matched up four times during the last two seasons. Northern took both games at home in 2021-22 with scores of 4-1 and 8-3. The Tommies dropped the first game in 2022-23 at home 3-0 against NMU but rallied back for the split with a 4-2 victory.
In four games the Tommies power play has converted three of 19 chances (.158) and NMU has capitalized on two of 15 (.133). Neither team scored a power play goal in Mendota Heights last season going a combined 0-17.
The only current Tommies to score against Northern Michigan are Luke Manning (10/8/21), Ryan O'Neill and Mack Byers (2/11/23). NMU goal scorers still on the roster are Andre Ghantous (one goal), Rylan Van Unen (two) and Michael Colella (three).
Both teams deployed fantastic goaltending in the series a season ago and both Aaron Trotter and Beni Halasz have returned to their respective squads this year. Trotter has a .884 save percentage and 3.00 goals against average when facing NMU, he stopped 38 of 43 shots faced in two games last season. Halasz was lockdown against the Tommies last year with a .952 SV% and 1.51 GAA, he stopped 59 of 62 shots faced in two games against the Purple.
Tommie Tidbits
- Mack Byers played two seasons for Northern Michigan (2020-21 and 2021-22) before becoming a Tommie. He skated in 35 games and recorded five goals and three assists with the Wildcats. He was the Tommies' leading goal scorer last season; his 18 goals were third-most in the CCHA.
- Noah Prokop has won 92 draws this season, fourth most in the NCAA.
- Sophomore Cooper Gay has tallied five points in his last four games with two goals and an assist against Lindenwood and a goal and assist in game one against Bemidji State.
- Freshman Cole Miller leads the team with a +4 rating through eight games. Mack Byer's +5 rating last season is currently the highest in program history.
- 18 of the Toms' 54 points (33%) have come from transfers and 23 points (43%) have come from Tommie newcomers.
- The Tommies lead the conference with 98 blocked shots, Northern Michigan is second (92).
- St. Thomas leads the CCHA with 34.5 shots per game.
- Mack Byer's shorthanded goal against Minnesota at the Xcel Center remains the only shorty scored in the conference this season.
Players Mentioned
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