University of St. Thomas Athletics
Friday, October 25
Minneapolis, Minn. / 3M Arena at Mariucci
5:30 p.m. Central
at
Minnesota
Photo by: Nick Wosika
Tommies and No. 5 Gophers meet in crosstown tilt
10/24/2024 12:26:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Game Notes (PDF)Tickets (Xcel Energy Center)Live Stats (Friday)Watch (Friday)Live Stats (Saturday)Watch (Saturday)
The Gophers host Friday night before the Tommies welcome the U to the Xcel Energy Center
THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES
ON THE RADIO
CCHA TV ON MIDCO SPORTS PLUS
LOOK MOM, WE'RE ON TV
MASON POOLMAN – CCHA DEFENSMAN OF THE WEEK
Mason Poolman was named CCHA Defenseman of the Week for the first time in his career after the Tommies' series with Vermont.
Poolman, a native of East Grand Forks, Minn.. scored two goals and added an assist in game one against the Vermont Catamounts and tallied the game-winning goal in game two against the nonconference foe. His second goal on Friday tied the game at five and pushed the affair to overtime.
He matched the Tommies' single-season program record for goals by a defenseman in just one weekend. The sophomore is now tied with Ethan Gauer (2022-23) and Trevor Zins (2021-22). He also surpassed his freshman season goal total of two.
The award is Poolman's first CCHA honor of any sort in his 31-game collegiate career. He is the first Tommie defenseman to win the award since Ethan Gauer on October 24, 2022 for his two-goal weekend against Penn State.
POWER PLAY STRUGGLES
The Tommies have started the 2024-25 season without a power play goal through the first three games. They were 0-4 against St. Cloud State, 0-6 during the 5-5 tie with Vermont, and 0-4 in the 3-1 win against the Catamounts for a combined 0-14 start.
It is tied for the longest power play drought to start a season in program history. During 2022-23, the Tommies scored on their 15th power play chance in their fourth game against Alaska Fairbanks, Luc Laylin scored the first power play tally. Last season it took the Toms until their sixth try in game one to score, Luke Manning put it in the back of the net.
AARON TROTTER – OFFENSE EXTRAORDINAIRE
Junior goaltender, Aaron Trotter added his fifth career point with an assist on Cooper Gay's empty-net goal at the end of the Toms' 3-1 win over Vermont two weekends ago. Trotter is still lacking that first career goalie goal as all five of his points have come from assists. He recorded two his freshman year, two his sophomore year, and one in one game this year.
The goaltender is tied for 30th all-time in scoring for the Tommies in their short 3+ year Division I history. Externally, Trotter is far-and-away the best offensive goalie in the country. His five career points are most among active NCAA Division I Men's Hockey goalies by three whole points.
As of the Saturday in which Trotter added his fifth point, there were just seven active goaltenders with two points and 25 goalies with at least one point. One of those 25 other goalies is Jake Sibell with one career point scored last season for St. Thomas. The Tommies are one of three programs in the country with two goaltenders who have recorded at least one point, Holy Cross and Penn State are the other two.
TOMMIE TIDBITS
SERIES HISTORY
The Minnesota Gophers swept the Tommies last season in the only two games between the two programs. The Gophers took game one in overtime at the Xcel Energy Center, 6-5 and earned the win in game two, 3-0 at Mariucci.
The Tommies were 0-6 on the power play and 3-6 on the penalty kill. Jimmy Snuggerud scored four goals (two in each game), with one power play goal in both.
CURRENT TOMMIES AGAINST MINNESOTA
2024-25 CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
DI SCORING RECORD HOLDERS
COACH BLASI
NON-CONFERENCE
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR – LUCAS WAHLIN
Junior, Lucas Wahlin was the first Tommie to score 30 points in a season, the first Tommie to be named to an All-CCHA team, and now the first Tommie in Division I program history to be named CCHA Preseason Player of the Year.
He was one of three named by conference head coaches along with Isaac Gordon of Michigan Tech and Connor Milburn of Lake Superior State. Wahlin was the only Preseason Player of the Year selected by the media. He was also named to both Preseason All-CCHA Teams.
The junior captain set career marks in goals (12), assists (18), and points (30) while playing in all 37 games last season. He ranked t-11th in goals, t-7th in assists, t-7th in points, and 3rd in shots in the conference.
Wahlin, a native of Woodbury, Minn., is the program's leader in points (51) and is the only Tommie above the 50-point milestone during the DI era. He was also the program's first sophomore captain.
He earned Second-Team All-CCHA, CCHA All-Academic, and CCHA Scholar Athlete honors last season and was named conference player of the week on November 6 for his four points in a weekend series sweep of Northern Michigan.
NHL DEVELOPMENT CAMPS
NHL DRAFT PICKS
CAPTAINS
TRANSFERS
FRESHMEN
SIBELL NAMED ONE OF NATION'S TOP TENDERS
Jake Sibell was named to the semi-finalist list for the Mike Richter Award last season. Sibell was the first in program history and only last season from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.
The Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) announced the semifinalists for this year's Mike Richter Award, given annually to the top goalie in men's NCAA Division I hockey since 2014. Ten goaltenders from a "Watch List" of 30 were singled out by a panel of voters across the hockey community.
Sibell was one of two goalies on the list from Minnesota (Ryan Bischel of Notre Dame from Medina, Minn.). He was also one of two from a team within the Land of 10,000 Lakes (Justen Close from the University of Minnesota).
Kyle McClellan of Wisconsin won the award for the 2023-24 season.
PRESEASON CCHA COACHES POLL
St. Thomas was picked to finish first in the Preseason CCHA Coaches Poll on September 12th. The former high-water mark in the preseason poll was a fifth-place finish last season. The Toms earned 73 votes in total and tied with Bemidji State in first place votes (3). The Beavers earned 69 votes, four behind St. Thomas. Michigan Tech (2) and Minnesota State (1) finished third and fourth respectively and each earned at least one first place vote. Bowling Green (50), Lake Superior State (46), Augustana (46), Ferris State (28), and Northern Michigan (26) rounded out the poll.
PRESEASON CCHA MEDIA POLL
St. Thomas was picked to finish second in the Preseason CCHA Media Poll on September 12th. This is the highest the Tommies have ever finished in the preseason media poll. Bemidji State came out on top with 107 total votes and five first place votes. The Tommies came up with the same amout of total votes (107) but earned one less first place vote. Minnesota State (2) and Michigan Tech (1) finished third and fourth respectively and each earned at least one first place vote. Bowling Green (63), Lake Superior State (60), Augustana (52), Northern Michigan (40), and Ferris State (33) rounded out the poll.
- RV St. Thomas (1-1-1 overall) and the #5 Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-1-0 overall) battle in a home-and-home series between Minneapolis and St. Paul.
- Game one is set for 5:30 p.m. on Friday at Mariucci for Minnesota's home opener and game two is set for an 8:07 p.m. puck drop at Xcel Energy Center hosted by St. Thomas.
- The Tommies and Gophers met for a home-and-home last season with the Gophers taking both, first in an instant classic 6-5 overtime thriller at Xcel Energy Center and then in a defensive 3-0 battle.
- The Gophers are coming off a clean sweep of the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs 7-5 and 5-1 up at Amsoil Arena in Duluth. Their one loss on the season was a 2-1 overtime defeat to nationally ranked Omaha in Las Vegas at the 2024 Ice Breaker. Junior forward, Connor Kurth has led the team so far with four goals and eight points including the game-winning goal and a hat trick against Air Force. Time has been split evenly in net between Liam Souliere and Nathan Airey, the two have combined for a 2.24 GAA and .904 SV%.
- St. Thomas is fresh off an early season bye week after taking a home series from the Vermont Catamounts. Their Friday night game will be their first away from Saint Thomas Ice Arena. Sophomore defenseman, Mason Poolman is the Toms' leading point scorer with four points and three goals. Much like last season, goaltending has been split between Jake Sibell and Aaron Trotter, the two have combined for a 2.27 GAA and .925 SV%.
ON THE RADIO
- ESPN 1500 is the home of all St. Thomas Men's Hockey games.
- Fans can listen on the radio at 1500 AM, online at https://live.skornorth.com/listen/ or on the Varsity Sports App.
CCHA TV ON MIDCO SPORTS PLUS
- All St. Thomas and CCHA games will be live-streamed on Midco Sports Plus
- Midco Sports Plus provides each subscriber with access to all content and events with the purchase of a monthly or yearly subscription.
- Midco Sports Plus is available on IOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Chromecast.
LOOK MOM, WE'RE ON TV
- Both games this weekend can be viewed on Fox 9+ in the Twin Cities media market.
- You can find Fox 9+ at: Comcast: 10/807, DirecTV: 29, DISH: 29, Mediacom: 10/803, and Spectrum: 10.
MASON POOLMAN – CCHA DEFENSMAN OF THE WEEK
Mason Poolman was named CCHA Defenseman of the Week for the first time in his career after the Tommies' series with Vermont.
Poolman, a native of East Grand Forks, Minn.. scored two goals and added an assist in game one against the Vermont Catamounts and tallied the game-winning goal in game two against the nonconference foe. His second goal on Friday tied the game at five and pushed the affair to overtime.
He matched the Tommies' single-season program record for goals by a defenseman in just one weekend. The sophomore is now tied with Ethan Gauer (2022-23) and Trevor Zins (2021-22). He also surpassed his freshman season goal total of two.
The award is Poolman's first CCHA honor of any sort in his 31-game collegiate career. He is the first Tommie defenseman to win the award since Ethan Gauer on October 24, 2022 for his two-goal weekend against Penn State.
POWER PLAY STRUGGLES
The Tommies have started the 2024-25 season without a power play goal through the first three games. They were 0-4 against St. Cloud State, 0-6 during the 5-5 tie with Vermont, and 0-4 in the 3-1 win against the Catamounts for a combined 0-14 start.
It is tied for the longest power play drought to start a season in program history. During 2022-23, the Tommies scored on their 15th power play chance in their fourth game against Alaska Fairbanks, Luc Laylin scored the first power play tally. Last season it took the Toms until their sixth try in game one to score, Luke Manning put it in the back of the net.
AARON TROTTER – OFFENSE EXTRAORDINAIRE
Junior goaltender, Aaron Trotter added his fifth career point with an assist on Cooper Gay's empty-net goal at the end of the Toms' 3-1 win over Vermont two weekends ago. Trotter is still lacking that first career goalie goal as all five of his points have come from assists. He recorded two his freshman year, two his sophomore year, and one in one game this year.
The goaltender is tied for 30th all-time in scoring for the Tommies in their short 3+ year Division I history. Externally, Trotter is far-and-away the best offensive goalie in the country. His five career points are most among active NCAA Division I Men's Hockey goalies by three whole points.
As of the Saturday in which Trotter added his fifth point, there were just seven active goaltenders with two points and 25 goalies with at least one point. One of those 25 other goalies is Jake Sibell with one career point scored last season for St. Thomas. The Tommies are one of three programs in the country with two goaltenders who have recorded at least one point, Holy Cross and Penn State are the other two.
TOMMIE TIDBITS
- The Tommies have outshot opponents in every game this season for a combined total of 112-93.
- St. Thomas was 5-10-0 following a win last season.
- The Toms are 0-6-0 against BIG 10 programs, four losses to Penn State and two to Minnesota.
- Aaron Trotter made 27 saves on 28 shots in his first game of the season. One goal allowed on 28 shots is the exact same line Jake Sibell posted against St. Cloud State to begin the season.
- Casy Laylin and Alexander Tell each tallied their first collegiate points against Vermont. Caige Sterzer added his first career point as a Tommie as well.
- Cooper Gay's empty-net goal was the 30th point of his career.
- Ethan Gauer is the program's leading point scoring defensemen with 25 points, he is also first in blocks with 125.
- The Toms improved year-over-year in shots on goal (902 to 1025), goals (86 to 90), goals per game (2.4 to 2.6), shots per game (25.1 to 30.1), assists (137 to 158), faceoff percentage (.476 to .501), shorthanded goals (3 to 5), unassisted goals (4 to 5), goals allowed (117 to 96), goals allowed per game (3.3 to 2.8), power play goals allowed (29 to 25), penalties (160-137), penalty minutes (385 to 323), goals against average (3.11 to 2.69), and save percentage (.902 to .910)
- Individual skaters who set single-season program records included: Lucas Wahlin (30 points and 133 shots on goal), Ryan O'Neill (19 assists), Mack Byers (+9 rating, 2 shorthanded goals), Cooper Gay (4 game-winning goals), Liam Malmquist (2 unassisted goals)
- Jake Sibell set new single-season program records in goals against average (2.18) and save percentage (.923)
- The Purple were 13-2-2 when scoring first last season
- Liam Malmquist is the only DI Tommie with multiple unassisted goals in a single season
- Lucas Wahlin's 30 points were a single season program record.
- Rico Blasi is 23rd all time with 428 career head coaching wins, seventh amongst active head coaches
SERIES HISTORY
The Minnesota Gophers swept the Tommies last season in the only two games between the two programs. The Gophers took game one in overtime at the Xcel Energy Center, 6-5 and earned the win in game two, 3-0 at Mariucci.
The Tommies were 0-6 on the power play and 3-6 on the penalty kill. Jimmy Snuggerud scored four goals (two in each game), with one power play goal in both.
CURRENT TOMMIES AGAINST MINNESOTA
- Lucas Wahlin – 2G-1A-3P
- Cole Miller – 0G-1A-1P
- Liam Malmquist – 1G-1A-2P
- Jake Ratzlaff – 0G-1A-1P
- Matthew Gleason 0G-1A-1P
- Ryan O'Neill – 0G-1A-1P
- Tobias Abrahamsson – 0G-1A-1P
- Aaron Trotter – 0-1-0, 31 saves, 6 GA, 5.81 GAA, .838SV%
- Jake Sibell – 0-1-0, 22 saves, 2 GA, 2.07 GAA, .917SV%
2024-25 CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
- Mason Poolman Defenseman of the Week (10/13/24)
DI SCORING RECORD HOLDERS
- Mack Byers (2022-24; 31), Luke Manning (2021-24; 23), and Luc Laylin (20) round out the top three in DI goals scored
- Laylin's scored the first of the Tommies' three goals in the third period of their 5-5 tie with the Vermont Catamounts. Luc's brother, Casy, added an assist on the play for his first career point
- Lucas Wahlin (53), Mack Byers (2022-24; 47), and Ryan O'Neill (46) make up the top three in DI points
- Lucas Wahlin added a goal and an assist against Vermont in the 5-5 tie, it was Wahlin's 13thcareer multi-point game and 10th career two-point game
- O'Neill tallied a point in the final game of the 2023-24 season against Lake Superior State on 3/10/24
COACH BLASI
- Entering fourth season for St. Thomas
- During his 20-year tenure at Miami (Ohio) Blasi was the head coach of 10 NCAA Tournament teams, one national runner-up and one other Frozen Four team
- National Coach of the Year in 2005-06
- Coached one Hobey Baker Award winner (Andy Miele) and 10 Hobey Baker finalists, 10 All-America players, and 25 who went on to play in the NHL, including Stanley Cup Champions Alec Martinez, Jeff Zatkoff, Blake Coleman, and Riley Smith.
- 428 career wins (23rd all-time / seventh among active head coaches)
NON-CONFERENCE
- St. Thomas plays eight non-conference games this season. They opened with the #16 ranked St. Cloud State Huskies for their first ranked-on-ranked matchup in program history. Vermont made their first journey to Mendota Heights before the Toms head across the river for a game on the road against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Game two of the cross-town series returns to Xcel Energy Center on Saturday October 26, presented by Wings Credit Union. The Toms' final non-conference games will be the second half of the home-and-home with St. Cloud on Sunday, December 29 and two games at Lindenwood in early January.
- The Toms are 1-1-1 outside of the CCHA this season. They fell to the #16 St. Cloud State Huskies, 1-0, to open the season. St. Thomas tied Vermont 5-5 and beat them 3-1 to take the series.
- St. Thomas has a +1 goal differential in three non-con games.
- The Tommies have played one game against ranked non-conference opponents and they are 0-1-0.
- 1-1-1 home record, 0-0-0 away record, 0-0-0 neutral site record
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR – LUCAS WAHLIN
Junior, Lucas Wahlin was the first Tommie to score 30 points in a season, the first Tommie to be named to an All-CCHA team, and now the first Tommie in Division I program history to be named CCHA Preseason Player of the Year.
He was one of three named by conference head coaches along with Isaac Gordon of Michigan Tech and Connor Milburn of Lake Superior State. Wahlin was the only Preseason Player of the Year selected by the media. He was also named to both Preseason All-CCHA Teams.
The junior captain set career marks in goals (12), assists (18), and points (30) while playing in all 37 games last season. He ranked t-11th in goals, t-7th in assists, t-7th in points, and 3rd in shots in the conference.
Wahlin, a native of Woodbury, Minn., is the program's leader in points (51) and is the only Tommie above the 50-point milestone during the DI era. He was also the program's first sophomore captain.
He earned Second-Team All-CCHA, CCHA All-Academic, and CCHA Scholar Athlete honors last season and was named conference player of the week on November 6 for his four points in a weekend series sweep of Northern Michigan.
NHL DEVELOPMENT CAMPS
- Chase Cheslock (New Jersey Devils)
- Ryder Donovan (Vegas Golden Knights)
- Cooper Gay (Colorado Avalanche)
- Lucas Wahlin (St. Louis Blues)
- Liam Malmquist (Los Angeles Kings)
NHL DRAFT PICKS
- Ryder Donovan was selected as the 110th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Vegas Golden Knights.
- Donovan played three games last season for the Purple but made an instant impact with the overtime game-winner against ranked St. Cloud State to open the season.
- Chase Cheslock was selected as the 154th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the New Jersey Devils and is the Tommies first "homegrown" draft pick.
- Cheslock joined the Tommies mid-season and played 19 games with one goal and two assists. His first career goal came in the Toms' game-two playoff win over Lake Superior State.
CAPTAINS
- Junior, Lucas Wahlin, wears the "C" on his chest for coach Rico Blasi's squad for the second consecutive season. Wahlin, a Woodbury, Minn. native, finished with 30 points in 37 games last season. He became the first Tommie in program history to surpass the 50-point career milestone on March 9thagainst Lake Superior State. He played for three teams over three seasons in both the NAHL and USHL before finding a home on the corner of Cretin and Summit.
- Seniors Ethan Gauer and Matthew Gleason along with junior Cooper Gay don the "A" this season.
- Both Gauer and Gleason are one-time transfers, but Gauer has played in each season of the Tommies' four at the DI level. He has 25 career points and leads the program with 124 blocked shots in 103 career games in purple.
- Matthew Gleason transferred in from Colorado College last season and had a career year. He scored five goals and added 18 assists for 23 points. Gleason is originally from St. Paul and played high school hockey for Cretin Derham Hall.
- Cooper Gay was on track for a tremendous season before going down with an injury in the second half of the season. The Hanover, Minn. native scored 12 goals and added 10 assists for a total of 22 points in 29 games as a sophomore. Gay has scored the fifth most goals in program history (16) and is sixth in points (29).
TRANSFERS
- Graduate student, Chase Foley, a Mendota Heights, Minn. native and Colorado College transfer, played 104 games for the Tigers and scored three goals with 28 assists over his four-year career as a defenseman. He is coming off a career season with two goals and 14 assists.
- Graduate student, Ray Christy, a St. Paul, Minn. native and Colorado College transfer, played 105 games for the Tigers and scored five goals with nine assists over his four-year career as a defenseman. He is coming off a career season with two goals and five assists while wearing the "A".
- Junior, Caige Sterzer, a Kimberley, B.C., Canada native and Lindenwood transfer, played 54 games for the Lions and scored 14 goals with 19 assists over his two-year NCAA career as a forward. He is coming off a career season with eight goals and 14 assists, he was the Lions leading point scorer.
- Both Chase Foley and Ray Christy played their Minnesota High School hockey at Saint Thomas Ice Arena for the Saint Thomas Academy Cadets. Neither Christy nor Foley has played in Mendota Heights since 2017-18. Foley was the captain of that 2017-18 Cadets team.
FRESHMEN
- First-year, Casy Laylin, native of St. Michael, Minn. most recently played for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the BCHL for a season and a half. The forward skated in 69 games and added 15 goals and 29 assists for Salmon Arm.
- First-year forward, Nick Mikan, an Edina, Minn. native, most recently played for the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL where he skated in 35 games with eight goals and five assists.
- First-year defenseman, Ethan Elias, a native of Maple Grove, Minn., most recently played for the Madison Capitols for two seasons where he skated in 105 games with 10 goals and 22 assists. He was the captain of the 2023-24 Capitols team.
- First-year forward, Alexander Tell, from Linkoping, Sweden, skated in 49 games for Linkoping HC 120 and added 11 goals and 14 assists while wearing an "A".
SIBELL NAMED ONE OF NATION'S TOP TENDERS
Jake Sibell was named to the semi-finalist list for the Mike Richter Award last season. Sibell was the first in program history and only last season from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.
The Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) announced the semifinalists for this year's Mike Richter Award, given annually to the top goalie in men's NCAA Division I hockey since 2014. Ten goaltenders from a "Watch List" of 30 were singled out by a panel of voters across the hockey community.
Sibell was one of two goalies on the list from Minnesota (Ryan Bischel of Notre Dame from Medina, Minn.). He was also one of two from a team within the Land of 10,000 Lakes (Justen Close from the University of Minnesota).
Kyle McClellan of Wisconsin won the award for the 2023-24 season.
PRESEASON CCHA COACHES POLL
St. Thomas was picked to finish first in the Preseason CCHA Coaches Poll on September 12th. The former high-water mark in the preseason poll was a fifth-place finish last season. The Toms earned 73 votes in total and tied with Bemidji State in first place votes (3). The Beavers earned 69 votes, four behind St. Thomas. Michigan Tech (2) and Minnesota State (1) finished third and fourth respectively and each earned at least one first place vote. Bowling Green (50), Lake Superior State (46), Augustana (46), Ferris State (28), and Northern Michigan (26) rounded out the poll.
PRESEASON CCHA MEDIA POLL
St. Thomas was picked to finish second in the Preseason CCHA Media Poll on September 12th. This is the highest the Tommies have ever finished in the preseason media poll. Bemidji State came out on top with 107 total votes and five first place votes. The Tommies came up with the same amout of total votes (107) but earned one less first place vote. Minnesota State (2) and Michigan Tech (1) finished third and fourth respectively and each earned at least one first place vote. Bowling Green (63), Lake Superior State (60), Augustana (52), Northern Michigan (40), and Ferris State (33) rounded out the poll.
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/ 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
