University of St. Thomas Athletics
Friday, February 2
Mendota Heights, Minn.
7:07 p.m. Central
vs
Minnesota State
Photo by: Kylie Macziewski
All eyes on first place matchup: Men's Hockey and Minnesota State
2/1/2024 1:52:00 PM | Men's Hockey
The Tommies and Mavericks are deadlocked at 30 points atop the CCHA standings.
THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES
The Tommies host the Mavericks for game one at 7:07 p.m. in Mendota Heights
Minnesota State hosts the final game of the season series with a 6:07 puck drop in Mankato
The Tommies are 12-11-1 overall and 10-6-0 in the CCHA. The Wildcats are 13-9-4 overall and 9-5-2 in the CCHA
This is the final regular season meeting of the season, both teams won on home ice in regulation in December
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.
FLOHOCKEY.TV
All St. Thomas and CCHA games will be live-streamed on FloHockey,tv.
FloSports provides each subscriber with access to all content and events with the purchase of a monthly or yearly subscription.
FloSports is available on IOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Chromecast.
TOMMIE TIDBITS
Mack Byers is one point shy of 50 in his career, he also leads the team with a +10 rating
Rico Blasi moved into a tie for 23rd all-time against Northern Michigan with 424 career wins
The Toms are 4-3 in one-goal games this season, the Mavs are 4-8
The Purple are now 10-0-1 when scoring first
Their 26 blocked shots in game two against Northern Michigan were a season high
The Toms are the only CCHA team that has not played a conference game into overtime, they have not played an overtime game since 10/20 against Lindenwood, three of their first five games extended into overtime, they are 1-1-1 in OT games
Ryan O'Neill and Lucas Wahlin are the only two players in the CCHA with a 5 point game, both occurred against Ferris State on 12/2/23
Wahlin's nine shots on goal in that game are tied for the most in a game
O'Neill and Wahlin are two of the four players this season with four assists in a single game
The Toms' 20-point showing against the Bulldogs is tied for the most in a game this season
Their 63 shots on goal against Lindenwood on 10/20 are the most in a game by 15 shots
SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
Overall record (13-9-4) – CCHA record (9-5-2) – tied for first place in the CCHA (30 points)
Unbeaten in eight of their last nine games
Seven of nine losses were by one goal
Sam Morton leads the team with 28 points and 19 goals – his 19 goals are tied for third most in the country – reigning CCHA Forward of the Month with 10 points in January
Alex Tracy in net – 9-6-4, 461SV 43GA 2.30GAA .915SV% - reigning CCHA Goaltender of the Month after a .944SV% in five games
Lead the CCHA in scoring margin (0.7), save percentage (.914), goals against average (2.37), goals scored per game (3.15), goals allowed per game (2.42), and home attendance average (4525).
Bottom of the CCHA in penalty kill % (.739)
SERIES HISTORY
The Toms are 2-10-0 all-time against Minnesota State
The Mavericks won each of the first eight meetings by a combined score of 48-11
St. Thomas secured their first win on 2/3/23 with a 3-2 OT win in Mankato
The Mavs answered back with two straight wins but the Toms won the last meeting, 2-1
The win on 12/9 was St. Thomas' first regulation victory and first home win over MSU
Mack Byers and Noah Prokop are the only Toms with game-winning goals
Both Aaron Trotter and Jake Sibell have one career win against Mankato
TOMMIES AGAINST THE MAVERICKS THIS SEASON
Mack Byers – 1G 0A 1P
Noah Prokop – 1G 0A 1P
Luc Laylin – 1G 0A 1P
Quinton Pepper – 0G 1A 1P
Ethan Gauer – 0G 1A 1P
Tobias Abrahamsson – 0G 1A 1P
Aaron Trotter – 21SV 3GA 0-1-0
Jake Sibell – 28SV 1GA 1-0-0
GOAL STREAK
Ryan O'Neill (2 games)
POINT STREAK
Ryan O'Neill (3 games)
STAT RANKINGS
Cooper Gay, 3 game winning goals (T-16th in NCAA)
Jake Sibell, .636 win percentage (T-18th in NCAA)
Jake Sibell, 1.77 goals against average (3rd in NCAA)
Jake Sibell, .936 save percentage (1st in NCAA)
Mack Byers, 3 shorthanded goals (T-5th in NCAA)
St. Thomas, 2.62 scoring defense (T-18th in NCAA)
St. Thomas, 10.54 PIM/G (17th least in NCAA)
St. Thomas, 5 shorthanded goals (T-7th in NCAA)
SUPER SIBELL
Jake Sibell leads the CCHA in nearly every goaltending category with his 1.77 goals against average and .936 save percentage (which also leads the nation). His CCHA-only numbers are even more impressive. His 1.53 goals against average and .948 save percentage both lead the conference. The junior netminder has been named CCHA Goaltender of the Week twice this season and Goaltender of the Month on one occasion. He was also named to the Mike Richter Watchlist earlier this season.
TOMMIE HAT TRICK
Mack Byers scored three goals against Ferris State on Dec. 2 in the 7-1 win on the road
Byers hat trick was the first (and only) in DI program history
He is one of 56 players in the NCAA with three goals in a game this season
Seven others in the CCHA have recorded a hat trick, Michigan Tech leads all CCHA teams with three hat tricks
CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Luke Manning Forward of the Week (10/9/23)
Liam Malmquist Forward of the Week (10/23/23)
Jake Sibell Goaltender of the Week (10/23/23)
Lucas Wahlin Forward of the Week (11/6/23)
Aaron Trotter Goaltender of the Week (11/13/23)
Ryan O'Neill Forward of the Week (12/4/23)
Jake Sibell Goaltender of the Week (1/15/24)
CCHA GOALTENDERS OF THE MONTH
October – Jake Sibell
November – Aaron Trotter
DI SCORING RECORD HOLDERS
Mack Byers (28), Luke Manning (22), Lucas Wahlin (15) and Luc Laylin (15) round out the top three in DI goals scored
Lucas Wahlin (44), Mack Byers (40), and Luke Manning (36) make up the top three in DI points
THE CHASE IS ON
Chase Cheslock will be playing in his seventh and eighth games at the collegiate level after being called in from the USHL at the semester break. He notched his first collegiate point against Michigan Tech. The 6-3 defenseman out of Rogers, Minn. played 30 games across two seasons for the Omaha Lancers and added 13 points. He is the Toms' first NHL draftee after his selection by the New Jersey Devils in the fifth round of the 2023 draft. He was a two-year captain at Rogers High School and also wore the "C" in Omaha. Cheslock played one game for the U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP), the first Tommie to do so.
JANUARY RECAP
3-1-0 record, +4 goal differential
First sweep of Michigan Tech in program history (4-3 and 3-1), first win on the road in program history at Northern Michigan (3-1)
Luc Laylin, Lucas Wahlin, Cooper Gay, and Ryan O'Neill each led the way with two goals
Liam Malmquist (1G 3A) and O'Neill (2G 2A) each finished the month with four points
Jake Sibell earned his second CCHA Goaltender of the Week (27 saves on 28 shots faced in win over Michigan Tech)
Exhibition win against Minnesota Duluth (3-1)
DECEMBER RECAP
2-4-0 record, -5 goal differential
Wins against Ferris State (7-1) and Minnesota State (2-1)
Mack Byers led with four goals (three in program-first hat trick vs Ferris State)
Lucas Wahlin and Ryan O'Neill led with seven points apiece
Ryan O'Neill CCHA Forward of the Week (one goal and five assists against Ferris State)
NOVEMBER RECAP
5-1-0 record, +11 goal differential
Longest win streak of DI era (five games, outscored foes 22-9)
Sweeps of Northern Michigan and Bowling Green, both firsts in program history
Split with Lake Superior State
Mack Byers, Liam Malmquist, Lucas Wahlin, and Cooper Gay led with three goals apiece
Quinton Pepper, Wahlin, and Malmquist led with seven points apiece
Lucas Wahlin CCHA Forward of the Week (three goals and an assist vs. Northern Michigan), Aaron Trotter CCHA Goaltender of the Week (42 saves, one goal allowed in win vs Bowling Green)
Aaron Trotter CCHA Goaltender of the Month (3-0-0 record, 90 saves, five goals allowed, .947 SV%, 1.67 GAA)
OCTOBER RECAP
2-5-1 record, -5 goal differential
Wins against #8 St. Cloud State (5-4 OT) and Lindenwood (3-1)
Luke Manning, Lucas Wahlin, and Cooper Gay led with three goals apiece
Wahlin led with seven points (3G 4A)
Luke Manning CCHA Forward of the Week (1G 2A against St. Cloud State), Liam Malmquist CCHA Forward of the Week (3A vs. Lindenwood, Jake Sibell CCHA Goaltender of the Week (1GA 15SV vs Lindenwood)
Jake Sibell CCHA Goaltender of the Month (1-2-0 record, 64 saves, four goals allowed, .941 SV%, 1.36 GAA)
COACH BLASI
Entering third 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.
424 career wins (T-23rd all-time with Bob Gaudet / seventh among active head coaches, 30 wins behind Scott Sandelin for sixth)
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Home-and-home with Minnesota State (13-9-4, 9-5-2) Feb. 2 at home and Feb. 3 in Mankato
First trip to the brand new Midco Arena to play Augustana (7-14-3) Feb. 9-10
The only four-game homestand of the season with CCHA series against Bowling Green (8-16-0, 6-8-0) Feb. 16-17 and Bemidji State (9-14-1, 8-7-1) Feb. 23-24
Final series of the season at Michigan Tech (11-11-5, 8-7-1) Mar. 1-2
NON-CONFERENCE
The Toms are 2-5-1 with two games remaining on the non-conference schedule. The split with #8 St. Cloud State to open the season in two one-goal games. Next came two losses against the #2 Golden Gophers (6-5 OT loss at Xcel Energy Center, 3-0 loss at Mariucci) and then a 3-1 win and 4-4 tie against Lindenwood. After 12 conference games the Toms returned to out of conference competition with two defeats in Vermont. Of their 12 remaining games, two are against future CCHA foe Augustana on Feb. 9-10.
St. Thomas has a -9 goal differential in eight non-con games.
The Tommies played four games against ranked non-con opponents, they were 1-3-0 with two one-goal losses.
1-1-1 home record, 1-3-0 away record, 0-1-0 neutral site record
NHL DEVELOPMENT CAMPS
Chase Cheslock (New Jersey Devils)
Ryder Donovan (Vegas Golden Knights)
Aaron Trotter (Washington Capitals)
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.
Chase Cheslock was selected as the 154th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the New Jersey Devils.
CAPTAINS
Sophomore Lucas Wahlin wears the "C" for coach Rico Blasi's squad. Wahlin, a Woodbury, Minn. native, finished with 21 points in 26 games last season while battling injury. He played for three teams over three seasons in both the NAHL and USHL before finding a home in St. Paul.
Seniors Luke Manning and Mack Byers don the "A" this season. Both are one-time transfers, Manning from Air Force and Byers from Northern Michigan. Manning played nine games for the D-III Tommies and has 38 points in two-plus seasons for the D-I Toms. Byers led the team with 26 points in his first season with the Purple last year.
All three captains are from Minnesota.
TRANSFERS
James Marooney played at Ohio State for four seasons. The defenseman played 80 games for the Buckeyes in four seasons and added five points in 26 games last year for the third-place Big Ten team.
Matthew Gleason appeared in 70 games for Colorado College over two full seasons before joining the Tommies. He was a two-time member of the All-Academic team in the NCHC.
Jake Ratzlaff played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers before a brief stint with the Madison Capitols last year. He was a highly touted hockey recruit coming out of high school but opted to play on the gridiron.
Noah Prokop is a two-time transfer. He played two seasons in Omaha before making the change to play with Gleason at Colorado College. He is a four-time All-Academic team selection.
Liam Malmquist is also a transfer from Wisconsin, but he played two seasons of college hockey. He tallied 16 points in 68 games for the Badgers and was a selection to the Big Ten All-Academic team.
Ryder Donovan played with Malmquist in Madison. The Duluth, Minn. native was drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. He played 89 games for the Badgers and took a break from hockey for the 2022-23 season before returning with the Tommies.
Jake Sibell transferred from the Purple Eagles of Niagara University. Over two seasons in New York he played in 13 games with a 2-7-1 record.
All but one of the Toms' seven transfers (Noah Prokop from Highlands Ranch, Colo.) is a native of Minnesota.
PRESEASON CCHA COACHES POLL
St. Thomas was picked fifth in the Preseason CCHA Coaches Poll. The Toms did receive one of the eight first place votes. Michigan Tech finished on top with Northern Michigan and Bowling Green rounding out the top-three. Bemidji State finished four votes in front of the Purple. Minnesota State finished with 45 votes, same as St. Thomas. Ferris State and Lake Superior State rounded out the poll. St. Thomas did not earn any individual player preseason coach awards.
PRESEASON CCHA MEDIA POLL
St. Thomas was picked sixth in the Preseason CCHA Media Poll. Michigan Tech was picked first with 11 of the 16 first place votes with Northern Michigan, Bowling Green, and Minnesota State behind all receiving at least one first place vote. Bemidji State finished one place in front of the Purple with Ferris State and Lake Superior State bringing up the rear. St. Thomas did not earn any individual player preseason media awards.
The Tommies host the Mavericks for game one at 7:07 p.m. in Mendota Heights
Minnesota State hosts the final game of the season series with a 6:07 puck drop in Mankato
The Tommies are 12-11-1 overall and 10-6-0 in the CCHA. The Wildcats are 13-9-4 overall and 9-5-2 in the CCHA
This is the final regular season meeting of the season, both teams won on home ice in regulation in December
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.
FLOHOCKEY.TV
All St. Thomas and CCHA games will be live-streamed on FloHockey,tv.
FloSports provides each subscriber with access to all content and events with the purchase of a monthly or yearly subscription.
FloSports is available on IOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Chromecast.
TOMMIE TIDBITS
Mack Byers is one point shy of 50 in his career, he also leads the team with a +10 rating
Rico Blasi moved into a tie for 23rd all-time against Northern Michigan with 424 career wins
The Toms are 4-3 in one-goal games this season, the Mavs are 4-8
The Purple are now 10-0-1 when scoring first
Their 26 blocked shots in game two against Northern Michigan were a season high
The Toms are the only CCHA team that has not played a conference game into overtime, they have not played an overtime game since 10/20 against Lindenwood, three of their first five games extended into overtime, they are 1-1-1 in OT games
Ryan O'Neill and Lucas Wahlin are the only two players in the CCHA with a 5 point game, both occurred against Ferris State on 12/2/23
Wahlin's nine shots on goal in that game are tied for the most in a game
O'Neill and Wahlin are two of the four players this season with four assists in a single game
The Toms' 20-point showing against the Bulldogs is tied for the most in a game this season
Their 63 shots on goal against Lindenwood on 10/20 are the most in a game by 15 shots
SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
Overall record (13-9-4) – CCHA record (9-5-2) – tied for first place in the CCHA (30 points)
Unbeaten in eight of their last nine games
Seven of nine losses were by one goal
Sam Morton leads the team with 28 points and 19 goals – his 19 goals are tied for third most in the country – reigning CCHA Forward of the Month with 10 points in January
Alex Tracy in net – 9-6-4, 461SV 43GA 2.30GAA .915SV% - reigning CCHA Goaltender of the Month after a .944SV% in five games
Lead the CCHA in scoring margin (0.7), save percentage (.914), goals against average (2.37), goals scored per game (3.15), goals allowed per game (2.42), and home attendance average (4525).
Bottom of the CCHA in penalty kill % (.739)
SERIES HISTORY
The Toms are 2-10-0 all-time against Minnesota State
The Mavericks won each of the first eight meetings by a combined score of 48-11
St. Thomas secured their first win on 2/3/23 with a 3-2 OT win in Mankato
The Mavs answered back with two straight wins but the Toms won the last meeting, 2-1
The win on 12/9 was St. Thomas' first regulation victory and first home win over MSU
Mack Byers and Noah Prokop are the only Toms with game-winning goals
Both Aaron Trotter and Jake Sibell have one career win against Mankato
TOMMIES AGAINST THE MAVERICKS THIS SEASON
Mack Byers – 1G 0A 1P
Noah Prokop – 1G 0A 1P
Luc Laylin – 1G 0A 1P
Quinton Pepper – 0G 1A 1P
Ethan Gauer – 0G 1A 1P
Tobias Abrahamsson – 0G 1A 1P
Aaron Trotter – 21SV 3GA 0-1-0
Jake Sibell – 28SV 1GA 1-0-0
GOAL STREAK
Ryan O'Neill (2 games)
POINT STREAK
Ryan O'Neill (3 games)
STAT RANKINGS
Cooper Gay, 3 game winning goals (T-16th in NCAA)
Jake Sibell, .636 win percentage (T-18th in NCAA)
Jake Sibell, 1.77 goals against average (3rd in NCAA)
Jake Sibell, .936 save percentage (1st in NCAA)
Mack Byers, 3 shorthanded goals (T-5th in NCAA)
St. Thomas, 2.62 scoring defense (T-18th in NCAA)
St. Thomas, 10.54 PIM/G (17th least in NCAA)
St. Thomas, 5 shorthanded goals (T-7th in NCAA)
SUPER SIBELL
Jake Sibell leads the CCHA in nearly every goaltending category with his 1.77 goals against average and .936 save percentage (which also leads the nation). His CCHA-only numbers are even more impressive. His 1.53 goals against average and .948 save percentage both lead the conference. The junior netminder has been named CCHA Goaltender of the Week twice this season and Goaltender of the Month on one occasion. He was also named to the Mike Richter Watchlist earlier this season.
TOMMIE HAT TRICK
Mack Byers scored three goals against Ferris State on Dec. 2 in the 7-1 win on the road
Byers hat trick was the first (and only) in DI program history
He is one of 56 players in the NCAA with three goals in a game this season
Seven others in the CCHA have recorded a hat trick, Michigan Tech leads all CCHA teams with three hat tricks
CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Luke Manning Forward of the Week (10/9/23)
Liam Malmquist Forward of the Week (10/23/23)
Jake Sibell Goaltender of the Week (10/23/23)
Lucas Wahlin Forward of the Week (11/6/23)
Aaron Trotter Goaltender of the Week (11/13/23)
Ryan O'Neill Forward of the Week (12/4/23)
Jake Sibell Goaltender of the Week (1/15/24)
CCHA GOALTENDERS OF THE MONTH
October – Jake Sibell
November – Aaron Trotter
DI SCORING RECORD HOLDERS
Mack Byers (28), Luke Manning (22), Lucas Wahlin (15) and Luc Laylin (15) round out the top three in DI goals scored
Lucas Wahlin (44), Mack Byers (40), and Luke Manning (36) make up the top three in DI points
THE CHASE IS ON
Chase Cheslock will be playing in his seventh and eighth games at the collegiate level after being called in from the USHL at the semester break. He notched his first collegiate point against Michigan Tech. The 6-3 defenseman out of Rogers, Minn. played 30 games across two seasons for the Omaha Lancers and added 13 points. He is the Toms' first NHL draftee after his selection by the New Jersey Devils in the fifth round of the 2023 draft. He was a two-year captain at Rogers High School and also wore the "C" in Omaha. Cheslock played one game for the U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP), the first Tommie to do so.
JANUARY RECAP
3-1-0 record, +4 goal differential
First sweep of Michigan Tech in program history (4-3 and 3-1), first win on the road in program history at Northern Michigan (3-1)
Luc Laylin, Lucas Wahlin, Cooper Gay, and Ryan O'Neill each led the way with two goals
Liam Malmquist (1G 3A) and O'Neill (2G 2A) each finished the month with four points
Jake Sibell earned his second CCHA Goaltender of the Week (27 saves on 28 shots faced in win over Michigan Tech)
Exhibition win against Minnesota Duluth (3-1)
DECEMBER RECAP
2-4-0 record, -5 goal differential
Wins against Ferris State (7-1) and Minnesota State (2-1)
Mack Byers led with four goals (three in program-first hat trick vs Ferris State)
Lucas Wahlin and Ryan O'Neill led with seven points apiece
Ryan O'Neill CCHA Forward of the Week (one goal and five assists against Ferris State)
NOVEMBER RECAP
5-1-0 record, +11 goal differential
Longest win streak of DI era (five games, outscored foes 22-9)
Sweeps of Northern Michigan and Bowling Green, both firsts in program history
Split with Lake Superior State
Mack Byers, Liam Malmquist, Lucas Wahlin, and Cooper Gay led with three goals apiece
Quinton Pepper, Wahlin, and Malmquist led with seven points apiece
Lucas Wahlin CCHA Forward of the Week (three goals and an assist vs. Northern Michigan), Aaron Trotter CCHA Goaltender of the Week (42 saves, one goal allowed in win vs Bowling Green)
Aaron Trotter CCHA Goaltender of the Month (3-0-0 record, 90 saves, five goals allowed, .947 SV%, 1.67 GAA)
OCTOBER RECAP
2-5-1 record, -5 goal differential
Wins against #8 St. Cloud State (5-4 OT) and Lindenwood (3-1)
Luke Manning, Lucas Wahlin, and Cooper Gay led with three goals apiece
Wahlin led with seven points (3G 4A)
Luke Manning CCHA Forward of the Week (1G 2A against St. Cloud State), Liam Malmquist CCHA Forward of the Week (3A vs. Lindenwood, Jake Sibell CCHA Goaltender of the Week (1GA 15SV vs Lindenwood)
Jake Sibell CCHA Goaltender of the Month (1-2-0 record, 64 saves, four goals allowed, .941 SV%, 1.36 GAA)
COACH BLASI
Entering third 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.
424 career wins (T-23rd all-time with Bob Gaudet / seventh among active head coaches, 30 wins behind Scott Sandelin for sixth)
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Home-and-home with Minnesota State (13-9-4, 9-5-2) Feb. 2 at home and Feb. 3 in Mankato
First trip to the brand new Midco Arena to play Augustana (7-14-3) Feb. 9-10
The only four-game homestand of the season with CCHA series against Bowling Green (8-16-0, 6-8-0) Feb. 16-17 and Bemidji State (9-14-1, 8-7-1) Feb. 23-24
Final series of the season at Michigan Tech (11-11-5, 8-7-1) Mar. 1-2
NON-CONFERENCE
The Toms are 2-5-1 with two games remaining on the non-conference schedule. The split with #8 St. Cloud State to open the season in two one-goal games. Next came two losses against the #2 Golden Gophers (6-5 OT loss at Xcel Energy Center, 3-0 loss at Mariucci) and then a 3-1 win and 4-4 tie against Lindenwood. After 12 conference games the Toms returned to out of conference competition with two defeats in Vermont. Of their 12 remaining games, two are against future CCHA foe Augustana on Feb. 9-10.
St. Thomas has a -9 goal differential in eight non-con games.
The Tommies played four games against ranked non-con opponents, they were 1-3-0 with two one-goal losses.
1-1-1 home record, 1-3-0 away record, 0-1-0 neutral site record
NHL DEVELOPMENT CAMPS
Chase Cheslock (New Jersey Devils)
Ryder Donovan (Vegas Golden Knights)
Aaron Trotter (Washington Capitals)
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.
Chase Cheslock was selected as the 154th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the New Jersey Devils.
CAPTAINS
Sophomore Lucas Wahlin wears the "C" for coach Rico Blasi's squad. Wahlin, a Woodbury, Minn. native, finished with 21 points in 26 games last season while battling injury. He played for three teams over three seasons in both the NAHL and USHL before finding a home in St. Paul.
Seniors Luke Manning and Mack Byers don the "A" this season. Both are one-time transfers, Manning from Air Force and Byers from Northern Michigan. Manning played nine games for the D-III Tommies and has 38 points in two-plus seasons for the D-I Toms. Byers led the team with 26 points in his first season with the Purple last year.
All three captains are from Minnesota.
TRANSFERS
James Marooney played at Ohio State for four seasons. The defenseman played 80 games for the Buckeyes in four seasons and added five points in 26 games last year for the third-place Big Ten team.
Matthew Gleason appeared in 70 games for Colorado College over two full seasons before joining the Tommies. He was a two-time member of the All-Academic team in the NCHC.
Jake Ratzlaff played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers before a brief stint with the Madison Capitols last year. He was a highly touted hockey recruit coming out of high school but opted to play on the gridiron.
Noah Prokop is a two-time transfer. He played two seasons in Omaha before making the change to play with Gleason at Colorado College. He is a four-time All-Academic team selection.
Liam Malmquist is also a transfer from Wisconsin, but he played two seasons of college hockey. He tallied 16 points in 68 games for the Badgers and was a selection to the Big Ten All-Academic team.
Ryder Donovan played with Malmquist in Madison. The Duluth, Minn. native was drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. He played 89 games for the Badgers and took a break from hockey for the 2022-23 season before returning with the Tommies.
Jake Sibell transferred from the Purple Eagles of Niagara University. Over two seasons in New York he played in 13 games with a 2-7-1 record.
All but one of the Toms' seven transfers (Noah Prokop from Highlands Ranch, Colo.) is a native of Minnesota.
PRESEASON CCHA COACHES POLL
St. Thomas was picked fifth in the Preseason CCHA Coaches Poll. The Toms did receive one of the eight first place votes. Michigan Tech finished on top with Northern Michigan and Bowling Green rounding out the top-three. Bemidji State finished four votes in front of the Purple. Minnesota State finished with 45 votes, same as St. Thomas. Ferris State and Lake Superior State rounded out the poll. St. Thomas did not earn any individual player preseason coach awards.
PRESEASON CCHA MEDIA POLL
St. Thomas was picked sixth in the Preseason CCHA Media Poll. Michigan Tech was picked first with 11 of the 16 first place votes with Northern Michigan, Bowling Green, and Minnesota State behind all receiving at least one first place vote. Bemidji State finished one place in front of the Purple with Ferris State and Lake Superior State bringing up the rear. St. Thomas did not earn any individual player preseason media awards.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Hockey
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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
