University of St. Thomas Athletics
Friday, November 28
Houghton, Mich. / MacInnes Student Ice Arena
6:07 p.m. CST
at
Michigan Tech
Photo by: George Dannecker
Thanksgiving weekend series in Houghton
11/27/2025 4:56:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Men’s Hockey carries its strong stretch of play into a two-gamer with Michigan Tech
St. Paul, Minn. – It appears that St. Thomas Men's Hockey (5-6-2 overall, 2-2-1 CCHA) has started to put all the pieces together after a slow start to the 2025-26 season. The Tommies are 3-1-1 in their last five with points in each of their last four CCHA games including a dominant 6-2 win last time out over Bowling Green.
The now clicking Tommies will head northeast to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a Thanksgiving week series with the Michigan Tech Huskies (8-5-1, 5-2-1). Tech began its conference season with a 5-0-1 record having faced Ferris State, Northern Michigan, and first place Bemidji State before getting swept last weekend in Mankato, 3-0 and 3-2. Last weekend was the first time MTU had lost back-to-back games this season. They have outscored opponents 42-36 in 14 games. The one man in the CCHA hotter than Alex Gaffney this season has been the Huskies' Stiven Sardarian. The Russian senior has added at least one point in 12 of their 14 games and is tied with Gaffney at 19 points. Two-time transfer Owen Bartoszkiewicz has made 13 starts with an 8-4-1 record, 2.23 GAA, and .918 SV%. "Barto" made two starts against St. Thomas last season while playing for Lindenwood, he was 0-2-0 with six goals allowed on 64 shots.
THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES
-Friday night's game at John MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton is scheduled for a 7:07 PM (EST) puck drop. The Tommies are 3-7-0 at the "Mac" in the DI era, but 2-2-0 over the last two seasons.
-Saturday's game is scheduled one hour sooner with a 6:07 PM (EST) puck drop. St. Thomas is 3-3-0 in games two this season and 3-2-1 on Saturdays.
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 home games 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.
WEEKEND RECAP – BOWLING GREEN
-St. Thomas delivered a statement weekend at home, earning four of six possible CCHA points against Bowling Green behind a dominant 6-2 victory on Saturday and a dramatic late comeback on Friday.
-Graduate transfer Alex Gaffney, who entered the weekend leading the CCHA in goals, continued his scorching start with three goals across the two games, including Friday's last-second equalizer and a two-goal performance on Saturday. The Tommies have collected conference points in four straight games.
FRIDAY
-Despite outshooting Bowling Green 38-20, the Tommiesr ran into a red-hot goaltender as freshman Jacob Steinman stopped 36 shots en route to an overtime win. St. Thomas did not go quietly and scored in the final seconds of the final period to force overtime.
-Aaron Trotter returned from injury and made several highlight-reel saves in the first period.
-After a scoreless opening 35 minutes, Bowling Green broke through on back-to-back goals, including a power play tally following a failed St. Thomas challenge.
-Down 2-0, the Tommies surged late:
SATURDAY
-One night after falling in overtime, St. Thomas responded with one of its most complete performances of the season, overwhelming Bowling Green with depth scoring and a sturdy defensive effort.
-Carsen Musser made a season high 39 saves, earning his second win as a Tommie.
-Alex Gaffney scored two goals on eight shots on goal.
-Five different Tommies scored: Gaffney, Hayes Hundley, Jake Braccini, Lucas Van Vliet, and Lucas Wahlin.
-Bowling Green struck first on a power play, but the Tommies responded with a shorthanded goal as Gaffney stole a puck and finished past the freshman netminder.
-After a choppy second period, Wahlin set up Gaffney for a sharp-angle one-timer to give the Toms a 2-1 lead.
-The third period was all Tommies: Hundley's point shot found its way in, Braccini sniped a setup from Charlie Schoen and Attila Lippai, Van Vliet buried a power play marker, and Wahlin added an empty netter to seal the win.
LUCAS VAN VLIET – CCHA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
-Lucas Van Vliet has earned his first weekly honor of his young career after a two-point weekend to help Tommie Men's Hockey to series victory over the then-first place Bowling Green Falcons. The CCHA announced Monday that Van Vliet is the Rookie of the Week.
-Van Vliet is the sixth Tommie in program history to earn the award and first since Casy Laylin in March of last season. The Livonia, Michigan native played an instrumental part in the Toms' four-point weekend with the primary assist on the last-second goal to force overtime on Friday and then a power play goal on Saturday to seal the 6-2 victory.
-The freshman finished the weekend with a +2 rating and is currently producing at a 0.77 points per game pace, the highest of any Tommie first year since Lucas Wahlin (0.81) in 2022-23. Van Vliet's 10 points through 13 games have him right on the heels Jake Braccini's 15 points in his first season which is fifth in DI program history.
POINTS PARITY
-The Tommies have had a different player lead them in points each of their first four seasons of DI play.
450 FOR BLASI
-Head coach, Rico Blasi, won his 450th game on Tuesday, November 11 against St. Cloud State. The now 25-year head coach currently sits 22nd all-time and fourth among active head coaches. He is 13 wins away from Murray Armstrong in 21st place, 18 from Joe Marsh in 20th, and 22 from Don Vaughan in 19th.
100 FOR WAHLIN
-Lucas Wahlin became the first Tommie to score 100 career points after his three-point burst against the Huskies on Tuesday, November 11. The Tommie captain did so in 109 games at a 0.92 points per game pace.
-25 different players either assisted on a Wahlin goal or scored a goal off a Wahlin assist over the course of the last four seasons.
-Liam Malmquist led each category with 12 assists on Wahlin goals and 15 goals off Wahlin assists.
CURRENT TOMMIES AGAINST MICHIGAN TECH
-Jake Braccini – 1G-6A-7P
-Luc Laylin – 4G-1A-5P
-Ryan O'Neill – 1G-4A-5P
-Lucas Wahlin – 4G-1A-5P
-Carson Peters – 0G-3A-3P
-Mason Poolman – 2G-1A-3P
-Chase Cheslock – 0G-3A-3P
-Cole Miller – 1G-1A-2P
-Casy Laylin – 1G-1A-2P
-Quinton Pepper – 0G-2A-2P
-Aaron Trotter – 0G-1A-1P
-Aaron Trotter – 2-5-0, 249 saves, 22GA, 464 min, .919SV%, 2.84 GAA
WHY PLAY WITH FIVE?
-The Tommies led the country in shorthanded goals last season (9) and are right back at it this season with the third most in the entire nation (5).
-Nathan Pilling and Alex Gaffney are two of 10 players in the country with at least two shorthanded goals. Pilling was the fourth Tommie to score multiple SHG in a season and Gaffney was the fifth (Malmquist 4, 24-25; Byers 2, 23-24; Wahlin 2, 24-25).
-Lucas Van Vliet accouns for the other SHG by the Toms this season.
-St. Thomas scored a pair of SHG against Providence for the first time in program history. Pilling's first goal at LPA was a shorty.
GOING STREAKING
-Lucas Wahlin – 5 game point streak (eight points)
-Gaffney – 2 game point streak
-Cheslock – 2 game point streak
-O'Neill – 3 game point streak
-Van Vliet – 3 game point streak
MILESTONE WATCH
-Career Points
2025-26 CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
-Lucas Van Vliet Rookie of the Week (11/23/25)
-Alex Gaffney Forward of the Week (10/20/25)
-Chase Cheslock Defenseman of the Week (10/6/25)
2025-26 CCHA PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
-Alex Gaffney Forward of the Month (11/3/25)
NOVEMBER RECAP
-3-1-1, +6 goal differential
-Came back from down 2-0 to force overtime in game one against Bowling Green and then dominated in game two, 6-2.
-Came back from down 1-0, 3-1, and 4-3 to tie the Vikings, 4-4. The Tommies ultimately fell in the shootout to earn one conference point in hostile territory.
-Finished off their season series with St. Cloud State on Tuesday to sweep the Huskies, 4-3 and 3-1.
-Took down the 18th ranked Mavericks, 4-3 in overtime on the road. Nathan Pilling notched his second game winner of the season.
-Alex Gaffney's five goals lead the way. Both Wahlin and Gaffney have eight points.
-Will Ingemann is 2-0-1 with a 2.57 GAA and .914 SV%.
-Aaron Trotter is 0-1-0 with a 3.00 GAA and .857 SV%
-Carsen Musser is 1-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .951 SV%
-The Toms are 2-17 (11.8%) on the power play and 11-15 (73.3%) on the penalty kill.
OCTOBER RECAP
-2-5-1, -7 goal differential
-Won the first game of the season over St. Cloud State on the road, Nathan Pilling scored the game winning goal.
-Dropped a pair to North Dakota, 6-2 and 5-2.
-Split the road series with Air Force, with an 11-2 win in game one and a 6-2 loss in game two.
-Tied on night one at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena and then won the shootout against #15 Providence before dropping game two 7-4.
-Lost to open CCHA play against Mankato, 3-1 at home.
-Alex Gaffney led the Tommies with 11 points (5G-6A) in October.
-Carsen Musser was 1-4-0 with a 5.25 GAA and .831 SV%.
-Aaron Trotter was 1-0-1 with a 2.24 GAA and .929 SV% .
-Will Ingemann was 0-1-0 with a 2.64 GAA and .875 SV%.
-The Toms are 6-31 (19.4%) on the power play and 20-27 (74%) on the penalty kill.
DI SCORING RECORD HOLDERS
-Lucas Wahlin (42), Cooper Gay (35, 2022-25), and Mack Byers (31, 2022-24) round out the top three in DI goals scored.
-Lucas Wahlin (104), Ryan O'Neill (75), and Liam Malmquist (72, 2023-25) make up the top three in career points.
NHL DEVELOPMENT CAMPS
-Bauer Berry (Edmonton Oilers)
-Chase Cheslock (New Jersey Devils)
-Carsen Musser (Utah Mammoth)
-Nathan Pilling (Ottawa Senators)
-Lucas Van Vliet (Vegas Golden Knights)
-Lucas Wahlin (Colorado Avalanche)
NHL DRAFT PICKS
-Bauer Berry was selected as the 218th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL draft by the Edmonton Oilers.
-Chase Cheslock was selected as the 154th overall pick of the 2023 NHL draft by the New Jersey Devils and was the first drafted Tommie to commit to the program out of high school.
-Carsen Musser was selected as the 166th overall pick of the 2023 NHL draft by the Utah Mammoth.
-Lucas Van Vliet was selected as the 197th overall pick of the 2024 NHL draft by the Vegas Golden Knights.
IN GOOD COMPANY
-Lucas Wahlin entered the season third in career points in the NCAA among active players. His 92 (now 97) put him above all members of the CCHA and behind only Jeremy Wilmer of Quinnipiac (109) and T.J. Hughes of Michigan (122).
-Wahlin's 35 (now 38) career goals were ninth-most among active players.
-His 57 assists were fourth.
-Aaron Trotter's 78 career games in goal were fifth most in the country.
-Trotter's 26 career wins were tied for 10th.
PRESEASON PUB
-The Tommies were picked to finish in first place in the CCHA coaches' poll for the second consecutive season earlier in September.
-They were also selected second in the media poll for the second year in a row.
-Lucas Wahlin was once again named Preseason Player of the Year by the coaches after his 17-24—41 point season last year. The now senior was selected as team captain for the third-year running last week.
-Newcomer, Nathan Pilling, was named Preseason Rookie of the Year by the conference coaches. He skated in 218 total games across four seasons in the WHL for the Moose Jaw Warriors, Edmonton Oil Kings, and Seattle Thunderbirds… scored 70 career goals, added 56 career assists, and tallied 126 total points in the WHL… coming off a career-best season as assistant captain with the Thunderbirds with 37 goals, 30 assists, and 67 points in 67 games in 2024-25.
COACH BLASI
-Entering fifth season for St. Thomas
-During his 20-year tenure at Miami, 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 Alex Martinez, Jeff Zatkoff, Blake Coleman, and Riley Smith.
-His 450-405-87 record has him 22nd all-time and 4th among active head coaches. He is 13 wins from Murray Armstrong in 21st place and 29 wins from the next closest active coach, Scott Sandelin in 18th place with 479.
NICE TO MEET YA
St. Thomas returned just 13 players from its breakthrough 2024-25 squad. The Tommies welcome in 15 newcomers into the fold, 10 freshman and five transfers.
-Freshmen
GOING GREY
-The Tommies are tied for the eighth most seniors in the country with eight.
-Between those eight seniors (Lucas Wahlin, Caige Sterzer, Ryan O'Neill, Quinton Pepper, Luc Laylin, Jake Braccini, Carson Peters, Aaron Trotter) they had amassed:
The now clicking Tommies will head northeast to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a Thanksgiving week series with the Michigan Tech Huskies (8-5-1, 5-2-1). Tech began its conference season with a 5-0-1 record having faced Ferris State, Northern Michigan, and first place Bemidji State before getting swept last weekend in Mankato, 3-0 and 3-2. Last weekend was the first time MTU had lost back-to-back games this season. They have outscored opponents 42-36 in 14 games. The one man in the CCHA hotter than Alex Gaffney this season has been the Huskies' Stiven Sardarian. The Russian senior has added at least one point in 12 of their 14 games and is tied with Gaffney at 19 points. Two-time transfer Owen Bartoszkiewicz has made 13 starts with an 8-4-1 record, 2.23 GAA, and .918 SV%. "Barto" made two starts against St. Thomas last season while playing for Lindenwood, he was 0-2-0 with six goals allowed on 64 shots.
THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES
-Friday night's game at John MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton is scheduled for a 7:07 PM (EST) puck drop. The Tommies are 3-7-0 at the "Mac" in the DI era, but 2-2-0 over the last two seasons.
-Saturday's game is scheduled one hour sooner with a 6:07 PM (EST) puck drop. St. Thomas is 3-3-0 in games two this season and 3-2-1 on Saturdays.
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 home games 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.
WEEKEND RECAP – BOWLING GREEN
-St. Thomas delivered a statement weekend at home, earning four of six possible CCHA points against Bowling Green behind a dominant 6-2 victory on Saturday and a dramatic late comeback on Friday.
-Graduate transfer Alex Gaffney, who entered the weekend leading the CCHA in goals, continued his scorching start with three goals across the two games, including Friday's last-second equalizer and a two-goal performance on Saturday. The Tommies have collected conference points in four straight games.
FRIDAY
-Despite outshooting Bowling Green 38-20, the Tommiesr ran into a red-hot goaltender as freshman Jacob Steinman stopped 36 shots en route to an overtime win. St. Thomas did not go quietly and scored in the final seconds of the final period to force overtime.
-Aaron Trotter returned from injury and made several highlight-reel saves in the first period.
-After a scoreless opening 35 minutes, Bowling Green broke through on back-to-back goals, including a power play tally following a failed St. Thomas challenge.
-Down 2-0, the Tommies surged late:
- At 16:06, Alex Gaffney's shot off the pad created a rebound that Lucas Wahlin buried.
- With the goalie pulled, Gaffney tipped in a Lucas Van Vliet shot with just four seconds left to force overtime.
SATURDAY
-One night after falling in overtime, St. Thomas responded with one of its most complete performances of the season, overwhelming Bowling Green with depth scoring and a sturdy defensive effort.
-Carsen Musser made a season high 39 saves, earning his second win as a Tommie.
-Alex Gaffney scored two goals on eight shots on goal.
-Five different Tommies scored: Gaffney, Hayes Hundley, Jake Braccini, Lucas Van Vliet, and Lucas Wahlin.
-Bowling Green struck first on a power play, but the Tommies responded with a shorthanded goal as Gaffney stole a puck and finished past the freshman netminder.
-After a choppy second period, Wahlin set up Gaffney for a sharp-angle one-timer to give the Toms a 2-1 lead.
-The third period was all Tommies: Hundley's point shot found its way in, Braccini sniped a setup from Charlie Schoen and Attila Lippai, Van Vliet buried a power play marker, and Wahlin added an empty netter to seal the win.
LUCAS VAN VLIET – CCHA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
-Lucas Van Vliet has earned his first weekly honor of his young career after a two-point weekend to help Tommie Men's Hockey to series victory over the then-first place Bowling Green Falcons. The CCHA announced Monday that Van Vliet is the Rookie of the Week.
-Van Vliet is the sixth Tommie in program history to earn the award and first since Casy Laylin in March of last season. The Livonia, Michigan native played an instrumental part in the Toms' four-point weekend with the primary assist on the last-second goal to force overtime on Friday and then a power play goal on Saturday to seal the 6-2 victory.
-The freshman finished the weekend with a +2 rating and is currently producing at a 0.77 points per game pace, the highest of any Tommie first year since Lucas Wahlin (0.81) in 2022-23. Van Vliet's 10 points through 13 games have him right on the heels Jake Braccini's 15 points in his first season which is fifth in DI program history.
POINTS PARITY
-The Tommies have had a different player lead them in points each of their first four seasons of DI play.
- Christiano Versich in 2021-22 (15 points)
- Mack Byers in 2022-23 (26 points)
- Lucas Wahlin in 2023-24 (30 points)
- Liam Malmquist in 2024-25 (45 points)
- Alex Gaffney through 11 games in 2025-26 (15 points)
450 FOR BLASI
-Head coach, Rico Blasi, won his 450th game on Tuesday, November 11 against St. Cloud State. The now 25-year head coach currently sits 22nd all-time and fourth among active head coaches. He is 13 wins away from Murray Armstrong in 21st place, 18 from Joe Marsh in 20th, and 22 from Don Vaughan in 19th.
100 FOR WAHLIN
-Lucas Wahlin became the first Tommie to score 100 career points after his three-point burst against the Huskies on Tuesday, November 11. The Tommie captain did so in 109 games at a 0.92 points per game pace.
-25 different players either assisted on a Wahlin goal or scored a goal off a Wahlin assist over the course of the last four seasons.
-Liam Malmquist led each category with 12 assists on Wahlin goals and 15 goals off Wahlin assists.
CURRENT TOMMIES AGAINST MICHIGAN TECH
-Jake Braccini – 1G-6A-7P
-Luc Laylin – 4G-1A-5P
-Ryan O'Neill – 1G-4A-5P
-Lucas Wahlin – 4G-1A-5P
-Carson Peters – 0G-3A-3P
-Mason Poolman – 2G-1A-3P
-Chase Cheslock – 0G-3A-3P
-Cole Miller – 1G-1A-2P
-Casy Laylin – 1G-1A-2P
-Quinton Pepper – 0G-2A-2P
-Aaron Trotter – 0G-1A-1P
-Aaron Trotter – 2-5-0, 249 saves, 22GA, 464 min, .919SV%, 2.84 GAA
WHY PLAY WITH FIVE?
-The Tommies led the country in shorthanded goals last season (9) and are right back at it this season with the third most in the entire nation (5).
-Nathan Pilling and Alex Gaffney are two of 10 players in the country with at least two shorthanded goals. Pilling was the fourth Tommie to score multiple SHG in a season and Gaffney was the fifth (Malmquist 4, 24-25; Byers 2, 23-24; Wahlin 2, 24-25).
-Lucas Van Vliet accouns for the other SHG by the Toms this season.
-St. Thomas scored a pair of SHG against Providence for the first time in program history. Pilling's first goal at LPA was a shorty.
GOING STREAKING
-Lucas Wahlin – 5 game point streak (eight points)
-Gaffney – 2 game point streak
-Cheslock – 2 game point streak
-O'Neill – 3 game point streak
-Van Vliet – 3 game point streak
MILESTONE WATCH
-Career Points
- Luc Laylin is 1 away from 50
2025-26 CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
-Lucas Van Vliet Rookie of the Week (11/23/25)
-Alex Gaffney Forward of the Week (10/20/25)
-Chase Cheslock Defenseman of the Week (10/6/25)
2025-26 CCHA PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
-Alex Gaffney Forward of the Month (11/3/25)
NOVEMBER RECAP
-3-1-1, +6 goal differential
-Came back from down 2-0 to force overtime in game one against Bowling Green and then dominated in game two, 6-2.
-Came back from down 1-0, 3-1, and 4-3 to tie the Vikings, 4-4. The Tommies ultimately fell in the shootout to earn one conference point in hostile territory.
-Finished off their season series with St. Cloud State on Tuesday to sweep the Huskies, 4-3 and 3-1.
-Took down the 18th ranked Mavericks, 4-3 in overtime on the road. Nathan Pilling notched his second game winner of the season.
-Alex Gaffney's five goals lead the way. Both Wahlin and Gaffney have eight points.
-Will Ingemann is 2-0-1 with a 2.57 GAA and .914 SV%.
-Aaron Trotter is 0-1-0 with a 3.00 GAA and .857 SV%
-Carsen Musser is 1-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .951 SV%
-The Toms are 2-17 (11.8%) on the power play and 11-15 (73.3%) on the penalty kill.
OCTOBER RECAP
-2-5-1, -7 goal differential
-Won the first game of the season over St. Cloud State on the road, Nathan Pilling scored the game winning goal.
-Dropped a pair to North Dakota, 6-2 and 5-2.
-Split the road series with Air Force, with an 11-2 win in game one and a 6-2 loss in game two.
-Tied on night one at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena and then won the shootout against #15 Providence before dropping game two 7-4.
-Lost to open CCHA play against Mankato, 3-1 at home.
-Alex Gaffney led the Tommies with 11 points (5G-6A) in October.
-Carsen Musser was 1-4-0 with a 5.25 GAA and .831 SV%.
-Aaron Trotter was 1-0-1 with a 2.24 GAA and .929 SV% .
-Will Ingemann was 0-1-0 with a 2.64 GAA and .875 SV%.
-The Toms are 6-31 (19.4%) on the power play and 20-27 (74%) on the penalty kill.
DI SCORING RECORD HOLDERS
-Lucas Wahlin (42), Cooper Gay (35, 2022-25), and Mack Byers (31, 2022-24) round out the top three in DI goals scored.
-Lucas Wahlin (104), Ryan O'Neill (75), and Liam Malmquist (72, 2023-25) make up the top three in career points.
NHL DEVELOPMENT CAMPS
-Bauer Berry (Edmonton Oilers)
-Chase Cheslock (New Jersey Devils)
-Carsen Musser (Utah Mammoth)
-Nathan Pilling (Ottawa Senators)
-Lucas Van Vliet (Vegas Golden Knights)
-Lucas Wahlin (Colorado Avalanche)
NHL DRAFT PICKS
-Bauer Berry was selected as the 218th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL draft by the Edmonton Oilers.
-Chase Cheslock was selected as the 154th overall pick of the 2023 NHL draft by the New Jersey Devils and was the first drafted Tommie to commit to the program out of high school.
-Carsen Musser was selected as the 166th overall pick of the 2023 NHL draft by the Utah Mammoth.
-Lucas Van Vliet was selected as the 197th overall pick of the 2024 NHL draft by the Vegas Golden Knights.
IN GOOD COMPANY
-Lucas Wahlin entered the season third in career points in the NCAA among active players. His 92 (now 97) put him above all members of the CCHA and behind only Jeremy Wilmer of Quinnipiac (109) and T.J. Hughes of Michigan (122).
-Wahlin's 35 (now 38) career goals were ninth-most among active players.
-His 57 assists were fourth.
-Aaron Trotter's 78 career games in goal were fifth most in the country.
-Trotter's 26 career wins were tied for 10th.
PRESEASON PUB
-The Tommies were picked to finish in first place in the CCHA coaches' poll for the second consecutive season earlier in September.
-They were also selected second in the media poll for the second year in a row.
-Lucas Wahlin was once again named Preseason Player of the Year by the coaches after his 17-24—41 point season last year. The now senior was selected as team captain for the third-year running last week.
-Newcomer, Nathan Pilling, was named Preseason Rookie of the Year by the conference coaches. He skated in 218 total games across four seasons in the WHL for the Moose Jaw Warriors, Edmonton Oil Kings, and Seattle Thunderbirds… scored 70 career goals, added 56 career assists, and tallied 126 total points in the WHL… coming off a career-best season as assistant captain with the Thunderbirds with 37 goals, 30 assists, and 67 points in 67 games in 2024-25.
COACH BLASI
-Entering fifth season for St. Thomas
-During his 20-year tenure at Miami, 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 Alex Martinez, Jeff Zatkoff, Blake Coleman, and Riley Smith.
-His 450-405-87 record has him 22nd all-time and 4th among active head coaches. He is 13 wins from Murray Armstrong in 21st place and 29 wins from the next closest active coach, Scott Sandelin in 18th place with 479.
NICE TO MEET YA
St. Thomas returned just 13 players from its breakthrough 2024-25 squad. The Tommies welcome in 15 newcomers into the fold, 10 freshman and five transfers.
-Freshmen
- Bauer Berry | 6-4 | Defenseman | Grand Forks, N.D. | Muskegon (USHL)
- Josh Giuliani | 6-1 | Forward | Plymouth, Minn. | Dubuque (USHL)
- Hayes Hundley | 6-3 | Defenseman | Upper Arlington, Ohio | Fargo (USHL)
- Will Ingemann | 5-11 | Goaltender | Plymouth, Minn. | Penticton (BCHL)
- Colton Jamieson | 6-0 | Defenseman | Hudson, Wis. | Madison (USHL)
- Attila Lippai | 5-9 | Forward | St. Paul, Minn. | Tri-City (USHL)
- Nathan Pilling | 6-4 | Forward | Calgary, Alta. | Seattle (WHL)
- Sam Ranallo | 5-10 | Forward | Rogers, Minn. | Cranbrook (BCHL)
- Luke Schelter | 6-2 | Forward | Centennial, Colo. | Fargo (USHL)
- Lucas Van Vliet | 6-2 | Forward | Livonia, Mich. | Dubuque (USHL)
- Alex Gaffney | 5-9 | Forward | West Orange, N.J. | Harvard (NCAA)
- Dylan Godbout | 5-11 | Forward | Woodbury, Minn. | Ohio State (NCAA)
- Carsen Musser | 6-4 | Goaltender | Fairmont, Minn. | Colorado (NCAA)
- Charlie Schoen | 5-10 | Forward | Andover, Minn. | Arizona State (NCAA)
- Nick Williams | 5-9 | Defenseman | Edina, Minn, | Michigan Tech (NCAA)
GOING GREY
-The Tommies are tied for the eighth most seniors in the country with eight.
-Between those eight seniors (Lucas Wahlin, Caige Sterzer, Ryan O'Neill, Quinton Pepper, Luc Laylin, Jake Braccini, Carson Peters, Aaron Trotter) they had amassed:
- 783 games
- 120 goals
- 210 assists
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/ Men's HockeyTommie Men's Hockey 2025 Intro Video
Wednesday, November 12
Press 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
