University of St. Thomas Athletics
Friday, December 12
Marquette, Mich. / Berry Events Center
6:07 p.m. CST
at
Northern Michigan
Men’s Hockey looks to finish out 2025 strong at Northern Michigan
12/11/2025 1:45:00 PM | Men's Hockey
The Tommies battle the Wildcats on the road this weekend
ST. PAUL, Minn. – After a conference split with Lake Superior State last weekend, St. Thomas Men's Hockey (7-7-3 overall, 4-3-1 CCHA) travels up north to the Upper Peninsula for a pair of games with the Northern Michigan Wildcats (1-17-0, 1-9-0).
This is the final series of 2025, the single best calendar year of Tommie hockey in the Division I era. The Toms head into the weekend with a 22-11-4 record during 2025.
The Tommies came back with a vengeance in game two after they dropped game one to Lake State, 5-3. Carsen Musser's one goal allowed earned the Toms three CCHA points with a 4-1 victory. Lucas Wahlin scored two and Lucas Van Vliet stretched his point streak to seven games. Nathan Pilling's five points led the Tommies and earned him Rookie of the Week.
Northern Michigan got things moving in the right direction last weekend and took four points from the Bowling Green Falcons following a historic 0-16-0 start to the season. The Wildcats got their first win at Bowling Green by a score of 3-2 and then followed that up with a 4-3 overtime loss to the third place Falcons. The have been outscored 73-30 this season. Jakub Altrichter leads the way with nine points and Caiden Gault has tallied a team-leading eight goals (three on the power play). William Gramme was in net for the win last weekend, he has a 1-11-0 record behind a 4.06 goals against average and .900 save percentage. He has shared time in goal with Oliver Auyeung-Ashton (0-6-0, 2.68 GAA, .932 SV%).
THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES
-Game one is scheduled for 6:06 p.m. central standard time at the Berry Events Center in Marquette, Michigan. The Tommies are 3-3 all-time on the road against the Wildcats but have won each of the last three: 3-1, 3-0, and 4-3. This season, the Toms are 2-4-3 in games one and have not won the first side of a weekend series since their 11-2 win over Air Force on October 17th.
-Saturday's game will begin at 5:07 p.m. CST in Marquette, Michigan as the Tommies finish off the 2025 calendar year. The Purple have pounced on opponents on night two of a series with a 5-3-0 record. They have not lost a Saturday game since October 25th against #15 Providence.
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.
CHASE LENDING A HELPING HAND
With extra time on the offensive end with power play reps the last two seasons, Chase Cheslock has become one of the premier playmaking defensemen in the country. The junior is one point shy of his career high (14 points last season) through just 17 games. The Rogers, Minn. native has recorded three multi-point games this season and just produced his first three-point game last weekend. He is tied for 30th in the country with 0.76 assists per game.
MUSSER MAGIC
In three games since returning from a brief hiatus, the Utah Mammoth draft pick is unbeaten with a 1.97 GAA and .935 SV%. He stopped 27 of 28 shots against a Lake State team that put up five goals the previous night. Musser made 23 straight saves to lead the Tommies to a 4-1 victory.
SPECIAL TEAMS WOES
The Tommies' 17.2% on the power play is 41st in the country and 7th in the CCHA, only ahead of Ferris State (15.5%) and Northern Michigan (14.5%). They were in a similar situation early in the season last year but finished the campaign with a program-best 25 PP%, one of the best marks in the country.
Things have not been much easier on the penalty killing side either. The Purple's 71.9% kill rate is second lowest in the country, only ahead of Omaha. It is the lowest for the Tommies since their debut DI season (69.8%). Fortunately, the Toms have scored the most shorthanded goals in the country (7) to cushion their penalty killing percentage.
GOALS GOALS GOALS
The Tommies have gotten goals from 16 different players this season. Alex Gaffney leads the way with 11 (0.65 per game – 12th in the nation) followed by Lucas Wahlin's nine (0.60 per game – 22nd in the nation). Gaffney is also on top with four power play goals followed by Lucas Van Vliet's three. Four players have tallied shorthanded goals and three have two (Gaffney, Van Vliet, Pilling). The Purple have just seven first goals this season in 17 games and no player has more than one. Van Vliet and Pilling have each come up clutch with a pair of game winning goals, Van Vliet also has one game typing goal.
SPONGES
Nick Williams leads the Tommies with 38 blocks this season. That mark is eighth in the NCAA. He leads the Toms by 14 blocks over the next guy (Hayes Hundley). As a team, the Purple are 12th in the nation with 242 blocks (14.2 per game).
MULTIPLE WEEKLY HONORS…AGAIN
For the second week in a row, the Tommies received a pair of CCHA weekly honors. This time around it was Nathan Pilling's turn at Rookie of the Week (after back-to-back Lucas Van Vliet weeks) and Carsen Musser's first Goaltender of the Week honor.
Musser stepped up big when the Tommies' needed him on Saturday night in their 4-1 win over Lake Superior State and came through with 27 saves on 28 shots. The sophomore has been rewarded with this week's CCHA Goaltender of the Week, this first weekly honor of his career. Nathan Pilling also had a breakthrough weekend with five points between the two games against the Lakers, he has been named CCHA Rookie of the Week. A Tommie has been named ROTW for three weeks running.
Musser is now unbeaten in his last three starts with a 2-0-1 record, 1.97 GAA, and .935 SV%. The Utah Mammoth draft pick saved each of the final 23 shots he faced on Saturday after giving up an early tally. He is the third Tommie netminder to ever receive a Goaltender of the Week from the CCHA and his honor is the 10th in program history (five for Jake Sibell and four for Aaron Trotter). Sibell last earned the honor on March 17, 2025, after a strong performance in the Mason Cup Semifinal last season.
Pilling tallied a pair of multi-point performances with a goal and an assist on Friday and three assists on Saturday. It was the freshman's first three-point game as a Tommie. He also finished the weekend with a +3 rating. Pilling is the seventh different Tommie to be named ROTW and the second this season. Lucas Van Vliet had been honored each of the previous two weeks. This is the second time in program history that St. Thomas has received a trio of ROTW honors in a single season (2022-23; Eernisse, Braccini, Trotter).
POINTS PARITY
-The Tommies have had a different player lead them in points each of their first five 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 10 wins away from Murray Armstrong in 21st place, 15 from Joe Marsh in 20th, and 19 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 NORTHERN MICHIGAN
-Lucas Wahlin – 6G-4A-10P
-Ryan O'Neill – 4G-3A-7P
-Jake Braccini – 2G-1A-3P
-Carson Peters – 0G-2A-2P
-Quinton Pepper – 0G-2A-2P
-Caige Sterzer – 0G-2A-2P
-Luc Laylin – 1G-0A-1P
-Cole Miller – 0G-1A-1P
-Chase Cheslock – 0G-1A-1P
-Aaron Trotter – 2-2-0, 82 saves, 10 GA, 218 min., .891 SV%, 2.75 GAA
WHY PLAY WITH FIVE?
-The Tommies led the country in shorthanded goals last season (9) and are right back at it this season tied for the most in the nation with Michigan at seven.
-They are the only team in the nation with more than one player with multiple SHG and they have three.
-Nathan Pilling, Alex Gaffney, and Lucas Van Vliet are three of 12 players in the country with at least two shorthanded goals. Pilling was the fourth Tommie to score multiple SHG in a season, Gaffney was the fifth, and Van Vliet was the sixth (Malmquist 4, 24-25; Byers 2, 23-24; Wahlin 2, 24-25).
-Lucas Wahlin scored the most recent shorty of the season against Lake Superior State.
-St. Thomas scored a pair of SHG in one game against Providence for the first time in program history. Pilling's first goal at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena was a shorty.
GOING STREAKING
-Nathan Pilling – 2 game point streak (4 points)
-Jake Braccini – 3 game point streak (longest of his season)
-Chase Cheslock – 2 game point streak (4 points)
-Lucas Van Vliet – 7 game point streak & 5 game goal streak (10 points)
MILESTONE WATCH
-Career Points
2025-26 CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
-Nathan Pilling Rookie of the Week (12/8/25)
-Carsen Musser Goaltender of the Week (12/8/25)
-Lucas Van Vliet Rookie of the Week (12/1/25)
-Nick Williams Defenseman of the Week (12/1/25)
-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)
DECEMBER RECAP
-1-1-0, +1 goal differential
-Split with the Lake State Lakers on home ice. Took game two 4-1 after dropping the opener, 5-3.
-Three players (Lucas Van Vliet, Jake Braccini, Lucas Wahlin) had a two-goal weekend. Nathan Pilling's five points lead the Toms in December.
-Carsen Musser is 1-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .964 SV%
-Aaron Trotter is 0-1-0 with a 5.20 GAA and .839 SV%
-The Toms are 2-8 (25%) on the power play and 3-6 (50%) on the penalty kill.
NOVEMBER RECAP
-4-1-2, +7 goal differential
-Took five of six points from the Michigan Tech Huskies with a 3-3 shootout win and 2-1 regulation win.
-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 six goals and 10 points led the way.
-Will Ingemann was 2-0-1 with a 2.57 GAA and .914 SV%.
-Aaron Trotter was 1-1-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .922 SV%
-Carsen Musser is 1-0-1 with a 2.44 GAA and .922 SV%
-The Toms were 3-25 (12%) on the power play and 18-24 (75%) 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 (44), Cooper Gay (35, 2022-25), and Mack Byers (31, 2022-24) round out the top three in DI goals scored.
-Lucas Wahlin (107), Ryan O'Neill (78), 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:
This is the final series of 2025, the single best calendar year of Tommie hockey in the Division I era. The Toms head into the weekend with a 22-11-4 record during 2025.
The Tommies came back with a vengeance in game two after they dropped game one to Lake State, 5-3. Carsen Musser's one goal allowed earned the Toms three CCHA points with a 4-1 victory. Lucas Wahlin scored two and Lucas Van Vliet stretched his point streak to seven games. Nathan Pilling's five points led the Tommies and earned him Rookie of the Week.
Northern Michigan got things moving in the right direction last weekend and took four points from the Bowling Green Falcons following a historic 0-16-0 start to the season. The Wildcats got their first win at Bowling Green by a score of 3-2 and then followed that up with a 4-3 overtime loss to the third place Falcons. The have been outscored 73-30 this season. Jakub Altrichter leads the way with nine points and Caiden Gault has tallied a team-leading eight goals (three on the power play). William Gramme was in net for the win last weekend, he has a 1-11-0 record behind a 4.06 goals against average and .900 save percentage. He has shared time in goal with Oliver Auyeung-Ashton (0-6-0, 2.68 GAA, .932 SV%).
THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES
-Game one is scheduled for 6:06 p.m. central standard time at the Berry Events Center in Marquette, Michigan. The Tommies are 3-3 all-time on the road against the Wildcats but have won each of the last three: 3-1, 3-0, and 4-3. This season, the Toms are 2-4-3 in games one and have not won the first side of a weekend series since their 11-2 win over Air Force on October 17th.
-Saturday's game will begin at 5:07 p.m. CST in Marquette, Michigan as the Tommies finish off the 2025 calendar year. The Purple have pounced on opponents on night two of a series with a 5-3-0 record. They have not lost a Saturday game since October 25th against #15 Providence.
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.
CHASE LENDING A HELPING HAND
With extra time on the offensive end with power play reps the last two seasons, Chase Cheslock has become one of the premier playmaking defensemen in the country. The junior is one point shy of his career high (14 points last season) through just 17 games. The Rogers, Minn. native has recorded three multi-point games this season and just produced his first three-point game last weekend. He is tied for 30th in the country with 0.76 assists per game.
MUSSER MAGIC
In three games since returning from a brief hiatus, the Utah Mammoth draft pick is unbeaten with a 1.97 GAA and .935 SV%. He stopped 27 of 28 shots against a Lake State team that put up five goals the previous night. Musser made 23 straight saves to lead the Tommies to a 4-1 victory.
SPECIAL TEAMS WOES
The Tommies' 17.2% on the power play is 41st in the country and 7th in the CCHA, only ahead of Ferris State (15.5%) and Northern Michigan (14.5%). They were in a similar situation early in the season last year but finished the campaign with a program-best 25 PP%, one of the best marks in the country.
Things have not been much easier on the penalty killing side either. The Purple's 71.9% kill rate is second lowest in the country, only ahead of Omaha. It is the lowest for the Tommies since their debut DI season (69.8%). Fortunately, the Toms have scored the most shorthanded goals in the country (7) to cushion their penalty killing percentage.
GOALS GOALS GOALS
The Tommies have gotten goals from 16 different players this season. Alex Gaffney leads the way with 11 (0.65 per game – 12th in the nation) followed by Lucas Wahlin's nine (0.60 per game – 22nd in the nation). Gaffney is also on top with four power play goals followed by Lucas Van Vliet's three. Four players have tallied shorthanded goals and three have two (Gaffney, Van Vliet, Pilling). The Purple have just seven first goals this season in 17 games and no player has more than one. Van Vliet and Pilling have each come up clutch with a pair of game winning goals, Van Vliet also has one game typing goal.
SPONGES
Nick Williams leads the Tommies with 38 blocks this season. That mark is eighth in the NCAA. He leads the Toms by 14 blocks over the next guy (Hayes Hundley). As a team, the Purple are 12th in the nation with 242 blocks (14.2 per game).
MULTIPLE WEEKLY HONORS…AGAIN
For the second week in a row, the Tommies received a pair of CCHA weekly honors. This time around it was Nathan Pilling's turn at Rookie of the Week (after back-to-back Lucas Van Vliet weeks) and Carsen Musser's first Goaltender of the Week honor.
Musser stepped up big when the Tommies' needed him on Saturday night in their 4-1 win over Lake Superior State and came through with 27 saves on 28 shots. The sophomore has been rewarded with this week's CCHA Goaltender of the Week, this first weekly honor of his career. Nathan Pilling also had a breakthrough weekend with five points between the two games against the Lakers, he has been named CCHA Rookie of the Week. A Tommie has been named ROTW for three weeks running.
Musser is now unbeaten in his last three starts with a 2-0-1 record, 1.97 GAA, and .935 SV%. The Utah Mammoth draft pick saved each of the final 23 shots he faced on Saturday after giving up an early tally. He is the third Tommie netminder to ever receive a Goaltender of the Week from the CCHA and his honor is the 10th in program history (five for Jake Sibell and four for Aaron Trotter). Sibell last earned the honor on March 17, 2025, after a strong performance in the Mason Cup Semifinal last season.
Pilling tallied a pair of multi-point performances with a goal and an assist on Friday and three assists on Saturday. It was the freshman's first three-point game as a Tommie. He also finished the weekend with a +3 rating. Pilling is the seventh different Tommie to be named ROTW and the second this season. Lucas Van Vliet had been honored each of the previous two weeks. This is the second time in program history that St. Thomas has received a trio of ROTW honors in a single season (2022-23; Eernisse, Braccini, Trotter).
POINTS PARITY
-The Tommies have had a different player lead them in points each of their first five 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 17 games in 2025-26 (21points)
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 10 wins away from Murray Armstrong in 21st place, 15 from Joe Marsh in 20th, and 19 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 NORTHERN MICHIGAN
-Lucas Wahlin – 6G-4A-10P
-Ryan O'Neill – 4G-3A-7P
-Jake Braccini – 2G-1A-3P
-Carson Peters – 0G-2A-2P
-Quinton Pepper – 0G-2A-2P
-Caige Sterzer – 0G-2A-2P
-Luc Laylin – 1G-0A-1P
-Cole Miller – 0G-1A-1P
-Chase Cheslock – 0G-1A-1P
-Aaron Trotter – 2-2-0, 82 saves, 10 GA, 218 min., .891 SV%, 2.75 GAA
WHY PLAY WITH FIVE?
-The Tommies led the country in shorthanded goals last season (9) and are right back at it this season tied for the most in the nation with Michigan at seven.
-They are the only team in the nation with more than one player with multiple SHG and they have three.
-Nathan Pilling, Alex Gaffney, and Lucas Van Vliet are three of 12 players in the country with at least two shorthanded goals. Pilling was the fourth Tommie to score multiple SHG in a season, Gaffney was the fifth, and Van Vliet was the sixth (Malmquist 4, 24-25; Byers 2, 23-24; Wahlin 2, 24-25).
-Lucas Wahlin scored the most recent shorty of the season against Lake Superior State.
-St. Thomas scored a pair of SHG in one game against Providence for the first time in program history. Pilling's first goal at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena was a shorty.
GOING STREAKING
-Nathan Pilling – 2 game point streak (4 points)
-Jake Braccini – 3 game point streak (longest of his season)
-Chase Cheslock – 2 game point streak (4 points)
-Lucas Van Vliet – 7 game point streak & 5 game goal streak (10 points)
MILESTONE WATCH
-Career Points
- Luc Laylin is 1 away from 50
2025-26 CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
-Nathan Pilling Rookie of the Week (12/8/25)
-Carsen Musser Goaltender of the Week (12/8/25)
-Lucas Van Vliet Rookie of the Week (12/1/25)
-Nick Williams Defenseman of the Week (12/1/25)
-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)
DECEMBER RECAP
-1-1-0, +1 goal differential
-Split with the Lake State Lakers on home ice. Took game two 4-1 after dropping the opener, 5-3.
-Three players (Lucas Van Vliet, Jake Braccini, Lucas Wahlin) had a two-goal weekend. Nathan Pilling's five points lead the Toms in December.
-Carsen Musser is 1-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .964 SV%
-Aaron Trotter is 0-1-0 with a 5.20 GAA and .839 SV%
-The Toms are 2-8 (25%) on the power play and 3-6 (50%) on the penalty kill.
NOVEMBER RECAP
-4-1-2, +7 goal differential
-Took five of six points from the Michigan Tech Huskies with a 3-3 shootout win and 2-1 regulation win.
-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 six goals and 10 points led the way.
-Will Ingemann was 2-0-1 with a 2.57 GAA and .914 SV%.
-Aaron Trotter was 1-1-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .922 SV%
-Carsen Musser is 1-0-1 with a 2.44 GAA and .922 SV%
-The Toms were 3-25 (12%) on the power play and 18-24 (75%) 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 (44), Cooper Gay (35, 2022-25), and Mack Byers (31, 2022-24) round out the top three in DI goals scored.
-Lucas Wahlin (107), Ryan O'Neill (78), 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
