University of St. Thomas Athletics
Friday, January 2
St. Paul, Minn. / Lee & Penny Anderson Arena
7:07 p.m. CST
vs
Ferris State
Photo by: Kason Zetah
Ferris State comes to St. Paul to open 2026
1/1/2026 2:55:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Tommie Men’s Hockey has taken points in 10 of its last 11 games
ST. PAUL, Minn. – St. Thomas Men's Hockey (9-7-3, 6-4-1) has gotten back on track with a 7-2-2 record since a rough October. The Tommies welcome in the Ferris State Bulldogs (4-16-0, 3-9-0) for a pair of conference games at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena this weekend for the only series of the season between the two sides. The Toms have won each of the last five games against FSU including a season sweep (regular and postseason) in 2024-25 (9-6, 4-3, 7-3, 4-1).
A first career shutout and another last-second goal led the Purple and Gray to a sweep of Northern Michigan on December 12-13 in Marquette. Carsen Musser earned both wins to bring his total up to a team-leading five victories. He truly shined in the 2-0 game one win where the sophomore netminder earned his first clean sheet with 29 saves. Musser did not have the same production in game two but got the run support needed in the 4-3 win. The Toms trailed 3-1 in the third period but got goals from Hayes Hundley (7:32), Alex Gaffney (12:50), and Lucas Wahlin (19:59) to come from behind and sweep the Wildcats.
The Bulldogs battled in the first half of the season under new skipper Brett Riley but came away with just four wins. Ferris State has lost four in a row and five of their last six. They did come away with a 4-1 win over Minnesota State on December 6 before falling to Michigan Tech, Michigan State, and Miami. They are led by a veteran group of Gavin Best, Xavier Jean-Louis, and Josh Zary who each have 11 points in 20 games. Martin Lundburg has taken most of the time between the pipes with a 2-9-0 record, 2.80 GAA, and .889 SV%. The sophomore netminder played just 39 minutes against the Toms last season and allowed two goals on 20 shots.
THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES
-Game one is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. central standard time at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena in St. Paul, Minn. The Tommies are 6-2 all-time against Ferris State at home and have not lost a home game to the Bulldogs since 12/17/22.
-Game two will begin at 6:07 p.m. CST at LPA. The Tommies have a 6-3-0 record on Saturdays this season and have not lost a Saturday night bout since October 25th.
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. After a two-assist weekend against Northern Michigan he set a new career high (15 points) in just 19 games. The Rogers, Minn. native has recorded four multi-point games this season and just produced his first three-point game against Lake State. He is 24th in the country with 0.79 assists per game and has an argument to be the most productive puck-moving defenseman in the country.
MUSSER MAGIC
In five games since returning from a brief hiatus, the Utah Mammoth draft pick is unbeaten with a 1.78 GAA and .934 SV%. Carsen Musser has allowed no more than three goals in a single game during that stretch and earned his first career shutout with 29 saves against Northern Michigan before the break. He also set a season high with 39 saves in the Toms' 6-2 win against Bowling Green on 11/22 in his first game back after five games off.
SPECIAL TEAMS WOES
The Tommies' 16.9% on the power play is 43rd in the country and 7th in the CCHA, only ahead of Ferris State (14.3%) and Northern Michigan (13.4%). 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 74.2% kill rate is 54th in the country. 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 17 different players this season. Alex Gaffney and Lucas Wahlin lead the way with 12 goals each. Wahlin's .71 goals per game is eighth in the nation and Gaffney's .63 is 13th. Gaffney is also on top for the Toms with five power play goals followed by Lucas Van Vliet's three. Four players have tallied shorthanded goals and three have two (Gaffney, Van Vliet, Pilling). Van Vliet, Pilling, and Wahlin have each come up clutch with a pair of game winning goals.
SPONGES
Nick Williams leads the Tommies with 41 blocks this season. That mark is seventh in the NCAA. He leads the Toms by 15 blocks over the next guy (Mason Poolman). As a team, the Purple are 10th in the nation with 264 blocks (13.9 per game).
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 eight wins away from Murray Armstrong in 21st place, 13 from Joe Marsh in 20th, and 17 from Don Vaughan in 19th. Blasi is the fourth winningest coaches among active head coaches.
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 FERRIS STATE
-Lucas Wahlin – 6G-15A-21P
-Ryan O'Neill – 2G-13A-15P
-Jake Braccini – 6G-7A-13P
-Luc Laylin – 1G-5A-6P
-Caige Sterzer – 1G-3A-4P
-Quinton Pepper – 2G-0A-2P
-Cole Miller – 0G-2A-2P
-Chase Cheslock – 0G-2A-2P
-Casy Laylin – 0G-1A-1P
-Aaron Trotter – 2-3-0, 133 saves, 308 mins, 19 GA, 3.70 GAA, .875 SV%, 1A
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
-Quinton Pepper – 3 game point streak (4 points) – Toms are 3-0-0
-Lucas Wahlin – 3 game point streak (5 points) – Toms are 3-0-0
MILESTONE WATCH
-Career Goals
2025-26 CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
-Lucas Wahlin Forward of the Week (12/15/25)
-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
-3-1-0, +4 goal differential
-Swept the Northern Michigan Wildcats on the road, 2-0 and 4-3.
-Split with the Lake State Lakers on home ice. Took game two 4-1 after dropping the opener, 5-3.
-Lucas Wahlin owned December with five goals while Nathan Pilling and Chase Cheslock led the way with six points a piece.
-Carsen Musser was 3-0-0 with a 1.34 GAA and .945 SV%
-Aaron Trotter was 0-1-0 with a 5.20 GAA and .839 SV%
-The Toms were 3-15 (20%) on the power play and 8-11 (73%) 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 (47), Cooper Gay (35, 2022-25), and Mack Byers (31, 2022-24) round out the top three in DI goals scored.
-Lucas Wahlin (110), Ryan O'Neill (79), 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:
A first career shutout and another last-second goal led the Purple and Gray to a sweep of Northern Michigan on December 12-13 in Marquette. Carsen Musser earned both wins to bring his total up to a team-leading five victories. He truly shined in the 2-0 game one win where the sophomore netminder earned his first clean sheet with 29 saves. Musser did not have the same production in game two but got the run support needed in the 4-3 win. The Toms trailed 3-1 in the third period but got goals from Hayes Hundley (7:32), Alex Gaffney (12:50), and Lucas Wahlin (19:59) to come from behind and sweep the Wildcats.
The Bulldogs battled in the first half of the season under new skipper Brett Riley but came away with just four wins. Ferris State has lost four in a row and five of their last six. They did come away with a 4-1 win over Minnesota State on December 6 before falling to Michigan Tech, Michigan State, and Miami. They are led by a veteran group of Gavin Best, Xavier Jean-Louis, and Josh Zary who each have 11 points in 20 games. Martin Lundburg has taken most of the time between the pipes with a 2-9-0 record, 2.80 GAA, and .889 SV%. The sophomore netminder played just 39 minutes against the Toms last season and allowed two goals on 20 shots.
THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES
-Game one is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. central standard time at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena in St. Paul, Minn. The Tommies are 6-2 all-time against Ferris State at home and have not lost a home game to the Bulldogs since 12/17/22.
-Game two will begin at 6:07 p.m. CST at LPA. The Tommies have a 6-3-0 record on Saturdays this season and have not lost a Saturday night bout since October 25th.
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. After a two-assist weekend against Northern Michigan he set a new career high (15 points) in just 19 games. The Rogers, Minn. native has recorded four multi-point games this season and just produced his first three-point game against Lake State. He is 24th in the country with 0.79 assists per game and has an argument to be the most productive puck-moving defenseman in the country.
MUSSER MAGIC
In five games since returning from a brief hiatus, the Utah Mammoth draft pick is unbeaten with a 1.78 GAA and .934 SV%. Carsen Musser has allowed no more than three goals in a single game during that stretch and earned his first career shutout with 29 saves against Northern Michigan before the break. He also set a season high with 39 saves in the Toms' 6-2 win against Bowling Green on 11/22 in his first game back after five games off.
SPECIAL TEAMS WOES
The Tommies' 16.9% on the power play is 43rd in the country and 7th in the CCHA, only ahead of Ferris State (14.3%) and Northern Michigan (13.4%). 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 74.2% kill rate is 54th in the country. 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 17 different players this season. Alex Gaffney and Lucas Wahlin lead the way with 12 goals each. Wahlin's .71 goals per game is eighth in the nation and Gaffney's .63 is 13th. Gaffney is also on top for the Toms with five power play goals followed by Lucas Van Vliet's three. Four players have tallied shorthanded goals and three have two (Gaffney, Van Vliet, Pilling). Van Vliet, Pilling, and Wahlin have each come up clutch with a pair of game winning goals.
SPONGES
Nick Williams leads the Tommies with 41 blocks this season. That mark is seventh in the NCAA. He leads the Toms by 15 blocks over the next guy (Mason Poolman). As a team, the Purple are 10th in the nation with 264 blocks (13.9 per game).
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 19 games in 2025-26 (22 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 eight wins away from Murray Armstrong in 21st place, 13 from Joe Marsh in 20th, and 17 from Don Vaughan in 19th. Blasi is the fourth winningest coaches among active head coaches.
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 FERRIS STATE
-Lucas Wahlin – 6G-15A-21P
-Ryan O'Neill – 2G-13A-15P
-Jake Braccini – 6G-7A-13P
-Luc Laylin – 1G-5A-6P
-Caige Sterzer – 1G-3A-4P
-Quinton Pepper – 2G-0A-2P
-Cole Miller – 0G-2A-2P
-Chase Cheslock – 0G-2A-2P
-Casy Laylin – 0G-1A-1P
-Aaron Trotter – 2-3-0, 133 saves, 308 mins, 19 GA, 3.70 GAA, .875 SV%, 1A
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
-Quinton Pepper – 3 game point streak (4 points) – Toms are 3-0-0
-Lucas Wahlin – 3 game point streak (5 points) – Toms are 3-0-0
MILESTONE WATCH
-Career Goals
- Lucas Wahlin is three away from 50
- Ryan O'Neill is 21 away from 100
- Luc Laylin is 12 away from tying Ethan Gauer's program record (142)
- Cole Miller is the next closest to 100, he is at 87
2025-26 CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
-Lucas Wahlin Forward of the Week (12/15/25)
-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
-3-1-0, +4 goal differential
-Swept the Northern Michigan Wildcats on the road, 2-0 and 4-3.
-Split with the Lake State Lakers on home ice. Took game two 4-1 after dropping the opener, 5-3.
-Lucas Wahlin owned December with five goals while Nathan Pilling and Chase Cheslock led the way with six points a piece.
-Carsen Musser was 3-0-0 with a 1.34 GAA and .945 SV%
-Aaron Trotter was 0-1-0 with a 5.20 GAA and .839 SV%
-The Toms were 3-15 (20%) on the power play and 8-11 (73%) 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 (47), Cooper Gay (35, 2022-25), and Mack Byers (31, 2022-24) round out the top three in DI goals scored.
-Lucas Wahlin (110), Ryan O'Neill (79), 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
