University of St. Thomas Athletics
Friday, January 16
St. Paul, Minn. / Lee & Penny Anderson Arena
7:07 p.m. CST
vs
Bemidji State
Men's Hockey hosts in-state foe Bemidji State
1/15/2026 2:48:00 PM | Men's Hockey
The Tommies enter the weekend tied atop the CCHA with two home games upcoming
ST. PAUL, Minn. – St. Thomas Men's Hockey (12-7-3, 9-3-2) will defend a six-game win streak and its share of first place this weekend against the Bemidji State Beavers (9-10-3, 7-4-3). The weekend series will take place in St. Paul at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena, the first game at the Tommies new home against the in-state rival.
The Purple have won six games in a row and have just one regulation loss in their last 14 games with a 10-2-2 record since Halloween. They took down the first place Mavericks last weekend with a convincing 4-2 win on the road for three conference points and a first-place tie with the Augustana Vikings. Aaron Trotter got the win between the posts as the third different Tommie netminder to earn a win in January. Lucas Van Vliet added an assist for his 22nd point of the season, to earn the freshman scoring DI program record. Lucas Wahlin scored the first goal of the night against the Mavericks for his team-leading 14th and 49th career goal. Alex Gaffney is still out in front with 28 points and Chase Cheslock's 17 assists lead the way. The Toms are the only team in the nation that have three goaltenders with 3+ wins this season. Carsen Musser leads the squad with six wins (6-4-1) while Trotter leads in GAA (2.56) and SV% (.909). Will Ingemann owns the best win percentage with a 3-1-1 record.
The Bemidji State Beavers are coming off a pair of conference losses at home against Michigan Tech. They fell 5-2 and 4-3 at the Sanford Center. They have not won a game since their sweep of Northern Michigan (0-5-1 since November 22). The Beavers have always given the Tommies fits and hold a 12-2-2 record in the DI all-time series. Junior, Oliver Peer leads them with 13 goals this season (three in last four games) and senior, Adam Flammang leads with 24 points. All three rostered goalies have played this season, but time has been split almost evenly between Raythan Robbins (5-4-2, 2.44 GAA, .898 SV%) and Max Hildebrand (4-6-1, 3.10 GAA, .885). Bemidji State scores 3.18 goals per game (3rd CCHA) and allows 2.91 goals per game (5th CCHA).
THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES
-The Tommies look to buck the trend of dropping home games to Bemidji State first on Friday, January 16th at 7:07 p.m. St. Thomas has won just two of their eight games at home against the Beavers in the DI series history.
-St. Thomas will host the Beavers for game two on Saturday, January 17th also at 7:07 p.m. The Toms are a staggering 8-2-1 on Saturday's this season. They have never beaten BSU on a Saturday.
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.
BIG FIRST YEAR FOR LVV
With Lucas Van Vliet's assist on Quinton Pepper's goal last Saturday in Mankato, the freshman forward tallied his 22nd point of the season. Statistically it is the best season by a freshman Tommie in DI history ahead of his captain's 21 points his during the 2022-23 season. Van Vliet is scoring at a point-per-game pace with 12 games to go.
BUILDING A WALL SIX WINS HIGH
St. Thomas goaltending has seemingly figured things out during this six-game win streak that dates to December 6. Between the three netminders (Carsen Musser, Will Ingemann, and Aaron Trotter) they have a combined 2.17 GAA and .904 SV%. Musser carried the load with four wins to start the win streak. He has a 1.75 GAA and .928 SV% and was also named CCHA Goaltender of the Month in December. Ingemann earned his third career win against Ferris State and Aaron Trotter allowed two goals on 20 shots in a huge win over Minnesota State.
GRAY JERSEY SUCCESS
The Tommies debuted their alternate gray uniforms on October 12th in a 5-2 loss against then #10 North Dakota. They have not been defeated since with a 4-0-0 record. Stats in their four games since the debut: 5.5 goals per game, 2.5 goals allowed per game, 31 PP%, 81 PK%, +1 in first period, +6 in second, +5 in third. Alex Gaffney and Lucas Wahlin lead with nine points in gray and a +8 rating. Both Will Ingemann and Carsen Musser are 2-0-0 with a 2.50 GAA.
GOALS GOALS GOALS
The Tommies have gotten goals from 18 different players this season. Lucas Wahlin's 14 goals lead the way. Wahlin's .70 goals per game is ninth in the nation and Alex Gaffney's .59 is T-17th. Gaffney is on top for the Toms with five power play goals followed by Lucas Van Vliet's three. Four players have tallied shorthanded goals, and Gaffney leads the team (and the nation) with three. Van Vliet, Pilling, Hundley, and Wahlin have each come up clutch with a pair of game winning goals.
SPONGES
Nick Williams leads the Tommies with 44 blocks this season. That mark is seventh in the NCAA. He leads the Toms by 14 blocks over the next guy (Hayes Hundley). As a team, the Purple are 10th in the nation with 302 blocks (13.7 per game).
POINTS PARITY
-The Tommies have had a different player lead them in points each of their first five seasons of DI play.
458 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. His 458 career wins put him five wins away from Murray Armstrong in 21st place, 10 from Joe Marsh in 20th, and 14 from Don Vaughan in 19th. Blasi is the fourth winningest coach 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.
-At the present day, he has recorded 115 points, 34 more than the next closest Tommie.
CURRENT TOMMIES AGAINST BEMIDJI STATE
-Lucas Wahlin – 3G-9A-12P
-Ryan O'Neill – 1G-6A-7P
-Luc Laylin – 1G-3A-4P
-Mason Poolman – 1G-2A-3P
-Chase Cheslock – 1G-1A-2P
-Caige Sterzer – 1G-0A-1P
-Cole Miller – 1G-0A-1P
-Casy Laylin – 1G-0A-1P
-Jake Braccini – 1G-1A-2P
-Aaron Trotter – 2-5-2, 227 saves, 523 mins, 28 GA, 3.21 GAA, .890 SV%
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 single most shorties in the country (8).
-They have three players in the top four in the nation and have the nation's leading shorthanded goal scorer.
-Nathan Pilling, Alex Gaffney, and Lucas Van Vliet are three of 14 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).
-Gaffney's three shorthanded goals this season are tied for the NCAA lead with former Tommie Josh Eernisse of Michigan and Jonathan Castagna of Cornell.
-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
-Lucas Wahlin – 6 game point streak (10 points) – Toms are 6-0-0
-Alex Gaffney – 4 game point streak (7 points) – Toms are 4-0-0
-Nick Williams – 4 game point streak (4 points) – Toms are 4-0-0
-Lucas Van Vliet – 3 game point streak (6 points) – Toms are 3-0-0
-Attila Lippai – 2 game point streak (2 points) – Toms are 2-0-0
MILESTONE WATCH
-Career Goals
2025-26 CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
-Hayes Hundley Rookie of the Week (1/4/26)
-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
-Carsen Musser Goaltender of the Month (1/5/26)
-Chase Cheslock Defenseman of the Month (1/5/26)
-Alex Gaffney Forward of the Month (11/3/25)
JANUARY RECAP
-3-0-0, +8 goal differential
-Completed the season series with a 4-2 win over Minnesota State on the road. The Tommies are now 2-0 in Mankato since the Mason Cup Final loss.
-Swept Ferris State in a pair of high scoring affairs (5-3 and 8-4)
-Jake Braccini leads the Tommies with three goals
-Alex Gaffney and Lucas Van Vliet lead the way with six points
-Aaron Trotter is 1-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .900 SV%
-Carsen Musser is 1-0-0 with a 3.00 GAA and .875 SV%
-Will Ingemann is 1-0-0 with a 4.00 GAA and .789 SV%
-The Toms are 3-9 (33.3%) on the power play and 12-13 (92%) on the penalty kill.
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 (49), Cooper Gay (35, 2022-25), and Mack Byers (31, 2022-24) round out the top three in DI goals scored.
-Lucas Wahlin (115), Ryan O'Neill (81), 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 Purple have won six games in a row and have just one regulation loss in their last 14 games with a 10-2-2 record since Halloween. They took down the first place Mavericks last weekend with a convincing 4-2 win on the road for three conference points and a first-place tie with the Augustana Vikings. Aaron Trotter got the win between the posts as the third different Tommie netminder to earn a win in January. Lucas Van Vliet added an assist for his 22nd point of the season, to earn the freshman scoring DI program record. Lucas Wahlin scored the first goal of the night against the Mavericks for his team-leading 14th and 49th career goal. Alex Gaffney is still out in front with 28 points and Chase Cheslock's 17 assists lead the way. The Toms are the only team in the nation that have three goaltenders with 3+ wins this season. Carsen Musser leads the squad with six wins (6-4-1) while Trotter leads in GAA (2.56) and SV% (.909). Will Ingemann owns the best win percentage with a 3-1-1 record.
The Bemidji State Beavers are coming off a pair of conference losses at home against Michigan Tech. They fell 5-2 and 4-3 at the Sanford Center. They have not won a game since their sweep of Northern Michigan (0-5-1 since November 22). The Beavers have always given the Tommies fits and hold a 12-2-2 record in the DI all-time series. Junior, Oliver Peer leads them with 13 goals this season (three in last four games) and senior, Adam Flammang leads with 24 points. All three rostered goalies have played this season, but time has been split almost evenly between Raythan Robbins (5-4-2, 2.44 GAA, .898 SV%) and Max Hildebrand (4-6-1, 3.10 GAA, .885). Bemidji State scores 3.18 goals per game (3rd CCHA) and allows 2.91 goals per game (5th CCHA).
THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES
-The Tommies look to buck the trend of dropping home games to Bemidji State first on Friday, January 16th at 7:07 p.m. St. Thomas has won just two of their eight games at home against the Beavers in the DI series history.
-St. Thomas will host the Beavers for game two on Saturday, January 17th also at 7:07 p.m. The Toms are a staggering 8-2-1 on Saturday's this season. They have never beaten BSU on a Saturday.
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.
BIG FIRST YEAR FOR LVV
With Lucas Van Vliet's assist on Quinton Pepper's goal last Saturday in Mankato, the freshman forward tallied his 22nd point of the season. Statistically it is the best season by a freshman Tommie in DI history ahead of his captain's 21 points his during the 2022-23 season. Van Vliet is scoring at a point-per-game pace with 12 games to go.
BUILDING A WALL SIX WINS HIGH
St. Thomas goaltending has seemingly figured things out during this six-game win streak that dates to December 6. Between the three netminders (Carsen Musser, Will Ingemann, and Aaron Trotter) they have a combined 2.17 GAA and .904 SV%. Musser carried the load with four wins to start the win streak. He has a 1.75 GAA and .928 SV% and was also named CCHA Goaltender of the Month in December. Ingemann earned his third career win against Ferris State and Aaron Trotter allowed two goals on 20 shots in a huge win over Minnesota State.
GRAY JERSEY SUCCESS
The Tommies debuted their alternate gray uniforms on October 12th in a 5-2 loss against then #10 North Dakota. They have not been defeated since with a 4-0-0 record. Stats in their four games since the debut: 5.5 goals per game, 2.5 goals allowed per game, 31 PP%, 81 PK%, +1 in first period, +6 in second, +5 in third. Alex Gaffney and Lucas Wahlin lead with nine points in gray and a +8 rating. Both Will Ingemann and Carsen Musser are 2-0-0 with a 2.50 GAA.
GOALS GOALS GOALS
The Tommies have gotten goals from 18 different players this season. Lucas Wahlin's 14 goals lead the way. Wahlin's .70 goals per game is ninth in the nation and Alex Gaffney's .59 is T-17th. Gaffney is on top for the Toms with five power play goals followed by Lucas Van Vliet's three. Four players have tallied shorthanded goals, and Gaffney leads the team (and the nation) with three. Van Vliet, Pilling, Hundley, and Wahlin have each come up clutch with a pair of game winning goals.
SPONGES
Nick Williams leads the Tommies with 44 blocks this season. That mark is seventh in the NCAA. He leads the Toms by 14 blocks over the next guy (Hayes Hundley). As a team, the Purple are 10th in the nation with 302 blocks (13.7 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 22 games in 2025-26 (28 points)
458 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. His 458 career wins put him five wins away from Murray Armstrong in 21st place, 10 from Joe Marsh in 20th, and 14 from Don Vaughan in 19th. Blasi is the fourth winningest coach 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.
-At the present day, he has recorded 115 points, 34 more than the next closest Tommie.
CURRENT TOMMIES AGAINST BEMIDJI STATE
-Lucas Wahlin – 3G-9A-12P
-Ryan O'Neill – 1G-6A-7P
-Luc Laylin – 1G-3A-4P
-Mason Poolman – 1G-2A-3P
-Chase Cheslock – 1G-1A-2P
-Caige Sterzer – 1G-0A-1P
-Cole Miller – 1G-0A-1P
-Casy Laylin – 1G-0A-1P
-Jake Braccini – 1G-1A-2P
-Aaron Trotter – 2-5-2, 227 saves, 523 mins, 28 GA, 3.21 GAA, .890 SV%
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 single most shorties in the country (8).
-They have three players in the top four in the nation and have the nation's leading shorthanded goal scorer.
-Nathan Pilling, Alex Gaffney, and Lucas Van Vliet are three of 14 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).
-Gaffney's three shorthanded goals this season are tied for the NCAA lead with former Tommie Josh Eernisse of Michigan and Jonathan Castagna of Cornell.
-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
-Lucas Wahlin – 6 game point streak (10 points) – Toms are 6-0-0
-Alex Gaffney – 4 game point streak (7 points) – Toms are 4-0-0
-Nick Williams – 4 game point streak (4 points) – Toms are 4-0-0
-Lucas Van Vliet – 3 game point streak (6 points) – Toms are 3-0-0
-Attila Lippai – 2 game point streak (2 points) – Toms are 2-0-0
MILESTONE WATCH
-Career Goals
- Lucas Wahlin is one away from 50
- Ryan O'Neill is 19 away from 100
- Luc Laylin is 9 away from tying Ethan Gauer's program record (142)
- Cole Miller is the next closest to 100, he is at 90
2025-26 CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
-Hayes Hundley Rookie of the Week (1/4/26)
-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
-Carsen Musser Goaltender of the Month (1/5/26)
-Chase Cheslock Defenseman of the Month (1/5/26)
-Alex Gaffney Forward of the Month (11/3/25)
JANUARY RECAP
-3-0-0, +8 goal differential
-Completed the season series with a 4-2 win over Minnesota State on the road. The Tommies are now 2-0 in Mankato since the Mason Cup Final loss.
-Swept Ferris State in a pair of high scoring affairs (5-3 and 8-4)
-Jake Braccini leads the Tommies with three goals
-Alex Gaffney and Lucas Van Vliet lead the way with six points
-Aaron Trotter is 1-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .900 SV%
-Carsen Musser is 1-0-0 with a 3.00 GAA and .875 SV%
-Will Ingemann is 1-0-0 with a 4.00 GAA and .789 SV%
-The Toms are 3-9 (33.3%) on the power play and 12-13 (92%) on the penalty kill.
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 (49), Cooper Gay (35, 2022-25), and Mack Byers (31, 2022-24) round out the top three in DI goals scored.
-Lucas Wahlin (115), Ryan O'Neill (81), 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
