University of St. Thomas Athletics
Friday, January 30
St. Paul, Minn. / Lee & Penny Anderson Arena
7:07 p.m. CST
vs
Michigan Tech
Photo by: Kylie Macziewski
Ranked battle in St. Paul
1/29/2026 2:13:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Men’s Hockey looks to defend first place from #19 Michigan Tech
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The hottest team in college hockey looks to defend its program-best 10 game win streak this weekend against the 19th ranked Michigan Tech Huskies (17-9-2, 12-4-2). St. Thomas men's hockey (16-7-3, 13-3-2) has peaked at #15 in both national polls, 11th in the NPI, and first place in the CCHA five points clear of Tech this week. Lucas Wahlin has the longest point streak in the country (10 games) and Aaron Trotter is 4-0-0 with a 1.30 GAA and .948 SV% during the win streak.
The Toms have not lost a game since December 5th and are 14-2-2 since Halloween. They are just two conference points behind their program-best 44 last season with 24 points still on the line this season. St. Thomas has tied its program-best 13 conference wins from 2024-25, has set a new best with nine road wins, and is just nine goals from tying the program record (111). The Purple are scoring goals (3.92 gpg) at a rate matched only by #4 North Dakota, #6 Quinnipiac, and #1 Michigan. They have the CCHA's leading goal scorer (Lucas Wahlin, 18), shots leader (Nathan Pilling, 105), and shorthanded goals leader (Alex Gaffney and Pilling, 3). Aaron Trotter's 2.11 goals against average is third in the conference and is the best in program history. St. Thomas leads its conference competition in goals per game, assists per game, points per game, shots per game, and shorthanded goals.
Before dropping its last game to Northern Michigan, MTU had won six straight including a ranked sweep of then #17 Minnesota State (3-1 & 4-1). The last time the Huskies met the Tommies, they took one point at home from a game one shootout loss before a regulation loss the following night. Tech enters the weekend with 37 conference points in second place. The Huskies deploy the conference's most productive player in Stiven Sardarian, his 36 points lead the CCHA and are tied for second in the nation. The Russian senior tallied four points against the Tommies in November with a 2-1-3 outing in the 3-3 shootout loss. In goal they have been carried by the revelation that is Owen Bartoszkiewicz who, in his third college hockey stop, has a 17-8-2 record with a 2.22 GAA and .923 SV%.
THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES
-Friday night's game is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena the Toms are 7-4-3 in games one this season, 5-4-2 on Friday, and 7-5-1 at home.
-Saturday's game is also set for a 7:07 p.m. puck drop at LPA and is Parents' Night and Skate with the Tommies. St. Thomas is 9-3-0 in games two, 10-2-1 on Saturday, and 10-5-1 in Minnesota this season.
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.
TOMMIE TIDBITS
-The Tommies' 3.9 goals per game are up exactly one goal from their program-best 2024-25 season (2.9 goals per game)
-The penalty kill is the best it has ever been with a season-long 80.6% kill rate (tied for a program best) and is also 29-31 in January (93.5%)
-Lucas Wahlin is two goals from tying Liam Malmquist's single season program record (20)
-Alex Gaffney became the fifth Tommie in program history to record a 30-point season (Lucas Wahlin twice, Cooper Gay, and Liam Malmquist)
-Lucas Van Vliet and Nathan Pilling are now first and second in single season points by a Tommie freshman with 29 and 23 respectively
-Aaron Trotter's shutout last Saturday was the sixth in program history
-The first shutout of the Tommies' DI era came on 3/1/24 when Trotter stopped all 36 shots faced on the road against Michigan Tech
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK & ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
The 15th ranked Tommies have won a program-best 10 games in a row and have now raked in a program-best 13 weekly awards from the CCHA office this season. Nathan Pilling (for the second time) and Aaron Trotter are the latest Toms to be named Rookie of the Week and Goaltender of the Week, respectively.
Nathan Pilling led the Tommies with three goals and five points during their weekend road sweep of Lake Superior State. He also led with 13 shots on goal and earned a rating of +4. He climbed above the 20-point mark and now sits with 23 on the season. It would be the best freshman season by a Tommie in program history if not for his linemate, Lucas Van Vliet's 29 points. Pilling heads into next weekend with an eight-game point streak.
Aaron Trotter came on in relief just under nine minutes into the Toms' game one win and stopped 20 of 21 shots to lead the Purple to a 7-4 win after falling behind 4-1. He got the start in game two and recorded his fourth career shutout with 24 saves in a 5-0 victory. The senior's weekend stat line was as follows: 2-0-0 record, 0.54 GAA, .978 SV%. Trotter leads the Tommies with a .924 SV% and 2.11 GAA this season and is the program's all-time leader in shutouts and wins (32). This weekly honor is the fifth for Trotter and first since Feb. 5, 2024.
WAHLIN FOR HOBEY
Lucas Wahlin is one of the best players in the nation and has been for a couple of seasons now. The third-year captain is in his final year with the Tommies and is the sole nominee for the Hobey Baker Award from St. Thomas. Wahlin has been the foundation for the Tommies during their rise to becoming one of the best programs in the country with production on the ice and an unwavering ability to lead off the ice. The former NA3HL forward has improved relentlessly across his four seasons of college hockey. This season he became the first Tommie in DI program history to surpass 100 points (121 now) and 50 goals (53 now). He is the all-time leader in the "new" CCHA in goals and points. Nationally he ranks fifth with .75 goals per game and 18 total goals and T-20th in points per game (1.21).
BIG FIRST YEAR FOR LVV
With Lucas Van Vliet's assist on Quinton Pepper's goal in Mankato on January 10, 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.
The Michigan native added a three-point weekend against Bemidji State and was named CCHA Rookie of the Week for the third time, a program record. Van Vliet's 29 points are second in the NCAA among freshman behind only Ethan Wyttenbach of Quinnipiac (36). His 1.16 points per game are fourth behind Wyttenback (1.38), Porter Martone of Michigan State (1.27), and Gavin McKenna (Penn State, 1.32).
BUILDING A WALL 10 WINS HIGH
St. Thomas goaltending has figured things out during this 10-game win streak that dates to December 6. Between the three netminders (Carsen Musser, Will Ingemann, and Aaron Trotter) they have a combined 2.00 GAA and .915 SV%. Musser carried the load with four wins to start the win streak (five now). He has a 2.14 GAA and .908 SV% and was also named CCHA Goaltender of the Month in December. Ingemann earned his third career win against Ferris State and Aaron Trotter is 4-0-0 with a 1.30 GAA and .948 SV%.
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 and a +8 rating in gray. Both Will Ingemann and Carsen Musser are 2-0-0 with a 2.50 GAA.
THEY ALL SCORE GOALS
The Tommies have gotten goals from 18 different players this season. Lucas Wahlin's 18 goals lead the way, his .75 goals per game are fifth in the nation. Gaffney and Van Vliet are each tied for the team lead with five power play goals (T-22nd NCAA). Four players have tallied shorthanded goals, while Gaffney and Pilling lead the team (T-2nd NCAA) with three. Van Vliet and Wahlin also lead with three game-winners. Pilling and Hayes Hundley each have two game-winning tallies.
SPONGES
Nick Williams leads the Tommies with 46 blocks this season. That mark is T-18th in the NCAA. He leads the Toms by 12 blocks over the next guy (Mason Poolman). As a team, the Purple are T-8th in the nation with 351 blocks (13.5 per game).
POINTS PARITY
-The Tommies have had a different player lead them in points each of their first five seasons of DI play.
462 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 462 career wins put him one win away from Murray Armstrong in 21st place, six from Joe Marsh in 20th, and 10 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 St. Cloud State 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 MICHIGAN TECH
-Jake Braccini – 1G-7A-8P
-Ryan O'Neill – 1G-6A-7P
-Lucas Wahlin – 4G-2A-6P
-Luc Laylin – 4G-1A-5P
-Chase Cheslock – 0G-4A-4P
-Carson Peters – 0G-3A-3P
-Mason Poolman – 2G-1A-3P
-Lucas Van Vliet – 3G-0A-3P
-Cole Miller – 1G-1A-2P
-Casy Laylin – 1G-1A-2P
-Quinton Pepper – 0G-2A-2P
-Alex Gaffney – 1G-1A-2P
-Nick Williams – 1G-1A-2P
-Nathan Pilling – 0G-1A-1P
-Aaron Trotter – 0G-1A-1P
-Aaron Trotter – 3-5-0, 278 saves, 23 GA, 524 min, 2.63 GAA, .924 SV%
-Carsen Musser – 0-0-1, 20 saves, 63 mins, 3 GA, 2.86 GAA .870 SV%
GOING STREAKING
-Lucas Wahlin – 10 game point streak (16 points)
-Nathan Pilling – 8 game point streak (11 points)
-Lucas Van Vliet – 7 game point streak (13 points)
MILESTONE WATCH
-Career Points
2025-26 CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
-Aaron Trotter Goaltender of the Week (1/27/26)
-Nathan Pilling Rookie of the Week (1/27/26)
-Lucas Van Vliet Rookie of the Week (1/20/26)
-Lucas Wahlin Forward of the Week (1/20/26)
-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
-7-0-0, +21 goal differential
-Swept Lake Superior State to win the season series, 3-1-0 with a 7-4 comeback win and a dominant 5-0 victory.
-Swept Bemidji State for the first time in program history with a 5-1 win on Friday and 3-2 win on Saturday.
-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)
-Three Tommies have tallied six goals in January – Lucas Wahlin, Nathan Pilling, Jake Braccini
-Lucas Van Vliet's 13 points pace the Purple
-Aaron Trotter is 4-0-0 with a 1.30 GAA and .948 SV%
-Carsen Musser is 2-0-0 with a 3.27 GAA and .848 SV%
-Will Ingemann is 1-0-0 with a 4.00 GAA and .789 SV%
-The Toms are 8-29 (27.6%) on the power play and 29-31 (93.5%) 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 (53), Cooper Gay (35, 2022-25), and Mack Byers (31, 2022-24) round out the top three in DI goals scored.
-Lucas Wahlin (121), Ryan O'Neill (87), 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.
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 462-405-87 record has him 22nd all-time and 4th among active head coaches.
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
The Toms have not lost a game since December 5th and are 14-2-2 since Halloween. They are just two conference points behind their program-best 44 last season with 24 points still on the line this season. St. Thomas has tied its program-best 13 conference wins from 2024-25, has set a new best with nine road wins, and is just nine goals from tying the program record (111). The Purple are scoring goals (3.92 gpg) at a rate matched only by #4 North Dakota, #6 Quinnipiac, and #1 Michigan. They have the CCHA's leading goal scorer (Lucas Wahlin, 18), shots leader (Nathan Pilling, 105), and shorthanded goals leader (Alex Gaffney and Pilling, 3). Aaron Trotter's 2.11 goals against average is third in the conference and is the best in program history. St. Thomas leads its conference competition in goals per game, assists per game, points per game, shots per game, and shorthanded goals.
Before dropping its last game to Northern Michigan, MTU had won six straight including a ranked sweep of then #17 Minnesota State (3-1 & 4-1). The last time the Huskies met the Tommies, they took one point at home from a game one shootout loss before a regulation loss the following night. Tech enters the weekend with 37 conference points in second place. The Huskies deploy the conference's most productive player in Stiven Sardarian, his 36 points lead the CCHA and are tied for second in the nation. The Russian senior tallied four points against the Tommies in November with a 2-1-3 outing in the 3-3 shootout loss. In goal they have been carried by the revelation that is Owen Bartoszkiewicz who, in his third college hockey stop, has a 17-8-2 record with a 2.22 GAA and .923 SV%.
THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES
-Friday night's game is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena the Toms are 7-4-3 in games one this season, 5-4-2 on Friday, and 7-5-1 at home.
-Saturday's game is also set for a 7:07 p.m. puck drop at LPA and is Parents' Night and Skate with the Tommies. St. Thomas is 9-3-0 in games two, 10-2-1 on Saturday, and 10-5-1 in Minnesota this season.
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.
TOMMIE TIDBITS
-The Tommies' 3.9 goals per game are up exactly one goal from their program-best 2024-25 season (2.9 goals per game)
-The penalty kill is the best it has ever been with a season-long 80.6% kill rate (tied for a program best) and is also 29-31 in January (93.5%)
-Lucas Wahlin is two goals from tying Liam Malmquist's single season program record (20)
-Alex Gaffney became the fifth Tommie in program history to record a 30-point season (Lucas Wahlin twice, Cooper Gay, and Liam Malmquist)
-Lucas Van Vliet and Nathan Pilling are now first and second in single season points by a Tommie freshman with 29 and 23 respectively
-Aaron Trotter's shutout last Saturday was the sixth in program history
-The first shutout of the Tommies' DI era came on 3/1/24 when Trotter stopped all 36 shots faced on the road against Michigan Tech
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK & ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
The 15th ranked Tommies have won a program-best 10 games in a row and have now raked in a program-best 13 weekly awards from the CCHA office this season. Nathan Pilling (for the second time) and Aaron Trotter are the latest Toms to be named Rookie of the Week and Goaltender of the Week, respectively.
Nathan Pilling led the Tommies with three goals and five points during their weekend road sweep of Lake Superior State. He also led with 13 shots on goal and earned a rating of +4. He climbed above the 20-point mark and now sits with 23 on the season. It would be the best freshman season by a Tommie in program history if not for his linemate, Lucas Van Vliet's 29 points. Pilling heads into next weekend with an eight-game point streak.
Aaron Trotter came on in relief just under nine minutes into the Toms' game one win and stopped 20 of 21 shots to lead the Purple to a 7-4 win after falling behind 4-1. He got the start in game two and recorded his fourth career shutout with 24 saves in a 5-0 victory. The senior's weekend stat line was as follows: 2-0-0 record, 0.54 GAA, .978 SV%. Trotter leads the Tommies with a .924 SV% and 2.11 GAA this season and is the program's all-time leader in shutouts and wins (32). This weekly honor is the fifth for Trotter and first since Feb. 5, 2024.
WAHLIN FOR HOBEY
Lucas Wahlin is one of the best players in the nation and has been for a couple of seasons now. The third-year captain is in his final year with the Tommies and is the sole nominee for the Hobey Baker Award from St. Thomas. Wahlin has been the foundation for the Tommies during their rise to becoming one of the best programs in the country with production on the ice and an unwavering ability to lead off the ice. The former NA3HL forward has improved relentlessly across his four seasons of college hockey. This season he became the first Tommie in DI program history to surpass 100 points (121 now) and 50 goals (53 now). He is the all-time leader in the "new" CCHA in goals and points. Nationally he ranks fifth with .75 goals per game and 18 total goals and T-20th in points per game (1.21).
BIG FIRST YEAR FOR LVV
With Lucas Van Vliet's assist on Quinton Pepper's goal in Mankato on January 10, 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.
The Michigan native added a three-point weekend against Bemidji State and was named CCHA Rookie of the Week for the third time, a program record. Van Vliet's 29 points are second in the NCAA among freshman behind only Ethan Wyttenbach of Quinnipiac (36). His 1.16 points per game are fourth behind Wyttenback (1.38), Porter Martone of Michigan State (1.27), and Gavin McKenna (Penn State, 1.32).
BUILDING A WALL 10 WINS HIGH
St. Thomas goaltending has figured things out during this 10-game win streak that dates to December 6. Between the three netminders (Carsen Musser, Will Ingemann, and Aaron Trotter) they have a combined 2.00 GAA and .915 SV%. Musser carried the load with four wins to start the win streak (five now). He has a 2.14 GAA and .908 SV% and was also named CCHA Goaltender of the Month in December. Ingemann earned his third career win against Ferris State and Aaron Trotter is 4-0-0 with a 1.30 GAA and .948 SV%.
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 and a +8 rating in gray. Both Will Ingemann and Carsen Musser are 2-0-0 with a 2.50 GAA.
THEY ALL SCORE GOALS
The Tommies have gotten goals from 18 different players this season. Lucas Wahlin's 18 goals lead the way, his .75 goals per game are fifth in the nation. Gaffney and Van Vliet are each tied for the team lead with five power play goals (T-22nd NCAA). Four players have tallied shorthanded goals, while Gaffney and Pilling lead the team (T-2nd NCAA) with three. Van Vliet and Wahlin also lead with three game-winners. Pilling and Hayes Hundley each have two game-winning tallies.
SPONGES
Nick Williams leads the Tommies with 46 blocks this season. That mark is T-18th in the NCAA. He leads the Toms by 12 blocks over the next guy (Mason Poolman). As a team, the Purple are T-8th in the nation with 351 blocks (13.5 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 26 games in 2025-26 (30 points)
462 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 462 career wins put him one win away from Murray Armstrong in 21st place, six from Joe Marsh in 20th, and 10 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 St. Cloud State 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 MICHIGAN TECH
-Jake Braccini – 1G-7A-8P
-Ryan O'Neill – 1G-6A-7P
-Lucas Wahlin – 4G-2A-6P
-Luc Laylin – 4G-1A-5P
-Chase Cheslock – 0G-4A-4P
-Carson Peters – 0G-3A-3P
-Mason Poolman – 2G-1A-3P
-Lucas Van Vliet – 3G-0A-3P
-Cole Miller – 1G-1A-2P
-Casy Laylin – 1G-1A-2P
-Quinton Pepper – 0G-2A-2P
-Alex Gaffney – 1G-1A-2P
-Nick Williams – 1G-1A-2P
-Nathan Pilling – 0G-1A-1P
-Aaron Trotter – 0G-1A-1P
-Aaron Trotter – 3-5-0, 278 saves, 23 GA, 524 min, 2.63 GAA, .924 SV%
-Carsen Musser – 0-0-1, 20 saves, 63 mins, 3 GA, 2.86 GAA .870 SV%
GOING STREAKING
-Lucas Wahlin – 10 game point streak (16 points)
-Nathan Pilling – 8 game point streak (11 points)
-Lucas Van Vliet – 7 game point streak (13 points)
MILESTONE WATCH
-Career Points
- Lucas Wahlin is 4 away from 125
- Ryan O'Neill is 13 away from 100
- Luc Laylin is 5 away from tying Ethan Gauer's program record (142)
- Cole Miller is the next closest to 100, he is at 94 and would be the ninth in program history
2025-26 CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
-Aaron Trotter Goaltender of the Week (1/27/26)
-Nathan Pilling Rookie of the Week (1/27/26)
-Lucas Van Vliet Rookie of the Week (1/20/26)
-Lucas Wahlin Forward of the Week (1/20/26)
-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
-7-0-0, +21 goal differential
-Swept Lake Superior State to win the season series, 3-1-0 with a 7-4 comeback win and a dominant 5-0 victory.
-Swept Bemidji State for the first time in program history with a 5-1 win on Friday and 3-2 win on Saturday.
-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)
-Three Tommies have tallied six goals in January – Lucas Wahlin, Nathan Pilling, Jake Braccini
-Lucas Van Vliet's 13 points pace the Purple
-Aaron Trotter is 4-0-0 with a 1.30 GAA and .948 SV%
-Carsen Musser is 2-0-0 with a 3.27 GAA and .848 SV%
-Will Ingemann is 1-0-0 with a 4.00 GAA and .789 SV%
-The Toms are 8-29 (27.6%) on the power play and 29-31 (93.5%) 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 (53), Cooper Gay (35, 2022-25), and Mack Byers (31, 2022-24) round out the top three in DI goals scored.
-Lucas Wahlin (121), Ryan O'Neill (87), 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.
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 462-405-87 record has him 22nd all-time and 4th among active head coaches.
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)
Players Mentioned
D
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
D
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
D
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
D
/ Men's Hockey
G
/ Men's Hockey
D
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
D
/ Men's Hockey
G
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
D
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
D
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
G
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
D
/ 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
