University of St. Thomas Athletics
Saturday, January 10
Mankato, Minn. / Mayo Clinic HSEC
6:07 p.m. CST
at
Minnesota State
Photo by: Abby Bondi
Rivalry restored for one final time in regular season
1/9/2026 11:44:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Men’s Hockey plays one game against #15 Minnesota State on Saturday
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A battle for first place in the CCHA between a pair of bitter in-state rivals who's last 11 games have been decided by two goals or less will take place on Saturday, January 10th at 6:07 PM in Mankato. The red-hot St. Thomas Tommies (11-7-3) will look for continued regular season success on the road against the #15 Minnesota State Mavericks (12-5-5).
The Tommies have won five games in a row and are unbeaten in regulation in 12 of their last 13. They have stormed back into second place in the conference from a rocky start and have been one of the hottest teams in college hockey. St. Thomas has not been beaten at Mayo Clinic HSEC in a regular season game since December of 2023 (3-0-1). The Tommies have the 11th best offense in the nation this season, scoring 3.71 goals per game and are led by a three headed monster of Alex Gaffney (13-14—27), Lucas Wahlin (13-9—22), and Lucas Van Vliet (7-14—21). Carsen Musser has gotten more than half of the Purple's starts this season and has a 6-4-1 record behind a 3.32 GAA and .883 SV%.
Minnesota State has been the cream of the crop in the CCHA for a number of years and have maintained that reputation this season. The Mavericks enter the lone conference contest of the weekend in less-than-their-best form with a 1-3-1 record in their last five. They are averaging 2.2 goals per game and 3.4 goals against per game over that span. Overall, they have 28 points in conference play and sit atop the midseason standings. Offensively they are led by senior Western Michigan transfer, Tristan Lemyre with 10 goals and 20 points. They also deploy the best goaltender in the conference, Alex Tracy, who is 11-5-5 with a 1.93 GAA and .929 SV%. Tracy has earned a .905 SV% and 2.36 GAA in his 12 career games against the Tommies for his career, he has gone .927 SV% and 1.91 GAA in 97 games.
THIS WEEKEND'S GAME
-The lone game of the weekend is scheduled for 6:07 p.m. at Mayo Clinic HSEC in Mankato, Minn.
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.
CHES AND MUSS – PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
Chase Cheslock and Carsen Musser were two key pieces in the Tommies' strong December, and they have been rewarded with monthly honors by the CCHA league office this week. Cheslock is the Defenseman of the Month and Musser is Goaltender of the Month, a career first for both Tommies.
Chase Cheslock has been one of the best offensive defensemen in the country this season and showcased his skills especially in December with six points in four games. The Rogers, Minn. native finished the month with a +6 rating and six assists and led the Toms in both categories. After a two-assist weekend against Ferris State to begin January, Chase's 17 assists this season lead all d-men in the country.
Carsen Musser had an unbeatable December with a 3-0-0 record, 1.34 goals against average, and .945 save percentage. All statistics were single-month career highs for the Utah Mammoth draft pick. He also recorded the first shutout of his collegiate career in a 29 save performance against Northern Michigan on 12/12. Musser's 1.99 goals against average in CCHA play this season is good for fourth in the conference.
Cheslock is the third different defenseman to earn D-man of the Month. His former defensive partner, Chase Foley, earned the honor for November of last season and his current teammate Mason Poolman earned recognition for his performance in October last season. Musser is also the third Goaltender of the Month in program history, Aaron Trotter and Jake Sibell did it in back-to-back months (October and November) in 2023.
HAYES IS ON A HEATER
St. Thomas Men's Hockey has won five in a row and has taken points in 11 of their last 12 and Hayes Hundley has been a key cog each of the last two weekends. He is this week's CCHA Rookie of the Week after a two-goal weekend against Ferris State.
The 6-5 freshman scored the game winning goal on Friday in the final minute to complete the Tommies' third period comeback and then scored and assisted on another goal the following night.
Hundley's program-record five goals this season are tied for the team lead with Nick Williams among Tommie defensemen. Both are top 10 in the nation in the category.
Hayes is the third different Tommie to win CCHA Rookie of the Week this season. Nathan Pilling last earned the honor on 12/8 after back-to-back weeks for Lucas Van Vliet. He is the eighth different Tommie to earn a weekly honor this season, a single season program record.
GOALS GOALS GOALS
The Tommies have gotten goals from 18 different players this season. Alex Gaffney and Lucas Wahlin lead the way with 13 goals each. Wahlin's .68 goals per game is ninth in the nation and Gaffney's .62 is 15th. 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 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 43 blocks this season. That mark is seventh in the NCAA. He leads the Toms by 15 blocks over the next guy (Hayes Hundley). As a team, the Purple are 10th in the nation with 287 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.
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 six wins away from Murray Armstrong in 21st place, 11 from Joe Marsh in 20th, and 15 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.
CURRENT TOMMIES AGAINST MINNESOTA STATE
-Luc Laylin – 6G-2A-8P
-Lucas Wahlin – 1G-6A-7P
-Ryan O'Neill – 1G-6A-7P
-Jake Braccini – 3G-1A-4P
-Caige Sterzer – 2G-1A-3P
-Nick Williams – 0G-2A-2P (MTU)
-Alex Gaffney – 2G-1A-3P (Harvard & UST)
-Chase Cheslock – 0G-2A-2P
-Dylan Godbout – 1G-0A-1P
-Nathan Pilling – 1G-0A-1P
-Quinton Pepper – 0G-1A-1P
-Mason Poolman – 0G-1A-1P
-Hayes Hundley – 0G-1A-1P
-Bauer Berry – 0G-1A-1P
-Lucas Van Vliet – 0G-1A-1P
-Charlie Schoen – 0G-1A-1P
-Aaron Trotter – 3-6-0, 264 saves, 479 mins, 31 GA, 3.88 GAA, .895 SV%
-Will Ingemann – 1-1-0, 46 saves, 120 mins, 5 GA, 2.50 GAA, .902 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 three in the country and have the nation's leading shorthanded goal scorer.
-Nathan Pilling, Alex Gaffney, and Lucas Van Vliet are three of 13 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 shothanded goals this season are tied for the NCAA lead with former Tommie Josh Eernisse of Michigan.
-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 – 5 game point streak (9 points) – Toms are 5-0-0
-Hayes Hundley – 3 game point streak (4 points) – Toms are 3-0-0
-Jake Braccini – 3 game point streak (6 points) – Toms are 3-0-0
-Nathan Pilling – 3 game point streak (3 points) – Toms are 3-0-0
-Alex Gaffney – 3 game point streak (6 points) – Toms are 3-0-0
-Nick Williams – 3 game point streak (3 points) – Toms are 3-0-0
-Lucas Van Vliet – 2 game point streak (5 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
-2-0-0, +6 goal differential
-Swept Ferris State in a pair of high scoring affairs (5-3 and 8-4)
-Jake Braccini leads the Tommies with three goals and is tied for the team lead with Alex Gaffney and Lucas Van Vliet at five points
-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 3-8 (37.5%) on the power play and 9-10 (90%) 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 (48), Cooper Gay (35, 2022-25), and Mack Byers (31, 2022-24) round out the top three in DI goals scored.
-Lucas Wahlin (114), 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:
The Tommies have won five games in a row and are unbeaten in regulation in 12 of their last 13. They have stormed back into second place in the conference from a rocky start and have been one of the hottest teams in college hockey. St. Thomas has not been beaten at Mayo Clinic HSEC in a regular season game since December of 2023 (3-0-1). The Tommies have the 11th best offense in the nation this season, scoring 3.71 goals per game and are led by a three headed monster of Alex Gaffney (13-14—27), Lucas Wahlin (13-9—22), and Lucas Van Vliet (7-14—21). Carsen Musser has gotten more than half of the Purple's starts this season and has a 6-4-1 record behind a 3.32 GAA and .883 SV%.
Minnesota State has been the cream of the crop in the CCHA for a number of years and have maintained that reputation this season. The Mavericks enter the lone conference contest of the weekend in less-than-their-best form with a 1-3-1 record in their last five. They are averaging 2.2 goals per game and 3.4 goals against per game over that span. Overall, they have 28 points in conference play and sit atop the midseason standings. Offensively they are led by senior Western Michigan transfer, Tristan Lemyre with 10 goals and 20 points. They also deploy the best goaltender in the conference, Alex Tracy, who is 11-5-5 with a 1.93 GAA and .929 SV%. Tracy has earned a .905 SV% and 2.36 GAA in his 12 career games against the Tommies for his career, he has gone .927 SV% and 1.91 GAA in 97 games.
THIS WEEKEND'S GAME
-The lone game of the weekend is scheduled for 6:07 p.m. at Mayo Clinic HSEC in Mankato, Minn.
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.
CHES AND MUSS – PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
Chase Cheslock and Carsen Musser were two key pieces in the Tommies' strong December, and they have been rewarded with monthly honors by the CCHA league office this week. Cheslock is the Defenseman of the Month and Musser is Goaltender of the Month, a career first for both Tommies.
Chase Cheslock has been one of the best offensive defensemen in the country this season and showcased his skills especially in December with six points in four games. The Rogers, Minn. native finished the month with a +6 rating and six assists and led the Toms in both categories. After a two-assist weekend against Ferris State to begin January, Chase's 17 assists this season lead all d-men in the country.
Carsen Musser had an unbeatable December with a 3-0-0 record, 1.34 goals against average, and .945 save percentage. All statistics were single-month career highs for the Utah Mammoth draft pick. He also recorded the first shutout of his collegiate career in a 29 save performance against Northern Michigan on 12/12. Musser's 1.99 goals against average in CCHA play this season is good for fourth in the conference.
Cheslock is the third different defenseman to earn D-man of the Month. His former defensive partner, Chase Foley, earned the honor for November of last season and his current teammate Mason Poolman earned recognition for his performance in October last season. Musser is also the third Goaltender of the Month in program history, Aaron Trotter and Jake Sibell did it in back-to-back months (October and November) in 2023.
HAYES IS ON A HEATER
St. Thomas Men's Hockey has won five in a row and has taken points in 11 of their last 12 and Hayes Hundley has been a key cog each of the last two weekends. He is this week's CCHA Rookie of the Week after a two-goal weekend against Ferris State.
The 6-5 freshman scored the game winning goal on Friday in the final minute to complete the Tommies' third period comeback and then scored and assisted on another goal the following night.
Hundley's program-record five goals this season are tied for the team lead with Nick Williams among Tommie defensemen. Both are top 10 in the nation in the category.
Hayes is the third different Tommie to win CCHA Rookie of the Week this season. Nathan Pilling last earned the honor on 12/8 after back-to-back weeks for Lucas Van Vliet. He is the eighth different Tommie to earn a weekly honor this season, a single season program record.
GOALS GOALS GOALS
The Tommies have gotten goals from 18 different players this season. Alex Gaffney and Lucas Wahlin lead the way with 13 goals each. Wahlin's .68 goals per game is ninth in the nation and Gaffney's .62 is 15th. 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 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 43 blocks this season. That mark is seventh in the NCAA. He leads the Toms by 15 blocks over the next guy (Hayes Hundley). As a team, the Purple are 10th in the nation with 287 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 21 games in 2025-26 (27 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 six wins away from Murray Armstrong in 21st place, 11 from Joe Marsh in 20th, and 15 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.
CURRENT TOMMIES AGAINST MINNESOTA STATE
-Luc Laylin – 6G-2A-8P
-Lucas Wahlin – 1G-6A-7P
-Ryan O'Neill – 1G-6A-7P
-Jake Braccini – 3G-1A-4P
-Caige Sterzer – 2G-1A-3P
-Nick Williams – 0G-2A-2P (MTU)
-Alex Gaffney – 2G-1A-3P (Harvard & UST)
-Chase Cheslock – 0G-2A-2P
-Dylan Godbout – 1G-0A-1P
-Nathan Pilling – 1G-0A-1P
-Quinton Pepper – 0G-1A-1P
-Mason Poolman – 0G-1A-1P
-Hayes Hundley – 0G-1A-1P
-Bauer Berry – 0G-1A-1P
-Lucas Van Vliet – 0G-1A-1P
-Charlie Schoen – 0G-1A-1P
-Aaron Trotter – 3-6-0, 264 saves, 479 mins, 31 GA, 3.88 GAA, .895 SV%
-Will Ingemann – 1-1-0, 46 saves, 120 mins, 5 GA, 2.50 GAA, .902 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 three in the country and have the nation's leading shorthanded goal scorer.
-Nathan Pilling, Alex Gaffney, and Lucas Van Vliet are three of 13 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 shothanded goals this season are tied for the NCAA lead with former Tommie Josh Eernisse of Michigan.
-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 – 5 game point streak (9 points) – Toms are 5-0-0
-Hayes Hundley – 3 game point streak (4 points) – Toms are 3-0-0
-Jake Braccini – 3 game point streak (6 points) – Toms are 3-0-0
-Nathan Pilling – 3 game point streak (3 points) – Toms are 3-0-0
-Alex Gaffney – 3 game point streak (6 points) – Toms are 3-0-0
-Nick Williams – 3 game point streak (3 points) – Toms are 3-0-0
-Lucas Van Vliet – 2 game point streak (5 points) – Toms are 2-0-0
MILESTONE WATCH
-Career Goals
- Lucas Wahlin is two away from 50
- Ryan O'Neill is 21 away from 100
- Luc Laylin is 10 away from tying Ethan Gauer's program record (142)
- Cole Miller is the next closest to 100, he is at 89
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
-2-0-0, +6 goal differential
-Swept Ferris State in a pair of high scoring affairs (5-3 and 8-4)
-Jake Braccini leads the Tommies with three goals and is tied for the team lead with Alex Gaffney and Lucas Van Vliet at five points
-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 3-8 (37.5%) on the power play and 9-10 (90%) 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 (48), Cooper Gay (35, 2022-25), and Mack Byers (31, 2022-24) round out the top three in DI goals scored.
-Lucas Wahlin (114), 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
