University of St. Thomas Athletics
Friday, October 9
St. Paul, Minn.
7:00 p.m. CST
vs
Air Force
Inaugural NCHC campaign begins with Air Force
10/8/2026 3:24:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Tommie men’s hockey opens against the AHA’s Falcons
ST. PAUL, Minn. – St. Thomas men's hockey begins the 2026-27 season this weekend as the Tommies host the Air Force Falcons to start their first season in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC).
Friday's season opener at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena begins at 7 p.m. CT, and Saturday's game starts at 6 p.m. CT. Both games can be seen on NCHC.tv and heard on ESPN 1500 with Sam Ekstrom on the call. Friday's game can also be seen in the Twin Cities on Fox 9+.
The Tommies are coming off their fifth season as a Division I program, in which they returned to the CCHA's Mason Cup Final for the second consecutive year. St. Thomas set program records across the board last season, most notably in wins (21) and goals (130). A new era begins in St. Paul with a new conference and 15 new faces following the exit of the "Believer Class," headlined by former three-year captain Lucas Wahlin, who owns the program records for goals, assists and points.
Among the key returners for the Purple are Lucas Van Vliet, Nathan Pilling, Chase Cheslock and Carsen Musser, who were all key cogs in last season's 21-win campaign, which included an 11-game win streak from Dec. 6 to Jan. 30.
St. Thomas finished 21-12-5 overall and placed second in the CCHA with a 15-7-4 conference record. Wahlin was named CCHA Defensive Forward of the Year, and Van Vliet earned Rookie of the Year.
Air Force went 18-15-4 last season, including 13-10-3 in Atlantic Hockey America play. One of those wins came against St. Thomas, a 6-2 Falcons victory on Oct. 18 in Colorado. The Tommies took game one of that series 11-2. Their 11 goals tied for the most by any team last season and set a D-I era record for the Purple. Only three of those goals were scored by members of the 2026-27 team (Nick Williams, Dylan Godbout and Nathan Pilling).
St. Thomas is starting its season at home for the third time in the D-I era. The Tommies opened the 2024-25 season with a 1-0 loss to St. Cloud State at Saint Thomas Ice Arena, and this is the first time they will open the season at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena.
IN OPENERS
This is the first season in the D-I era in which the Tommies will open against someone other than the St. Cloud State Huskies. The Purple are 2-3-0 all-time in season openers, all against SCSU, and 2-1-0 over the last three seasons, including a 4-3 road win to start last year.
St. Thomas has played two opponents other than St. Cloud in true home openers: Ferris State in 2021-22 and Providence last season. The Tommies are winless in home openers at 0-4-1. They did earn a shootout win against the Friars to open Lee & Penny Anderson Arena, but that non-conference game officially goes down as a tie.
CO-CAPTAINS
St. Thomas will be captained by a pair of four-year Tommie defensemen, Chase Cheslock and Cole Miller. This is the first time in the D-I era that head coach Rico Blasi has named co-captains. A third four-year defenseman, Mason Poolman, will wear the "A."
CURRENT TOMMIES AGAINST AIR FORCE
ALL-TIME IN OCTOBER
The Tommies are 8-28-4 in October during the D-I era and have yet to post a winning month. The Purple have never won more than two games in the year's 10th month.
NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
The Tommies open their 10-game non-conference slate this weekend (Oct. 9-10) against Air Force. St. Thomas is playing a 34-game schedule in 2026-27, plus one exhibition game for Hockey Day Minnesota on Jan. 30 in Brainerd.
The non-league schedule also includes CCHA rivals Minnesota State and Bemidji State, first-time opponent Alaska Anchorage and NCAA tournament team Providence. Air Force, Bemidji State and Alaska Anchorage are three of the Tommies' five opponents that did not receive a vote in the preseason USCHO poll.
The Tommies play a home-and-home series with Minnesota State, hosting on Oct. 23 and traveling to Mankato the following night. After beginning NCHC play on Halloween weekend, they host the Seawolves on Nov. 6-7.
Thanksgiving week brings a home-and-home with Bemidji State, with games on Nov. 25 in Bemidji and Nov. 28 at Anderson Arena. The final non-conference series of the season is at Providence on Jan. 1-2, 2027, in Rhode Island.
TOMMIE TIDBITS
467 FOR BLASI
MILESTONE WATCH
NHL DEVELOPMENT CAMPS
NHL DRAFT PICKS
PRESEASON PUB
The Tommies were picked to finish seventh in the NCHC Preseason Media Poll.
COACH BLASI
NICE TO MEET YA
St. Thomas returned just 11 players from its 2025-26 squad and welcomes 15 newcomers: nine freshmen and six transfers.
Freshmen
POINTS PARITY
The Tommies have had a different player lead the team in points in each of their first five seasons of D-I play.
D-I SCORING RECORD HOLDERS
Friday's season opener at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena begins at 7 p.m. CT, and Saturday's game starts at 6 p.m. CT. Both games can be seen on NCHC.tv and heard on ESPN 1500 with Sam Ekstrom on the call. Friday's game can also be seen in the Twin Cities on Fox 9+.
The Tommies are coming off their fifth season as a Division I program, in which they returned to the CCHA's Mason Cup Final for the second consecutive year. St. Thomas set program records across the board last season, most notably in wins (21) and goals (130). A new era begins in St. Paul with a new conference and 15 new faces following the exit of the "Believer Class," headlined by former three-year captain Lucas Wahlin, who owns the program records for goals, assists and points.
Among the key returners for the Purple are Lucas Van Vliet, Nathan Pilling, Chase Cheslock and Carsen Musser, who were all key cogs in last season's 21-win campaign, which included an 11-game win streak from Dec. 6 to Jan. 30.
St. Thomas finished 21-12-5 overall and placed second in the CCHA with a 15-7-4 conference record. Wahlin was named CCHA Defensive Forward of the Year, and Van Vliet earned Rookie of the Year.
Air Force went 18-15-4 last season, including 13-10-3 in Atlantic Hockey America play. One of those wins came against St. Thomas, a 6-2 Falcons victory on Oct. 18 in Colorado. The Tommies took game one of that series 11-2. Their 11 goals tied for the most by any team last season and set a D-I era record for the Purple. Only three of those goals were scored by members of the 2026-27 team (Nick Williams, Dylan Godbout and Nathan Pilling).
St. Thomas is starting its season at home for the third time in the D-I era. The Tommies opened the 2024-25 season with a 1-0 loss to St. Cloud State at Saint Thomas Ice Arena, and this is the first time they will open the season at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena.
IN OPENERS
This is the first season in the D-I era in which the Tommies will open against someone other than the St. Cloud State Huskies. The Purple are 2-3-0 all-time in season openers, all against SCSU, and 2-1-0 over the last three seasons, including a 4-3 road win to start last year.
St. Thomas has played two opponents other than St. Cloud in true home openers: Ferris State in 2021-22 and Providence last season. The Tommies are winless in home openers at 0-4-1. They did earn a shootout win against the Friars to open Lee & Penny Anderson Arena, but that non-conference game officially goes down as a tie.
CO-CAPTAINS
St. Thomas will be captained by a pair of four-year Tommie defensemen, Chase Cheslock and Cole Miller. This is the first time in the D-I era that head coach Rico Blasi has named co-captains. A third four-year defenseman, Mason Poolman, will wear the "A."
- Chase Cheslock – Three goals, 38 assists and 41 points in 95 career games. He has captained two previous teams: Rogers High School for two years and the Omaha Lancers in 2023, before he joined the Tommies at the holiday break in 2024.
- Cole Miller – Two goals, 14 assists and 16 points in 106 career games. Miller also has two previous captaincies: the Ohio Blue Jackets 18U AAA team in 2020-21 and the Sioux Falls Stampede in 2022-23.
- Mason Poolman – Seven goals, 17 assists and 24 points in 104 career games.
CURRENT TOMMIES AGAINST AIR FORCE
- Dylan Godbout – 1G-2A-3P
- Chase Cheslock – 0G-3A-3P
- Nick Williams – 1G-1A-2P
- Lucas Van Vliet – 0G-2A-2P
- Sam Groebner – 0G-2A-2P (with Army)
- Nathan Pilling – 1G-0A-1P
- Cole Miller – 0G-1A-1P
- Mason Poolman – 0G-1A-1P
- Carsen Musser – 0-1-0, 23 saves, 58 mins, 4 GA, 4.14 GAA, .852 SV%
ALL-TIME IN OCTOBER
The Tommies are 8-28-4 in October during the D-I era and have yet to post a winning month. The Purple have never won more than two games in the year's 10th month.
- 2021-22: 1-9-0
- 2022-23: 2-6-0
- 2023-24: 2-5-1
- 2024-25: 1-3-2
- 2025-26: 2-5-1
NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
The Tommies open their 10-game non-conference slate this weekend (Oct. 9-10) against Air Force. St. Thomas is playing a 34-game schedule in 2026-27, plus one exhibition game for Hockey Day Minnesota on Jan. 30 in Brainerd.
The non-league schedule also includes CCHA rivals Minnesota State and Bemidji State, first-time opponent Alaska Anchorage and NCAA tournament team Providence. Air Force, Bemidji State and Alaska Anchorage are three of the Tommies' five opponents that did not receive a vote in the preseason USCHO poll.
The Tommies play a home-and-home series with Minnesota State, hosting on Oct. 23 and traveling to Mankato the following night. After beginning NCHC play on Halloween weekend, they host the Seawolves on Nov. 6-7.
Thanksgiving week brings a home-and-home with Bemidji State, with games on Nov. 25 in Bemidji and Nov. 28 at Anderson Arena. The final non-conference series of the season is at Providence on Jan. 1-2, 2027, in Rhode Island.
TOMMIE TIDBITS
- Last season, the Tommies set program records in goals (130), shots (1,211), assists (221) and shorthanded goals (11).
- Lucas Van Vliet tied the single-season program record for game-winning goals with four (Cooper Gay in 2023-24 and Lucas Wahlin in 2024-25).
- The Tommies were 15-5-3 when their penalty leader, Nathan Pilling, did not take a trip to the box.
- The Tommies were 8-2-0 in one-goal games last season; Air Force was 7-4-0.
- The Tommies were 8-6-1 when failing to score on the power play and 13-6-4 when scoring at least one power-play goal last season.
467 FOR BLASI
- Head coach Rico Blasi won his 450th game on Tuesday, Nov. 11, against St. Cloud State. Now in his 26th year as a head coach, he sits 21st all-time and fourth among active head coaches. His 467 career wins leave him one shy of Joe Marsh (20th) and five shy of Don Vaughan (19th).
MILESTONE WATCH
- Career points
- Nathan Pilling has 29 career points.
- Career assists
- Nick Williams has 24 career assists.
- Career games played
- Chase Cheslock has played in 95 career games.
- Nick Williams has played in 92 career games.
NHL DEVELOPMENT CAMPS
- Bauer Berry (Edmonton Oilers)
- Hawke Huff (Seattle Kraken)
- Justin Kipkie (Minnesota Wild)
- Carsen Musser (Utah Mammoth)
- Nathan Pilling (Vegas Golden Knights)
- David Rozsival (New Jersey Devils)
- Lucas Van Vliet (Vegas Golden Knights)
- Ajay White (Dallas Stars)
NHL DRAFT PICKS
- Bauer Berry was selected 218th overall (seventh round) in the 2024 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers.
- Chase Cheslock was selected 154th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft by the New Jersey Devils and was the first drafted player to commit to the Tommies out of high school.
- Hawke Huff was selected 148th overall (fifth round) in the 2026 NHL Draft by the Seattle Kraken. He is the highest-drafted freshman in program history.
- Justin Kipkie was selected 141st overall (fifth round) in the 2025 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild.
- Carsen Musser was selected 166th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft by the Utah Mammoth.
- David Rozsival was selected 161st overall in the 2025 NHL Draft by the New Jersey Devils.
- Lucas Van Vliet was selected 197th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft by the Vegas Golden Knights.
PRESEASON PUB
The Tommies were picked to finish seventh in the NCHC Preseason Media Poll.
- Denver – 304 points (14 first-place votes)
- North Dakota – 302 points (12 first-place votes)
- Minnesota Duluth – 273 points (7 first-place votes)
- Western Michigan – 237 points
- Miami – 175 points
- Colorado College – 159 points
- St. Thomas – 121 points
- St. Cloud State – 102 points
- Arizona State – 73 points
- Omaha – 69 points
COACH BLASI
- Entering his sixth season at St. Thomas.
- During his 20-year tenure at Miami, Blasi led 10 NCAA tournament teams, including 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), 10 Hobey Baker finalists, 10 All-Americans and 25 players who went on to play in the NHL, including Stanley Cup champions Alex Martinez, Jeff Zatkoff, Blake Coleman and Reilly Smith.
- His 467-411-91 record ranks 21st all-time and fourth among active head coaches.
NICE TO MEET YA
St. Thomas returned just 11 players from its 2025-26 squad and welcomes 15 newcomers: nine freshmen and six transfers.
Freshmen
- Vincent Collard | 6-2 | Forward | Chicoutimi, Quebec | Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
- Aiden Grossklaus | 6-0 | Forward | Woodbury, Minn. | Wenatchee (WHL)
- Kaeden Hawkins | 6-0 | Forward | St. Louis, Mo. | London (OHL)
- Hawke Huff | 6-3 | Defenseman | Plymouth, Minn. | Cedar Rapids (USHL)
- Andrew O'Neill | 6-2 | Forward | Fargo, N.D. | Edmonton (WHL)
- Jackson Potulny | 6-3 | Forward | Maple Grove, Minn. | El Paso (NAHL)
- David Rozsival | 6-1 | Forward | Liberec, Czechia | Green Bay (USHL)
- Kade Stengrim | 6-4 | Forward | Brainerd, Minn. | Medicine Hat (WHL)
- Ajay White | 6-3 | Goaltender | Bryn Mawr, Pa. | Fargo (USHL)
- Jakub Altrichter | 5-11 | Forward | Prague, Czechia | Northern Michigan (CCHA)
- Kevin Anderson | 6-0 | Forward | Regina, Saskatchewan | Princeton (ECAC)
- Sam Groebner | 6-2 | Defenseman | Apple Valley, Minn. | Army (AHA)
- Justin Kipkie | 6-4 | Defenseman | Calgary, Alberta | Arizona State (NCAA)
- Quinn Rudrud | 6-3 | Forward | Farmington, Minn. | Augustana (CCHA)
- Winter Wallace | 6-4 | Forward | Boulder, Colo. | Cornell (ECAC)
POINTS PARITY
The Tommies have had a different player lead the team in points in each of their first five seasons of D-I play.
- Christiano Versich, 2021-22 (15 points)
- Mack Byers, 2022-23 (26 points)
- Lucas Wahlin, 2023-24 (30 points)
- Liam Malmquist, 2024-25 (45 points)
- Alex Gaffney, 2025-26 (40 points)
D-I SCORING RECORD HOLDERS
- Lucas Wahlin (56, 2022-26), Cooper Gay (35, 2022-25) and Jake Braccini (33, 2022-26) round out the top three in career D-I goals.
- Lucas Wahlin (131, 2022-26), Ryan O'Neill (94, 2022-26) and Liam Malmquist (72, 2023-25) make up the top three in career points.
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