St. Thomas (Minnesota) Tommies men's ice hockey
| St. Thomas (Minnesota) Tommies men's ice hockey | |
|---|---|
| Current season | |
| University | University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) |
| Conference | CCHA |
| First season | 1920–21 |
| Head coach | Enrico Blasi 5th season, 48–89–9 (.360) |
| Assistant coaches |
|
| Arena | Lee and Penny Anderson Arena Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| Colors | Purple and gray[1] |
| NCAA tournament Frozen Four | |
| DIII: 2000, 2005 | |
| NCAA tournament appearances | |
| DIII: 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2020 | |
| Conference tournament champions | |
| WIHA: 1984 MIAC: 1986, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2020 | |
| Conference regular season champions | |
| MIAC: 1923, 1934, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1974, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 | |
The St. Thomas (Minnesota) Tommies men's ice hockey team represents the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) in NCAA Division I ice hockey.
History
St. Thomas is one of the oldest ice hockey programs in the nation, predating even Minnesota, having played their first varsity game in the 1920–21 season. That year St. Thomas, along with six other small Minnesota colleges, formed the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and began playing one another in many sports. Over the course of the first sixty five years, St. Thomas was one of the better teams in the conference but it became the leading program once Terry Skrypek arrived in 1987. In his 23 years with the program, Skrypek won 13 conference championships, 9 conference tournament titles and reached the NCAA Division III championship game twice.[2]
In total during its time as a Division III program, the St. Thomas had more wins than any other program with 1,164 victories over 96 seasons. The Tommies won 34 conference titles, made 17 NCAA Tournament appearances and were twice national runners-up.[3]
In 2019 the MIAC took the unprecedented step of removing St. Thomas from its membership because of concerns about “athletic competitive parity.”[4] Because the removal affected all sports and was effective at the end of the 2020–21 season, St. Thomas had time to decide what it would do next. The men's ice hockey program was given the green light to jump directly to the Division I level in July 2020.[5] Before the end of the month, the seven teams who had previously announced their intention to restart the CCHA with the 2021–22 season voted unanimously to accept the Tommies as the eighth member of the conference.[6]
Before the 2021–22 season, St. Thomas hired Rico Blasi to be their new head coach and bring them into their Division I era. The Tommies' first few seasons in Division I were rough, with the team only managing three wins in their first year. The Tommies would take their first step forward in the 2023–24 season, finishing 2nd in the CCHA, though they would be upset in the first round by 7th-seeded Lake Superior State. In the 2024–25 season, the Tommies finished with their first winning record in Division I, making it all the way to the CCHA Tournament Championship, before losing 2–4 to Minnesota State. In the 2025–26 season, St. Thomas will open the new Lee and Penny Anderson Arena, replacing their current venue, St. Thomas Ice Arena, one of the smallest rinks in Division I hockey at the time. The arena will officially host its first hockey game on October 24, 2025, against Providence.[7] Additionally, the 2025–26 season marks the Tommies' first season of full Division I eligibility, and the Tommies last season in the CCHA, before departing for the NCHC in the 2026–27 season.[7][8]
Season-by-season results
Source:[2]
Head coaches
As of completion of the 2024–25 season
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920–1921 | Harold Dudley | 1 | 6–1–0 | .857 |
| 1921–1923, 1925–1926 | Joe Brandy | 3 | 19–9–0 | .679 |
| 1923–1924 | Dave Hayes | 1 | 8–2–0 | .800 |
| 1924–1925 | Bill Houle | 1 | 1–0–1 | .750 |
| 1926–1927 | Willard Faulk | 1 | 5–9–0 | .357 |
| 1927–1928 | John O'Halloran | 1 | 4–5–3 | .458 |
| 1928–1930 | Matt Coogan | 2 | 15–13–0 | .536 |
| 1930–1932 | Frank Penas | 2 | 7–7–4 | .500 |
| 1932–1933 | Joe Boland | 1 | 7–3–0 | .700 |
| 1933–1935 | Frank Halder | 2 | 6–6–1 | .500 |
| 1935–1937 | Frank Klingberg | 2 | 12–10–3 | .540 |
| 1937–1939 | Leo McGuire | 2 | 13–7–2 | .636 |
| 1939–1942 | Wee Walsh | 3 | 18–3–3 | .813 |
| 1946–1948 | Tom Cunningham | 2 | 20–9–0 | .690 |
| 1948–1951, 1952–1955 | Bill Funk | 6 | 66–19–11 | .745 |
| 1951–1952 | Norm Robertson | 1 | 7–3–0 | .700 |
| 1955–1959 | Ken Staples | 4 | 38–19–0 | .667 |
| 1959–1962 | Don Saatzer | 3 | 19–14–0 | .576 |
| 1962–1963 | Tom Martinson | 1 | 11–4–1 | .719 |
| 1963–1970 | Joe Flood | 7 | 57–53–4 | .518 |
| 1970–1982 | Gus Schwartz | 12 | 150–150–5 | .500 |
| 1982–1987 | Terry Abram | 5 | 105–45–2 | .697 |
| 1987–2010 | Terry Skrypek | 23 | 415–194–45 | .669 |
| 2010–2021 | Jeff Boeser | 11 | 160–81–33 | .644 |
| 2021–Present | Enrico Blasi | 4 | 48–89–9 | .360 |
| Totals | 26 coaches | 101 Seasons | 1,217–755–128 | .610 |
Current roster
As of September 11, 2025.[9]
| No. | Nat. | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Will Ingemann | Freshman | G | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 179 lb (81 kg) | 2005-04-22 | Plymouth, Minnesota | Penticton Vees (BCHL) | — | |
| 2 | Colton Jamieson | Freshman | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 198 lb (90 kg) | 2004-11-28 | Hudson, Wisconsin | Madison Capitols (USHL) | — | |
| 3 | Lucas Wahlin | Senior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | 2001-05-03 | Woodbury, Minnesota | Lincoln Stars (NAHL) | — | |
| 4 | Cole Miller | Junior | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-08-27 | Littleton, Colorado | Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) | — | |
| 5 | Hayes Hundley | Freshman | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 207 lb (94 kg) | 2005-03-22 | Upper Arlington, Ohio | Fargo Force (USHL) | — | |
| 7 | Sam Ranallo | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 168 lb (76 kg) | 2004-11-17 | Rogers, Minnesota | Cranbrook Bucks (BCHL) | — | |
| 8 | Caige Sterzer | Senior | F | 6' 5" (1.96 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | 2000-08-20 | Kimberley, British Columbia | Lindenwood (NCAA) | — | |
| 9 | Casy Laylin | Sophomore | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2004-01-09 | St. Michael, Minnesota | Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL) | — | |
| 10 | Mason Poolman | Junior | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 189 lb (86 kg) | 2002-01-31 | East Grand Forks, Minnesota | Penticton Vees (BCHL) | — | |
| 11 | Ryan O'Neill | Senior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2001-02-25 | Roseville, Minnesota | St. Cloud Norsemen (NAHL) | — | |
| 12 | Alex Gaffney | Graduate | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2002-06-25 | West Orange, New Jersey | Harvard (ECAC) | — | |
| 13 | Lucas Van Vliet | Freshman | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2006-01-25 | Livonia, Michigan | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) | VGK, 197th overall 2024 | |
| 14 | Jase Sofo | Junior | D | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2002-06-25 | Sylvania, Ohio | Amarillo Wranglers (NAHL) | — | |
| 15 | Quinton Pepper | Senior | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 187 lb (85 kg) | 2002-01-31 | London, Ontario | Steinbach Pistons (MJHL) | — | |
| 16 | Bauer Berry | Freshman | D | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 218 lb (99 kg) | 2005-10-31 | Grand Forks, North Dakota | Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) | EDM, 218th overall 2024 | |
| 17 | Jake Braccini | Senior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | 2001-07-02 | Hanover, Minnesota | Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) | — | |
| 18 | Josh Giuliani | Freshman | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 176 lb (80 kg) | 2004-06-11 | Plymouth, Minnesota | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) | — | |
| 19 | Luc Laylin | Senior | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2001-12-30 | St. Michael, Minnesota | Prince George Spruce Kings (BCHL) | — | |
| 20 | Nick Williams | Junior | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 177 lb (80 kg) | 2002-09-21 | Edina, Minnesota | Michigan Tech (CCHA) | — | |
| 21 | Carson Peters | Senior | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 2002-10-28 | Medina, Minnesota | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL) | — | |
| 25 | Attila Lippai | Freshman | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2004-11-25 | Saint Paul, Minnesota | Tri-City Storm (USHL) | — | |
| 26 | Chase Cheslock | Junior | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 2004-10-25 | Rogers, Minnesota | Omaha Lancers (USHL) | NJD, 154th overall 2023 | |
| 27 | Luke Schelter | Freshman | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | 2004-04-06 | Centennial, Colorado | Fargo Force (USHL) | — | |
| 28 | Dylan Godbout | Sophomore | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2004-05-05 | Woodbury, Minnesota | Ohio State (Big Ten) | — | |
| 29 | Nathan Pilling | Freshman | F | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 209 lb (95 kg) | 2004-06-22 | Calgary, Alberta | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) | — | |
| 31 | Aaron Trotter | Senior | G | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2001-04-07 | Victoria, British Columbia | Prince George Spruce Kings (BCHL) | — | |
| 32 | Carsen Musser | Sophomore | G | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | 2005-05-19 | Fairmont, Minnesota | Colorado College (USHL) | UTA, 166th overall 2023 | |
| 82 | Charlie Schoen | Junior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | 2001-06-02 | Andover, Minnesota | Arizona State (NCHC) | — |
Awards and honors
CCHA
Individual awards
All-conference teams
- 2024–25: Liam Malmquist, F; Lucas Wahlin, F
- 2023–24: Lucas Wahlin, F
- 2024–25: Chase Foley, D
Arenas
From the program's first season in 1920, home games were played on makeshift outdoor rinks each winter at different spots on campus, including locations atop tennis courts near Ireland Hall and a patch of land behind Dowling Hall. The hockey team left campus in the early 1960s, playing in various off-campus arenas nearby until settling at the Minnesota State Fair Coliseum for nearly 30 years. Attempts were made to bring the team back on campus, including a fundraising effort in the 1980s. Eventually the team built a shared ice arena with Saint Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights in 2003. With the move to Division I in 2020, St Thomas announced in 2023 that it would build the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena, marking the return of the program to campus for the first time in over 60 years.[10]
- Various outdoor rinks on-campus, St. Paul, MN (1920–1962)
- Cow Palace (now known as Doug Woog Arena), South St. Paul, MN (1962–1963)
- Aldrich Arena, Maplewood, MN (1963–1970)
- St. Paul Academy, St. Paul, MN (1970–1976)
- State Fair Coliseum, Falcon Heights, MN (1976–2003)
- St. Thomas Ice Arena, Mendota Heights, MN (2003–2025)
- Lee & Penny Anderson Arena, St. Paul, MN (2025–present)
Tommies in the NHL
St. Thomas has yet to have an alumnus reach the NHL.[11]
References
- ^ "Athletic Brand Standards – The University of St. Thomas". March 3, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ a b "St. Thomas Men's Hockey Team History". USCHO.com. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ Hittinger, Jack. "St. Thomas ready to open $175 million on-campus arena in style". www.uscho.com. US College Hockey Online. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
- ^ "D-III Powerhouse St. Thomas Is Getting Kicked Out of Its Conference Because It's Too Good at Sports". Sports Illustrated. May 22, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ "At the rink, it's 'Tommie Time,' as St. Thomas moves hockey programs to Division I". Duluth News Tribune. July 15, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ "St. Thomas men's team moves to Division I, will join new CCHA for 2021-22 season". USCHO.com. July 29, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ a b Rippel, Joel (June 25, 2025). "First games at St. Thomas' Lee & Penny Anderson Arena are touted". www.startribune.com. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ "St. Thomas men's hockey to join the NCHC". The University of St. Thomas. May 15, 2024. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- ^ "2025-26 Men's Hockey Roster". St. Thomas Tommies. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
- ^ Kenne, Ann. "Tales from the Archives: Echoes from Past Basketball Courts and Hockey Rinks". University of St. Thomas. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
- ^ "Alumni report for U. of St. Thomas". Hockey DB. Retrieved August 31, 2024.