The St. Thomas men’s hockey team finished first in both the MIAC regular season and conference playoffs last year, but a 3-0 loss at home to Wisconsin-Stevens Point in the NCAA quarterfinals ended the team’s hopes of bringing a national championship back to campus.
The Tommies were one game away from a trip across the country to compete in the NCAA Division-III Frozen Four in Maine last year. Defenseman Michael Krieg will serve as a team captain this year and said last year’s loss to Stevens Point is something the team has learned from.
“We now know what it takes to be a national champion. This season we’re going to do whatever it takes to get back in the ranks of the top teams in the nation,” Krieg said.
St. Thomas graduated three seniors and added four Division-I transfers for the 2014-2015 campaign. Forwards Willie Faust (United States Military Academy), Bobby Murphy (University of Alaska-Anchorage), Joakim Broberg (University of Alabama-Huntsville), and defenseman D.J. Jones (Bemidji State University) all joined the Tommies this offseason.
Assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Parker Burgess said the D-I transfers will contribute immediately.
“The three forwards are all strong, hard-working guys who can help us offensively but also can play in defensive situations,” Burgess said. “As for (Jones), he’s a really good puck-moving defenseman who can jump up to join the rush and create offense.”
The team also adds a key freshman in forward Brian LeBlanc, who joins St. Thomas after spending the past two seasons with the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League. Burgess said the team expects big things from him.
“He’s got a tremendous upside. He’s a smart hockey player and has a great mind for the game,” Burgess said. “He’s light-years ahead of where others would be as freshmen.”
Three All-Americans from last year’s team will attempt to lead St. Thomas to its fourth consecutive regular season title this year. Goaltender Drew Fielding started 27 games between the pipes last year for the Tommies, yielding just 39 goals; forward Alex Altenbernd tallied 24 points in 28 games and registered four game-winning goals last season; and Krieg played in all 28 games last year, chipping in 10 assists from the blue line.
St. John’s was the lone MIAC opponent to defeat St. Thomas last season when the team blanked the Tommies 1-0. St. Thomas begins its regular season Oct. 31 against St. John’s in the MIAC Hockey Showcase, and Altenbernd said the team has been waiting for this game since the schedule was released.
“It’s going to be a good test, but we’ve got a veteran group who’s been there before, and we know how to handle things. It’s the first game, everyone is excited, and there’s no reason not to play our best,” Altenbernd said. “St. John’s is a good team, and we expect them to be ready too.”
Games in the MIAC Showcase won’t count toward the conference record but will contribute to the Tommies’ overall record. St. Thomas will face off against Hamline in its second game of the MIAC Showcase on Nov. 1.
Ridder Arena at the University of Minnesota will host the 2015 Division-III NCAA Frozen Four. Forward Nick Nielsen said it would be an unforgettable experience to play for a national championship in the Twin Cities.
“Being that the Frozen Four is so close to home, I think it makes us want to be there that much more. It would be a great place to hoist a championship because it’s so close to campus for our fans and also close to home for our friends and family,” Nielsen said.
Travis Swan can be reached at swan9954@stthomas.edu.