The St. Thomas women’s hockey team has a lot of hills to climb this season if it wants to repeat or surpass last year’s groundbreaking performance.

Coach Tom Palkowski and his 2013-14 team reached the Frozen Four, a height no Tommie team reached in the program’s history. Palkowski said this year’s success will rely on St. Thomas’ positive mindset.

“You try and get that mindset of where they’ve been,” Palkowski said. “You have to get to that point at the end of the year … Confidence is the biggest thing.”

Last year’s Tommie roster graduated nine seniors, including All-American goaltender Alise Riedel, All-MIAC forward Christina Rozeske and All-MIAC defender Mary Grace Flesher. In the national semifinal game, Riedel stopped a record 63 shots in the Tommies’ 1-0 loss to eventual champion Plattsburgh State University.

Forward Tara Baago, one of three seniors on this season’s squad, said losing so many seniors had the biggest effect on team chemistry but said the team is working well together.

“It’s been great with the new girls,” Baago said. “They all fit in really well. It’s just a hockey family. That’s how it always is, and we mesh.”

Another question mark for the Tommie women lies between the pipes. Riedel’s backup last year, junior Taylor Neisen, suffered an internal injury over the summer, which will hold her out for the first couple months of the season. Neisen played in eight games and allowed 19 goals on 131 shots for a .855 save percentage.

“It’s not ideal or what I was looking for, but it’s an opportunity for someone else to get in the net,” Palkowski said. “It’s a big step going from high school to D-III.”

The two other goalies on the team are freshmen Paige Kittelson and Phaylen Meyer. Kittelson attended Mounds View High School, where she earned an All-Conference Honorable Mention and participated in the state tournament twice. Meyer went to Centennial High School where she received the Hobey Baker Character Award, All-Conference, All-State Honorable Mention and team MVP.

Throughout all the adversity, defender Nuala Flood is still confident the team will reach new heights.

“I think we’re going to do great,” Flood said. “As long as we play together and we just stay on our game, we can go as far as we want.”

Jesse Krull can be reached at krul7386@stthomas.edu.