Tommie senior center Jake Braccini and Fighting Hawk senior forward Ben Strinden remain on the ice as the team and fans leave. (Evan Neubauer/The Crest) 
Two Tommies protest a call made in favor of North Dakota. (Evan Neubauer/The Crest) 
Tommies congratulate each other on a goal. (Milla Mirkovic/The Crest)
St. Thomas men’s hockey lost to North Dakota on Saturday night 5-2 at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.
The Tommies controlled stretches of the game, outshot UND and proved their growth against one of college hockey’s best programs.
“At the end of the day, we didn’t win, and you’ve got to give North Dakota credit. That’s a top ten team, maybe top five team in the country for a reason,” coach Rico Blasi said. “They don’t need much to bury their chances. But at this stage right now, we’re still getting better. I know we have a long way to go.”
A crowd of 6,127 at the venue was mostly North Dakota fans. St. Thomas students packed the east side of the venue, but the purple crowd was feeble compared to UND. The Fighting Hawks swept the series after defeating St. Thomas 6-2 Friday night in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Wahlin stays hot with power play goal before injury
Senior right wing Lucas Wahlin provided the first spark for the Tommies, scoring a power play goal 4:06 into the second period – his third goal in three games this season. Wahlin’s goal extended his point streak to 11 consecutive games dating back to February 8.
Leading up to that goal, St. Thomas found great momentum to start off the second period.
“We got the power play, obviously, the five-on-three helped. But I thought our forecheck was starting to come towards the end of the first period, and we started to create some turnovers. I felt like the bench was really starting to come alive a little bit, and we just carried it over into the second period.” Blasi said.
A period later, Wahlin crashed hard into the North Dakota net and did not return for the rest of the game. When asked about Wahlin’s condition after the collision, Blasi didn’t have an update.
North Dakota extended their lead to 3-1 four minutes into the third period before senior center Ryan O’Neill scored his first goal of the season. The momentum didn’t last long, as UND scored 21 seconds later, restoring the two goal difference. North Dakota scored one more 12:36 into the third period, sealing the 5-2 win.
UND arrives in downtown St. Paul with deep Minnesota ties
UND first-year forward Will Zellers said he never imagined he would score his first collegiate goal in his home state.
“I thought (my first goal) was gonna be at the Ralph (Engelstad Arena),” Zellers said. “I mean, it’s a pretty special place to score a goal, to get it here in my hometown, home state.”
Zellers is from Maple Grove, Minnesota, and played high school hockey at Shattuck St. Mary’s High School. He was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the third round of the 2024 NHL draft.
“I remember going to state tournaments here at the Xcel Energy Center, Grand Casino Arena now, and all that … so it was pretty special to finally play in this rink and getting a win,” Zellers said.
Zellers’ goal in the third period came 21 seconds after St. Thomas scored to get within one. With the score 3-2, Zellers struck the net, decimating any comeback the Tommies had. It was all Fighting Hawks after that.
The momentum shift couldn’t come at a better time. The Tommies created several scoring chances in the third frame and outshot North Dakota 18-14. Regardless, St. Thomas couldn’t overcome the deficit.
“They were putting pretty good pressure on us through the whole second and third period,” Zellers said. “Getting that goal and killing all of their momentum … was really big for us.”
Sophomore forward Cody Croal returned home to Minnesota, as well. As a sophomore, Croal led North Branch High School to their first state hockey tournament in 2019. His parents, grandmother, aunt and friends were in attendance on Sunday.
Croal’s fourth attacking line has racked up 7 points to start the season, and all three members scored a goal in Friday’s game.
“A huge game for us … keeping it simple, get pucks behind their D, use our speed. I think it’s a really good start to the season … obviously a lot of building to do, but overall, I thought we did a pretty good job,” Croal said.
Grand Casino Arena hasn’t been friendly to the Fightin Hawks.
North Dakota is 2-6 in their last eight games at the arena. Since 2018, the NCHC has hosted its conference tournament in St. Paul, yet, North Dakota hasn’t made it to the final. The only time UND made it to the final was in 2021, when the school hosted the tournament due to COVID-19. A rough slump for the 6-time NCHC regular season champions.
Tommies show growth despite back to back losses against North Dakota
The Tommies outshot North Dakota 27-23, maintaining pressure against the 12th ranked defense in the country.
When asked whether this weekend was more about the result, and rather about the program’s growth, Blasi emphasized staying grounded.
“We want to focus on day-to-day getting better. Did our team get better? I think we did. Do we have a long way to go? Absolutely. But I love the way our team competes. We’re continually evolving as a program, and we have to cherish these moments and keep getting better,” Blasi said.
First-year UND coach Dane Jackson said St. Thomas will “be a factor down the road.”
Next season, St. Thomas will join North Dakota in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. The NCHC features stronger opponents, producing seven national champions in its 14-year history. The Tommies have been part of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association for the past four years. UST has never won the CCHA and made the conference final for the first time in March.
“They’re gonna be a great addition. We’re excited to have them in the NCHC in a year. We feel fortunate to get out of here with two wins. It takes your best hockey to beat those guys twice for sure,” Jackson said.
Tommies take pride in performing in Grand Casino Arena
Junior captain defenseman Cole Miller said it’s an honor to play under the lights of the Minnesota Wild’s rink.
“It’s fun to play in these rinks, the atmosphere is awesome. You get big crowds, and it’s enjoyable to put our product on the ice for the fans,” Miller said.
Fellow junior captain defenseman Chase Cheslock said the environment added excitement – but when the puck drops, it’s back to business.
“It’s a privilege. You don’t get to play in these buildings quite often, and you never know if you ever will again,” Cheslock said. “So you go out there and take it all in, but once the puck drops, it’s go time.”
The Tommies head to Colorado to face Air Force Oct. 17.
Reagan Boschulte can be reached at bosc3829@stthomas.edu.
Juan Del Valle can be reached at delv9625@stthomas.edu.
