St. Thomas Moving from CCHA to NCHC

The University of St. Thomas is changing conferences.

The Tommies, who are entering their fourth season of NCAA Division I men's hockey, will become full members of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference in 2026-27. UST is currently a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and will play there the next two seasons before moving over to the NCHC, where it will become the league's 10th member.

St. Thomas began play at the NCAA Division I level in 2021-22, and last year finished 15-20-2 overall (12-11-1 CCHA), its best record since moving up from NCAA Division III. The program began back in 1920-21 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and from 1983 to 2021 earned 17 berths to the NCAA Division III tournament, along with 21 MIAC regular-season titles and 13 postseason conference crowns. 

St. Thomas is in the process of building a 4,000-seat on-campus arena in St. Paul, Minn. The facility's opening is expected to coincide with UST's first season in the NCHC.

Splits, Sweeps and a First in NCAA Men's Hockey

It was a weekend for splits, sweeps and firsts in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey, from Oct.21-24.

Michigan fell from the top spot in the national polls after first losing and then winning against Western Michigan in a home-and-home series that saw the visitor triumphing in both instances. Boston College lost to Colorado College on Friday at home, but rebounded to top No. 8 Denver the next night by a 5-1 score.

North Dakota, which defeated Quinnipiac in the 2016 NCAA title game in Tampa, split with the host Bobcats last Friday and Saturday in Connecticut. RIT edged Notre Dame in overtime on Thursday night, before the host Irish responded with a shutout win on Friday. Meanwhile, Merrimack split a home-and-home with Boston University in Hockey East play, while independent Arizona State salvaged a split at Colgate with an overtime win in the rematch.

Elsewhere, Clarkson swept Alaska (Fairbanks), Lake Superior State broomed Union, and St. Cloud State did the same to Wisconsin, with the home team winning in each of those instances. Minnesota-Duluth won both halves of a home-and-home with in-state rival Minnesota, and has now won five of its first six outings overall. Bowling Green earned a win and a tie against Miami, while UMass Lowell did the same versus Michigan State, and Sacred Heart did likewise at Maine.

Finally, Division I newcomer St. Thomas recorded its first-ever win at that level with a three-goal triumph over Ferris State on Saturday after falling to the visiting Bulldogs by a goal the night before.

St. Thomas Chooses Blasi as Coach

St. Thomas University has found its first NCAA Division I men's hockey head coach.

The Tommies, who are moving up from Division III to begin play in the new CCHA this fall, last week chose longtime former Miami head coach Enrico Blasi, who has spent this season working in administration at Providence College, as their new bench boss.

Blasi, a former Miami forward, guided his alma mater from 1999 to 2019, and posted an overall record of 398-311-76 in that span. He led the RedHawks to 10 NCAA tournament berths, including eight straight appearances from 2005 to 2013, plus the 2009 national title game. He also led Miami to two CCHA regular-season championships and two CCHA postseason crowns, to go with the 2015 NCHC playoff title after the Red Hawks changed conferences when the original CCHA folded.

Blasi's hiring is one of several recent coaching moves at college hockey's highest level. Colorado College parted ways with Mike Haviland last month after seven seasons, while David Berard just resigned from Holy Cross, also after seven seasons.

St. Thomas to Join NCAA Division I, CCHA and WCHA

The NCAA Division I men’s and women’s ice hockey ranks will increase by one team apiece when the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) moves up from the Division III level in the next two years.

A founding member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, St. Thomas will depart that conference following the 2020-21 season to join the new Central Collegiate Hockey Association for men’s hockey in 2021-22, and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association on the women’s side at the same time.

The St. Thomas men’s team has played annually since 1920-21, save for five seasons around World War II. They boast an all-time record of 1,163-665-116 (.628), according to USCHO.com, all while in the MIAC. Since the 1983-84 campaign, the Tommies’ ledger includes 21 MIAC regular-season championships, 13 MIAC postseason titles, and 16 NCAA tournament berths, including national championship game appearances in 2000 and 2005. The program also last finished under .500 in a season in 1981-82.

The St. Thomas women's program began play with the 2001-02 season, and since then the Tommies have fashioned an overall mark of 323-140-50 (.678). They have also claimed six MIAC regular-season crowns and six MIAC postseason titles to go along with six national tournament berths, including NCAA Frozen Four appearances in both 2014 and 2019.

St. Thomas will swell the new CCHA, which is slated to begin play as a whole in the fall of 2021, to eight teams, while the Tommies women’s team will also boost the women’s WCHA to eight schools.