The University of St. Thomas men’s hockey team kicked off its season with a significant upset on the road Oct. 7, defeating the No. 7/8 ranked St. Cloud State Huskies 5-4 in overtime. The win marks the first time the Tommies have defeated the Huskies since moving up to Division I.
The Tommies scored five goals from five different players, including two from transfers Matthew Gleason and Ryder Donovan.
It was Donovan who secured the win with a goal in OT for the Tommies. The graduate transfer from Wisconsin had not played a hockey game in nearly two years but warmed up quickly as he bid the nationally ranked Huskies goodnight.
Donovan told The Rink Live, “It’s great, it’s awesome. I’ve been through a couple training camps with another college team, but I haven’t worked with a group that works like this.”
The Tommies came close to defeating the Huskies again a night later on Oct. 8, but unfortunately St. Cloud State University got their revenge in a nail-biter, defeating the Tommies at home 1-0.
Season improvement
The Tommies were the most improved team in the country last season based on winning percentage and are armed with 15 returners from their 2022-23 squad alongside 13 new reinforcements that include six freshmen and seven transfer student-athletes.
Headed to the Xcel Energy Center
Up Next: The Tommies will go head to head against No. 3 University of Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Friday night as the first of a home-and-home with their Twin Cities rival. The game is part of a men’s and women’s hockey doubleheader on Friday, Oct. 13.
You can watch the women’s hockey team at 4 p.m. on FOX 9 +, followed by the men’s faceoff against the Gophers airing directly on FOX 9 at 7:30 p.m.
