With more experience, Tommies look to make strides against tough WCHA

St. Paul – The University of St. Thomas hits the ice this season with a roster chock full of Minnesota players. In fact, 18 of the of the players on the roster either were born in Minnesota or played high school hockey in Minnesota.

That should bode well for this year and beyond.

The Tommies have been picked to finish sixth in the eight-team WCHA preseason poll, voted on by league head coaches.

Last season’s national runner-up Wisconsin is picked among league head coaches to win the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s 2024-25 regular season title. The top four teams in the poll qualified for the NCAA Tournament last year. St. Thomas finished last season  in seventh place in the WCHA with a 4-23-1 record. Overall, the Tommies accumulated a 10-26-1 record in their third season in Division I, including the program’s first regulation win over a top-10 nationally ranked opponent.

Because the program is still relatively in its infancy, there is a large margin for growth, especially as the initial recruiting class of Head Coach Joel Johnson is now more mature and experienced.

“We have a lot of young girls coming in,” said 2023 Ms. Hockey winner Ella Boerger (Andover, MN). “We’re still a pretty young team, but I think we’re looking to make a big jump.”

Boerger led the Tommies with 24 points (11g, 13a) last season and will likely increase that output with a year of college hockey under her belt.  Fellow 2023 graduate Rylee Bartz (Warroad, MN) also had a solid freshman campaign with 10 goals and 13 assists. But the scoring dropped off considerably after those two players and in order to be successful the Tommies will have to be more efficient in putting the puck in the net, and more players will have to chip in in the scoring column.

They were outscored 150-74 last season, a gap they would like to close this upcoming campaign. Being newcomers to a deep WCHA lineup of teams who are skating some players with more than four years of college experience has made it a tough road early on for the Tommies.

“Jumping from high school to college is a lot faster paced games and faster paced practices, but it’s been a lot of fun,” said Boerger.

Former Gentry Academy star Cara Sajevic echoed Boerger’s comments. There have been some growing pains making the jump from high school to the college ranks and going up against players who are older and more experienced.

“The game gets a lot more physical,” said Sajevic. “But overall it’s bene a good experience and I’ve learned a lot.”

One area the Tommies will look to improve upon is their special teams. Last season they scored just 14 power play goals in 112 chances.

Senior Lauren Stenslie (Maple Grove, MN) registered eight goals last season and will look to provide some much-needed offense in her senior season. Former Gopher Sadie Lindsey (Breck HS/Minnetonka, MN) transfers in with 65 games to her credit and should provide some offensive punch. Sajevic had a strong showing in the Celly League this summer and should also increase her offensive output now that she has a year of experience to work off of.

On defense, the Tommies welcome back Nicole Vallario (Lugano, Switzerland) who finished third on the team in scoring with five goals and 10 assists. Maddy Clough (Andover, MN) also returns for her senior season with experience. Rachel Golnitz (Forest Lake, MN) who transferred into St. Thomas last year after two seasons with Colgate, has more than 90 career games under her belt and will also provide much-needed experience on the blue line. Haley Maxwell (Edina, MN) returns for her junior year after playing in all 37 games last season.

Sophomore Ellah Hause (Hill-Murray/Forest Lake, MN) gives the Tommies a strong defender who can also push the puck up the ice and put the puck in the net, as evidenced by her five goals last season. With another year of experience she could emerge as a top threat and especially help bolster the power play.

Newcomers

Johnson had a strong recruiting class, bringing in several of the top high school players from Minnesota’s class of 2024. Ilsa Lindaman was a Ms. Hockey finalist who put up huge numbers at Duluth Marshall. Her strong skating ability and size (5’9″) should translate well to the college game. Chloe Boreen (Hill-Murray HS/Somerset WI) is a feisty and speedy forward who isn’t afraid to hammer away in front of the net, and Nora Sauer (Andover, MN) is another strong player who should be able to manage the physical nature of college hockey and provide some depth to the forward lines.

On defense Lauren Karl (Shattuck-St, Mary’s/Minnetonka) and Cailin Mumm (Andover MN) will help solidify a strong blue line while being able to process pucks on the breakout and jump into plays on the other end.

Goaltending

Fifth-year senior Calla Frank (White Bear Lake, MN) split time last year and is likely to be the go-to tender this season. Former Goalie of the Year (Jori Jones Award) winner Maggie Malecha (Northfield, MN) enters her third season after playing in eight games last year, and Dani Strom, a finalist for the Jori Jones Award last year with Maple Grove, comes in to compete for minutes as well giving the Tommies three solid netminders as they embark on the 2024-25 season.

Because the team is still relatively young, it may be another year of growing pains for the Tommies as they compete in the ever-tough WCHA that is home to powerhouses like Minnesota and Wisconsin. But look for this group to make strides this season. With a good coaching staff and a talented roster, it’s just a mater of time before the Tommies are in the upper echelon of the WCHA.

2024-25 WCHA Coaches Poll
Coaches could not vote for their own team. First place votes are in parentheses.

St. Thomas is set to begin conference play with a home-and-home series against Minnesota State on Oct. 11-12.

The Tommies will host the reigning National Champions, Ohio State from Nov. 1-2. St. Thomas will remain at home the next weekend playing Lindenwood, before three consecutive road trips to Bemidji State, Wisconsin and Nashville. The Smashville Showcase will mark the final non-conference games of the season, as St. Thomas will compete against WCHA opponents the remainder of the season.

2024-25 Women’s Hockey Roster