St. Thomas leaning on its Greater Grand Forks blue liners

Hayden Koughan / St. Thomas athletics By Brad Elliott Schlossman Today at 8:17 PM Listen Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? ST. PAUL, Minn. — The defensive corps jumps out as a strength for St. Thomas. Tommies head coach Rico Blasi knows why. ADVERTISEMENT "The D-corps stands out because they've played a lot of games in Division I," Blasi said. "Obviously, we're going to have to rely on them as we continue to grow and mature." That unit features four seniors, three of which have played more than 100 NCAA games (Mason Poolman, Cole Miller and Chase Cheslock, a New Jersey Devils pick). The fourth, Nick Williams, will reach that mark next weekend. St. Thomas has two sophomores who are both NHL Draft picks — Edmonton Oilers pick Bauer Berry and Minnesota Wild pick Justin Kipkie. The only freshman defenseman on the Tommies' roster could be their most talented blue liner of all — Seattle Kraken pick and 2026 United States Hockey League Defenseman of the Year finalist Luken Huff. "They're steady," Blasi said. "They all complement each other. They bring a lot of identity to our team." Familiar names A couple are familiar names to hockey fans in Greater Grand Forks. Poolman, a 6-foot-1, 189-pound senior, played forward at East Grand Forks Senior High from 2017-20. He moved to defense while playing for the Penticton Vees in the British Columbia Hockey League. Poolman won two Fred Page Cup titles with the Vees. ADVERTISEMENT Poolman has one assist in eight games this season. He's averaging 16:15 of ice time per game. For his career, he has seven goals and 25 points in 112 games. Poolman's father, Mark, is the athletic trainer at UND. His older brothers, Tucker and Colton, played for UND. "You've got to love Mason and the way he's matured over the last few years," Blasi said. "In typical Poolman fashion, nobody works harder. His care level is off the charts. Every day is quality. There's a reason he's a captain on our team. He deserves to be. He does so many things well." St. Thomas athletics Berry, a 6-foot-4, 218-pound sophomore, is a Grand Forks native. Berry played high school hockey at Northstar Christian Academy in Alexandria, Minn. He won a Clark Cup with the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL. Berry has one goal in eight games this season, averaging 16:29 of ice time per game. His father, Brad, played at UND and served as the program's head coach from 2015-25. ADVERTISEMENT "Bauer is a typical coach's kid," Blasi said. "He understands the game. He understands what he can do and what he can't do in his skillset. That comes from being around the game and dad, and all the stops along the way. I never have to worry about him. He has an understanding for what we're trying to do and accomplish." St. Thomas athletics St. Thomas enters this weekend's series against UND (7 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Lee and Penny Anderson Arena) with a 4-4 record, 1-1 in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. Analytics say the Tommies have been better than their record shows. They've outshot their opponent in three of their four losses this season — twice by significant martins. St. Thomas outshot Air Force 44-28 in a season-opening 5-1 loss. The Tommies outshot Minnesota State 52-21 in a 3-1 loss. "Sometimes, you get too caught up in outcomes," Blasi said. "We don't focus on that. We want to focus on the process. Most of the time, the process is pretty good. But when relying on youth up front, inexperienced guys who haven't played college hockey, sometimes they miss chances or they're a little late on getting second chances." Ten of St. Thomas' 14 healthy forwards are underclassmen. ADVERTISEMENT The top two scorers are sophomore linemates Lucas Van Vliet (11 points in eight games) and Nathan Pilling (eight points). "I like where we're at right now," said Blasi, whose team has won three in a row. "Could we have won one or two more games? Probably. This is a long process." Hayden Koughan / St. Thomas athletics No. 8 UND at St. Thomas When: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Where: Lee and Penny Anderson Arena, St. Paul, Minn. TV: Midco Sports (GF Ch. 27/622 HD). Radio: The Fox (96.1 FM). Stream: NCHC TV. Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? Tags Tags NORTH DAKOTA FIGHTING HAWKS UND SPORTS UND FIGHTING HAWKS HOCKEY SUBSCRIBERS ONLY By Brad Elliott Schlossman Schlossman has covered college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald since 2005. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the top beat writer for the Herald's circulation division four times and the North Dakota sportswriter of the year twice. He resides in Grand Forks. Reach him at [email protected]. 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