ST. CLOUD, Minn. — The St. Cloud State men's hockey team is opening the 2022-23 season with 10 new players and a number of returning players who will be in new roles for the team.
The Huskies, ranked No. 13 in both national polls, open the season with a nonconference home-and-home series against the University of St. Thomas. The teams play at 6 p.m. Saturday at St. Thomas Ice Arena in Mendota Heights and at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.
With 10 new players on the roster, how many will get to play this weekend?
"I'd love to get everyone, if possible, but I'll have to make those decisions after the game on Saturday," SCSU head coach Brett Larson said.
It is likely that the Huskies will give their two goalies with college experience each starts this weekend. Senior Jaxon Castor was 2-4 with a 3.21 goals-against average and .890 save percentage in nine games for the Huskies last season. Junior Dominic Basse, a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick, was 6-15-2 with a 3.23 GAA and .888 save percentage last season at Colorado College.
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The Huskies will be facing a St. Thomas team that has 17 new players on its roster and was 3-22-1 overall in its first season as a Division I program in 2021-22.
"I'd like us to set the tone for how we play throughout the year by playing disciplined, by playing hard and continuing to pressure every shift," Larson said. "I know the systems won't be perfect and I know that there will be some young mistakes.
"We've got to focus on us and be ready to play. It's a whole new (St. Thomas) team, for the most part. Our biggest focus will be playing our best hockey to start the year against a team that we see — just looking at their recruiting — will definitely be improved."
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