By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
DE PERE – After losing in the NCAA Division III Tournament national quarterfinals a year ago, the St. Norbert College hockey team is looking to return to glory this season.
The Green Knights’ 3-0 loss to No. 1-ranked UW-Stevens Point ended their season at 23-5-3.
“The senior group from last year put us back on top in the NCHA [Northern Collegiate Hockey Association] and gave us another NCAA tournament,” said St. Norbert head coach Tim Coghlin. “UW-Stevens Point probably played its best game of the season against us in the quarterfinals and went on to the win the national championship. They are the only unbeaten college hockey team to ever win a national championship.”
The Green Knights begin the 2019-20 season on the road against the Pointers Nov. 1 and return home the next night for the second game of the home-and-home series.
“We only have two seniors on this year’s squad, so we are heavy with the underclassmen,” Coghlin said. “We have eight juniors, eight sophomores and eight freshmen. The juniors would have been freshmen on our last national championship team in 2018.”
The Green Knights lost All-American goaltender TJ Black to graduation, so Coghlin said that’s one of the biggest question marks coming into the year.
Black finished the season 22-5-2 with a .927 save percentage and a 1.7 goals-against average.
“TJ was a proven national champion, so we are unproven between the pipes,” said Coghlin. “Junior goalie Ryan Bontorin will get his opportunities – he played in four games last year. He’s put in his time and worked on his game. We’ve had outstanding goaltending for the last 25 years, so I don’t expect that to change.”
Coghlin said a strong defensive group will make Bontorin’s job easier.
“It helps that our [defensive] back-end returns a substantial amount and will stay together for two complete years – we lose no defensemen to graduation after this year,” he said. “That will help solidify things. Our starting point is the back-end and making sure we are solid there.”
In addition to Black, St. Norbert lost Roman Uchyn (15 goals, 18 assists) Riley Christensen (14, 19), Brad Pung (6, 14), Steven Phillips (7, 11), Nick LeSage, Tyler Andrews and Clay Van Diest.
This season, seniors Dominick Sacco (12, 18) and Kurt Black (13, 11) return, as do juniors Timmy Nicksic (10, 13), Peter Bates (11, 20), Jack Thomas, Keegan Milligan (9, 11), Steven Mather, Logan Froberg and Luke Davison (2, 20).
Froberg is a Bay Port grad, and Davison is from Notre Dame Academy.
Sophomores returning are Peyton Frantti (14, 13), Brendon Gysbers (4, 23), Keenan Spillum, Chase Mickelson, Jack Kelly, Jack Gaffney, Evan Cholak and Austin Smith.
Spillum joined the Green Knights at the semester last season after transferring from Division I Colorado College.
Coghlin said Gysbers will likely be out until January after going through offseason shoulder surgery.
Freshmen newcomers include Colby Entz, Michael Spethmann, Ben Schmidling, Max Brainin, Michael McChesney, Mitchell Zambon, Brendan Aird and Brendan Mark.
“At least on paper, this is probably the most gifted group offensively we’ve had in quite some time,” Coghlin said. “It’s a good mix, we have a good balance and it will be fun to see how things shake out.”
Along with his own team, Coghlin said Adrian and Marian will be top contenders in the NCHA again this season.
“You’re seeing the improvement in our league in the bottom half,” said Coghlin. “It’s hard for us to get much better than winning five national championships in nine Frozen Fours. The same can be said for Adrian. You’ll see an improved Aurora team and MSOE [Milwaukee School of Engineering] squad.”
Coghlin said the goal is the same every year.
“We want to be a top-10 team in the country,” he said. “If you’re a top-10 team, you’ll get a chance to play in the national tournament.”
Bates and Sacco are the assistant captains of the team, while Thomas is the captain.
2019-20 St. Norbert men’s hockey schedule
11/1 – @ Stevens Point – 7 p.m.
11/2 – Stevens Point – 7 p.m.
11/8 – Lake Forest * – 7 p.m.
11/9 – Lake Forest * – 4 p.m.
11/15 – @ Trine * – 6 p.m.
11/16 – @ Trine * – 4 p.m.
11/22 – @ Marian * – 7 p.m.
11/23 – Marian * – 7 p.m.
11/29 – @ Stevenson – 6 p.m.
11/30 – @ Neumann – 3 p.m.
12/6 – Concordia Wisconsin * – 7 p.m.
12/7 – @ Concordia Wisconsin * – 7 p.m.
1/3 – @ MSOE * – 7 p.m.
1/4 – MSOE * – 7 p.m.
1/10 – @ Aurora * – 3 p.m.
1/11 – @ Aurora * – 3 p.m.
1/17 – Adrian * – 7 p.m.
1/18 – Adrian * – 4 p.m.
1/24 – Finlandia * – 7 p.m.
1/25 – Finlandia * – 4 p.m.
1/31 – @ St. Scholastica * – 7 p.m.
2/1 – @ St. Scholastica * – 5 p.m.
2/8 – Augsburg * – 2 p.m.
2/14 – @ Lawrence * – 7 p.m.
2/15 – Lawrence * – 7 p.m.
2/21 – NCHA Quarterfinals – TBA
2/22 – NCHA Quarterfinals – TBA
2/29 – NCHA Semifinals – TBA
3/7 – NCHA Harris Cup Championship – TBA
3/14 – NCAA Division III Tournament – First Round – TBA
3/21 – NCAA Division III Tournament – Quarterfinals – TBA
3/27 – NCAA Division III Tournament – Seminfinals – TBA (@ Buffalo, New York)
3/28 – NCAA Division III Tournament – Championship – TBA
* NCHA game