The student fans who have supported the St. Thomas men’s hockey team over the years may be excited to hear that they will never have to sit through another game at the Sate Fair Coliseum. The Sate Fair Coliseum is meant for the rodeo, not a college hockey game. The facility seats over 5,000 fans, with the front-row luxury boxes starting thirty feet from the ice. This arrangement sets up a physical barrier between the fans and the players, making vocal displays of team spirit difficult. It would be an understatement to say that there is a lack of atmosphere in the coliseum for a hockey game. Furthermore, it is hard to comprehend how a team that has won twelve of the last fifteen MIAC conference championships has never had a rink to call its own. Not man other athletic teams in St. Thomas’ division can say that they have placed first of second in their conference in nineteen of the last twenty-one years. For the last seventeen years, the Tommies have been coached by the legendary Terry Skrypek, who has never had a loosing season as a head coach. Coach Skrypek reached a milestone mark in the 2002-2003 seasons when he joined the tree hundred-win club. This placed him in the top ten among active Division III coaches in wins and win percentage. Now, Coach Skrypek will lead his players onto a new rink for the 2003-2004 season.
The St. Thomas Ice Arena will be called home for the Tommies for at least the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 seasons. Since the new rink is a 15 minute drive from St. Thomas and many student fans do not own their own cars, the St. Thomas Ice Arena is not the ideal location. Nevertheless, it is a definite step in the right direction for the St. Thomas hockey program. The new $4 million facility, which has a seating capacity of 1,100, provides the hockey team with an atmosphere that is much more intimate and interactive for the fans and the players. The facility will be located on St. Thomas Academy’s campus in Mendota Heights. The arena will serve as the practice and game facility for the St. Thomas hockey program. The St. Thomas men’s hockey team will share its ice time with the St. Thomas woman’s team, local area teams and the St. Thomas Academy’s hockey program.
When asked what a fan can expect from a game at the new rink, junior captain, Dustin Lick, said, “A lot of hitting, goal scoring, and noise.” Assistant captain, Anthony Blumer, added that the new atmosphere would allow fans to support the team with cheers and in turn, have a great time watching the game. Finally, when asked what is going to be the key to the team’s success, junior star defenseman, Skylar Kangas, said, “Keeping team chemistry and sticking together as a group will be vital to our success this season.” Returning players Dustin Lick, Adam Cozine, Conor Phippin, Anthony Blumer, and the crafty Krmpotich brothers will be responsible for providing the team with a high powered offense. Forwards, John Bottoms and Colin Greenlees, may be called to fill the roles of last year’s graduating senior defensemen. Although these are hard roles to fill, skilled players like John Bottoms and Colin Greenlees should have a smooth transition.
Overall, the St. Thomas men’s hockey team is looking forward to a challenging, yet rewarding season at their new rink
Although the new rink is not on our campus, it is a huge step up from the Sate Fair Coliseum. The athletes will have their own locker room, weight room, and shooting stations. St. Thomas is finally taking steps in the right direction by providing its athletes and their fans with facilities they can use and enjoy.
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