The St. Thomas women’s hockey team received a No. 2-ranking in the preseason MIAC coaches poll, and coach Tom Palkowski said the team is prepared to exceed expectations, rumbling into the 2013-14 season with an experienced lineup and goals set high.

“Winning the MIAC, a positive record with a tough non-conference schedule and qualifying for the national tournament are some of the goals we decided on as a team. They are a lofty set of goals, but definitely realistic,” Palkowski said.

Palkowski is in his seventh year at the helm, leading a team that finished second in the MIAC in the 2012-2013 season with a 14-8-2 overall record and lost to Concordia-Moorhead 2-1 in the conference playoff semi-finals. The team will be back on the ice against Wisconsin-River Falls Saturday at St. Thomas Ice Arena.

With 23 returning players, nine of whom are seniors, the Tommies look to capitalize off the experienced lineup to lead them through a tough regular season schedule, forward Christina Rozeske said.

“We are coming into this season much more confident than last year, and we have been working on our overall communication as a team,” Rozeske said. “We aren’t intimidated by any teams. We know who some of our big rivals are, (Gustavus) being one of them, but we aren’t afraid of anyone.”

Palkowski later mentioned that all-MIAC Rozeske will lead the St. Thomas offense this year after scoring a total of 14 goals for the Tommies in the 2012-2013 season.

“(Rozeske) has really improved every year and was our leading scorer as a junior,” Palkowski said. “We are looking for her to carry the torch again this year.”

Palkowski said returning goalie Alise Riedel will be another player to watch this season.

“Every good hockey team starts in its net, and senior Alise Riedel will do some big things for us this year,” Palkowski said.

Riedel was named All-America as a sophomore, second team All-America as a junior and is a three-year starter for the Tommies. She ended last season with a .942 save percentage, but said she isn’t satisfied yet.

“Over the offseason, I just got back to technique a little bit. I let in some goals last year that I shouldn’t have, so just back to basics, really,” Riedel said. “I wanted to make sure I was set and ready to go for the start of the season.”

Riedel is supported by a solid group on the blue line, including two-time All-MIAC defender Maria Bothwell.

“This year is special in particular because we’ve all been playing together for so long,” Rozeske said. “Most of our team is upperclassmen and we have that team chemistry which allows us to just hit the ground running and pick up where we left off last year without having that adjustment period of playing with new people.”

Palkowski said building a strong offense will be key to making St. Thomas a powerhouse this season.

“Putting the puck in the net will be the key to our success this year,” Palkowski said. “I look for a few of our forwards to have breakout seasons this year, which will help us score those much needed goals.”

According to Palkowski, freshmen players Hannah Bird and Paige Healy are also expected to be in the lineup and contribute throughout the season.

Palkowski said the Tommies are entering the season “the healthiest they’ve been in years, so no excuses.”

St. Thomas opens its MIAC regular season against St. Mary’s on Nov. 16 at St. Thomas Ice Arena.

Luke Moe can be reached at moe95234@stthomas.edu.