The St. Thomas men’s hockey team’s season came to a close Saturday night after losing to Wis.-Stevens Point 3-0 at St. Thomas Ice Arena for the second time this season.

After losing to Stevens Point 3-0 on Nov. 15, the Tommies hosted the Pointers for Saturday’s NCAA quarterfinal game. The winner would go on to the NCAA Division-III Frozen Four next weekend in Lewiston, Maine.

“We traded chances with them all game long, and I thought whoever scored the first goal was going to Maine, so unfortunately they were the ones who got it,” forward Tyler Gubb said. “I thought our guys played a great game, and everyone should hold their heads high.”

Both Gubb and coach Jeff Boeser said getting the game’s first goal would be crucial to either team’s success.

“If we get that first goal, I think it’s a totally different game. We play a lot better when we score first, but unfortunately that didn’t happen tonight,” Boeser said.

As important as the first goal was in the game, it took more than 46 minutes for it to come. For more than two periods, both teams played stingy defense and allowed only a handful of chances at either end with the best chance coming in the first period when a Stevens Point slapshot beat St. Thomas goaltender Drew Fielding on the glove side, but ricocheted off a post to keep the game scoreless.

That was one of a number of Stevens Point shots to hit a post, however with 13:43 remaining in the game, a Pointer shot finally found twine when forward Alex Kromm deflected defenseman Alex Brooks’ shot past Fielding.

Stevens Point added a second goal 4:35 later when forward Kyle Sharkey dished to defenseman Kyle Brodie in the slot, who fired it between Fielding’s legs and into the net. The Pointers put the game away 90 seconds later when forward Garrett Ladd finished on a 2-on-1 rush for the third goal in just 6:05.

“They’re young, they’re a good team, they score a lot of goals, and they had a few bounces go their way tonight,” forward Alex Niestrom said.

Stevens Point killed of a trio of penalties in the game’s final six minutes to hold on for the 3-0 win and a ticket to the Frozen Four.

“I really hope Stevens Point goes on to win (the national championship). If they go on to win it, then it makes us look like a pretty good team,” Boeser said. “It’s been a great experience. This was great for the younger guys to have this opportunity. Maybe it makes them a little hungrier to know that they were so close.”

The loss ends St. Thomas’ season and their first trip to the NCAA playoffs since the 2011-2012 season.

“We made it to the second-to-last weekend of the year. We’re still playing hockey when a lot of teams are sitting at home and have already turned their equipment in. Obviously it stings to lose, but I really can’t express how proud I am of the guys,” Boeser said.

The Tommies finished the season with an overall record of 21-5-2 and MIAC championships in the regular season and conference tournament. St. Thomas also graduates just three seniors from this year’s squad: Gubb, Niestrom and forward Bryce Walker.

“The three seniors we had this year were all hard working guys, and I was just really proud of all the young guys jumping on board and everybody pulling the same direction,” Niestrom said. “Nobody ever complained, everybody was always willing to put in the extra work, and it paid off for a great regular season and a good end of the season here.”

Niestrom said this year’s experience can only help to improve a team that will “come back stronger next year.”

Among the players returning to next year’s team are team-leading scorer Alex Altenbernd, who finished the season with 24 points in 28 games, and co-MIAC Player-of-the-Year goaltender Drew Fielding.

“We’re losing three guys this year, and there’s so much talent in that upper class next year. The sophomores and juniors this year have unbelievable talent, so they have a better chance than we did this year to go somewhere,” Gubb said.

Gubb also said he “couldn’t ask for anything better” out of his college hockey career.

“It sounds cliche, but I would just tell the guys to cherish everything because it goes by like that. Everyone who’s a senior says that – that college goes by so fast – but it really does,” Gubb said. “When I look back on everything, I wouldn’t change a thing. I couldn’t ask for better guys on our team, and I couldn’t ask for anything better. It’s been a great experience.”

Jacob Sevening can be reached at seve8586@stthomas.edu.