WINONA, Minn. — Hockey is back! The 2025–26 Saint Mary's men's hockey season gets underway this Friday, October 24, as the Cardinals head to Appleton, Wisconsin, for a 7:00 p.m. exhibition matchup against Lawrence University.

The excitement continues Saturday with the sixth annual Ice Breaker, a full day of school spirit and community celebration, capped off with a 7:00 p.m. home game against UW-Stout for the perfect way to launch what promises to be a thrilling season of Cardinal hockey.

"We've brought in another big freshman class this year, a large group of new faces who've added real youthful energy to the locker room," said head coach Ryan Egan, now entering his seventh season. "This team is built a little differently. We're faster, more skilled, and overall just a different look from past seasons. It's an exciting group to watch."

The Cardinals are coming off a competitive 2024-25 season, finishing with an overall record of 11-13-1 and 6-8-1 in conference play, just one point shy of a conference playoff berth.

Key returners this season include the team's top two scorers: Colin Tushie, back for his senior year after leading the Cardinals with 11 goals and 16 assists, and Joona Juntunen, returning for his sophomore season after notching 7 goals and a team-high 17 assists. On the blue line, junior Cole Mickel anchors the defense and contributed 17 points and brought consistency and grit to the back end.

The regular season officially begins on the road at Lake Forest College with back-to-back games on Friday, October 31 at 7:05 p.m. and Saturday, November 1 at 4:00 p.m. The Cardinals then return home for their true home opener on Friday, November 7 against UW-Stout, coinciding with Parents Weekend.

Conference play begins Friday, November 14, when Saint Mary's hosts Hamline at 7:00 p.m. Other notable home dates include Senior Day and the annual Teddy Bear Toss on Tuesday, December 9, versus Dubuque, and the final home game of the regular season on Saturday, February 21 against Augsburg.

"Fans can look forward to a very motivated, passionate group of young men this season," Egan added. "There's an energy around this team that feels different than in years past, and that's something the community is really going to feel when we hit the ice."

The puck drops this weekend and the energy rises. Let the season begin!