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2021-22 C C L L O H K E Y E G E O Six Pack St. Thomas gives Minnesota its sixth Division I hockey school. Who's next? b y A A R O N PA I T I C H 18 M H J ON L I N E . C O M | N O V / D E C 2 0 2 1 And then there were six. The University of St. Thomas offi- cially kicked off its Division I era this fall, giving the State of Hockey its sixth upper-echelon men's and women's hock- ey programs. While both teams know the transition to Division I won't be easy, the Tommies want to prove they aren't just welcome mats. St. Paul native Christiano Versich scored the first goal for the men, while Luci Bianchi of Bloomington Jefferson notched the first game-winning goal for the ladies. The addition of St. Thomas comes at a time when Minnesota's other five Division I hockey schools are thriving. "I think it adds a lot of dimension to college hockey in Minnesota," said Mike Snee, executive director of College Hockey Inc. and Duluth native. "We now have six Division I programs, men's and women's. Every school that has a men's program has a women's program." The new kids on the block are positioned nicely along the mighty Mississippi, just a stretch pass down- stream from their neighbors and newest rivals in Dinkytown. "There can be this natural Minneapolis-St. Paul rivalry built in," Snee said. "Both schools are right on the river. Once St. Thomas' programs become mature, I'm excited to see the rivalry that develops in the Twin Cities but also the rivalries amongst all the schools in Minnesota." Is this the golden age of Minnesota col- lege hockey? "For St. Thomas to be joining at a time when Minnesota's programs are so healthy, both women's and men's, is fantastic," Snee said. "We're coming off a year when all of the men's teams made the NCAA tournament and three of them made it to the Frozen Four, it's just such an exciting time for St. Thomas to be joining that party at the Division I level." St. Thomas hosted St. Cloud State at Xcel Energy Center on Oct. 2. Photos / Jim Rosvold, Ryan Coleman/D3Photography, Kylie Macziewski