SAINT PETER, Minn. - A new era of Gustavus men's hockey is set to begin Friday night at UW-Superior under the direction of first-year head coach Tyler Walsh. What can you expect from the team with Walsh at the helm?
 
"We want to play fast. Fast-paced, quick, and puck possession style of hockey," Walsh said.
 
Walsh, who spent the past six years as the assistant head coach at Colby College (Maine), is bringing new concepts to Gustavus but is also taking a hybrid approach of catering to the strengths of the players on the ice.
 
"We've done a lot of things that I know the players haven't done in the past because it's unique," Walsh said. "The feedback from the team is that they feel the work is starting to pay off."
 
The Gusties return a large contingent of upperclassmen, including three fifth-years and seven seniors. Kylar Fenton (Sr., Grafton, Wis.), Jack Kubitz (5th, Wayzata), and Nate Stone (Jr., Edina) will serve as the captains for the 2024-25 season. All three played in each of the 25 games last season. Kubitz tied for the team lead with 11 assists, while Stone added 12 points (6g, 6a) and Fenton added nine points (3g, 6a). The leadership of the captains and upperclassmen has been critical for the program in transitioning from one coaching staff to another.
 
"They have been unbelievable," Walsh said of the upperclassmen. "I can't even put into words how much they've helped me and I lean on them a lot. Petey [former Head Coach Brett Petersen] put together a great foundational culture. Now we're just looking to grow that culture. They work hard every day and help the young guys. They challenge me as a coach and that's what you want. Their leadership is the reason why the locker room and the rink is a fun place to be at every day."
 
Drew Holt (So., Eden Prairie), who earned All-Conference honors last season, returns as the team's leading point-scorer with 18 points on seven goals and 11 assists last season. Jack Suchy (Sr., Medina) and Wilmer Svensson (Jr., Stockholm, Sweden) are also top returners after posting 15 points each last year.
 
Along with the upperclassmen and top returning point-scorers, a number of newcomers will have the opportunity to make an impact this season. Jackson McCarthy (So., Buffalo, N.Y.) comes to Gustavus after transferring from Division I Mercyhurst University. First-years Jack Wineman (Birmingham, Mich.) and Nick Blood (Minnetrista) come in with a lot of junior hockey experience, while Walsh feels Oscar Carlryd (Fy., Kungsbacka, Sweden) and Aiden Prochaska (Fy., Mankato) have seen the most improvement throughout preseason training.
 
The Gusties have three goalies who Walsh believes will push each other for time in the crease. Marko Belak (So., Woodbury) returns with the most experience, having played in 14 games last year with just over 500 minutes, a 3.08 goals against average, and an .878 save percentage. Zach Dosan (Jr., Bloomington) played in one period last season, while Colin Androlewicz (Fy., Fenton, N.H.) enters as a first-year.
 
"The team has a good mindset right now because they are hungry. We are fortunate to have that," Walsh said. "They are really close as a team and want to get over that hump. We've been challenging them and pushing them really hard. The fact that we have such great leadership with our captains and seniors, those guys want to leave a legacy this year, and when you have that mindset it trickles down to everybody else."
 
Walsh and assistant coach Ethan Schwartz will measure success early in the season in a variety of ways, but will particularly look at how the team responds to adversity.
 
"Being able to overcome different adversity points will be key because they are going to happen," Walsh said. "Also, how do we measure ourselves in the third period? We want to win the third period. It's not a measure of outcomes as much as it is effort and improvement each game. It will be completely process driven."
 
After opening the season Friday night at UW-Superior, the Gusties will travel to UW-River Falls on Saturday night. The conference opening series will be against St. Olaf on Nov. 15-16.