In the 2025-26 Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Preseason Coaches Poll, two players were outlined as Co-Rookies of the Year. The two forwards were St. Thomas’ center Nathan Pilling and Bowling Green’s left-winger Dominik Rymon.
The two freshmen first met in St. Paul, Minnesota, at the brand-new Lee and Penny Anderson Arena. Those two games are a part of a four-point weekend for the Tommies at home.
Pilling went scoreless in the series through seven shots on goal, four blocks, and a .500 faceoff percentage. It was the last series in which he went without a point, 21 points in 17 games since.
Rymon netted a goal in that series, the game-opening score in BG’s 3-2 overtime win. He additionally fired four shots on goal, took a minor penalty, and blocked two shots.
Pilling certainly scored better than Rymon in the seven series between that first series and the most recent one, in which the Falcons now hosted the Tommies.
In that most recent series, Pilling made a better scoring effort, making UST’s only two regulation goals in game one, both on a power play. He did not score in game two but added to a total of five shots on goal, three blocks, a game misconduct, and 54% of faceoffs won.
Rymon scored his second goal and point in his career against St. Thomas with his first career game-winner in game two. He registered only one shot other than the goal, and BG won with four of six points toward the standings.
UST’s freshman was arguably better than Rymon through the season series as he contributed more all-around to the four games. Although BG’s freshmen certainly have more influential goals, both have even strength, and one has a game-winner.
BG and UST have two of the most freshman-heavy teams in the CCHA, and those classes have been key for each team’s success this season. These two players are pretty representative of their respective teams’ freshman classes.
For St. Thomas, it’s two defensemen in Bauer Berry and Hayes Hundley, as well as Pilling and fellow forward Lucas Van Vliet.
Both forwards are top four on UST in scoring, a combined 56 points and +14 between the linemates. The defensemen each play on a top-two pairing with an upperclassman, Hundley leading the team in rating (+14) and Berry second among blueliners (+7).
St. Thomas put seven freshmen in the lineup against Bowling Green across their two games in the Slater Family Ice Arena. Bowling Green put nine freshmen on the ice against the No. 13/15 and CCHA-leading Tommies.
BG has more freshman depth than St. Thomas, including a full line of grinding freshman forwards, two-star forwards, two solid all-around defensemen, and a goalie who is third in the CCHA in goals against per game.
“When I look out there, and we got four freshmen on a faceoff in our ‘D-zone,’” said BG head coach Dennis Williams. “You tell me another team that has four freshmen out there. Zero. More people need to start talking about our guys versus everybody else in the league.”
As far as the numbers go, St. Thomas’s 10 freshmen combine for about 29% (89 of 307) of team points and 16% (three of 18) of goaltending wins. Bowling Green’s 11 freshmen combine for 30% (76 of 254) of team points and 53% (eight of 15) of goaltending wins.
St. Thomas has added two non-freshman top-three CCHA scorers, who have propelled them to the top of the conference, seven points above BG in fourth. They have solidified themselves as one of the best teams in the conference, with maybe the best young core for a run at the Mason Cup.
Bowling Green has maybe the best long-term outlook of any team in the CCHA , with by far the most freshmen depth and no reliance on just a few players to win. This has been the pride of the Falcons; an increasingly improving team that is amidst a climb to the top of the conference.
