Sports at Hamline have rarely started better than in the 2016 season. The football team had their best season in two decades and the women’s soccer team made the MIAC playoffs for the first time in school history.

Now it’s men’s hockey that’s off to a roaring start, and to date, the Pipers’ 6-1-2 record is the best start the men’s team has ever had.

Coming off a 2015-16 season where their now-graduated two top players, senior forwards Brandon Zurn and Charlie Adams, combined for a total of 99 points, the Pipers had to look for new sources of offense.

“It was a major concern of ours coming into the season,” Head Coach Cory Laylin said. “I’ve been in this game long enough that when you give players new responsibilities, players can step up and lots of players have been doing just that. We’re having some offensive success and we just have to keep going.”

And offense they have found.

Led by senior forward Brandon Wahlin, sophomore forward Mitch McPherson and junior forward Russ Jordan, the Pipers currently possess the four top point scorers in the MIAC. Jordan leads the conference in goals with eight, with McPherson adding a MIAC-leading 10 assists of his own.

“This summer, one of my best friends and I focused on clearing our minds,” Jordan said. “At the end of the day, it’s who can mentally be consistent and stay focused and block out distractions that can be successful.”

The Pipers have received consistent scoring throughout the season, not having yet scored fewer than two goals in a game and currently averaging 3.8 goals a game.

“We didn’t necessarily know what to expect coming into the season, losing our top two scorers,” sophomore defender Mitch Hall said. “It’s been a pleasant surprise seeing guys step up and guys find different roles this season.”

The Pipers have played nine total games, with just three coming at home so far. The Pipers have gone 3-0 on home ice, beating St. Olaf 4-1, St. John’s 5-2 and UW-Superior 4-3 in overtime.

“Our guys are buying into the system and we skate well at home,” Laylin said. “I don’t know if there’s any special key to playing well at home, but we’re a big and physical team that is working to get on the same page.”

The Pipers have gone 3-1 in MIAC play so far, counting two wins against St. Olaf and the win against the Johnnies. Hamline hadn’t beaten St. John’s since their visit to Collegeville in the 2014-15 season before their 5-2 victory on Nov. 18. Hamline had lost this year’s first meeting of the two teams the day before in a 2-4 game that the Pipers thought they could have won.

“It felt good to split with St. John’s that weekend,” Jordan said. “They swept us last year and it left a bitter taste in our mouths. It felt like we should have won both [games] but the bounces didn’t go our way.”

The Piper’s defense has been bolstered by sophomore goalie Justin Quale, who is currently performing at a top-five level in goal. Quale is fifth in the MIAC with a 1.98 goals-against average and fourth in save percentage at a stellar .932 mark.

“Our goaltending tandem of [senior] John-Sellie Hanson, Justin Quale and [first-year] Lance Knudson has been excellent in practice,” Laylin said. “We’ve gotten great work from Justin and John in the games and when we can support those guys that makes our offense that much better because we can take a few risks.”

The Pipers come off Thanksgiving break facing St. Thomas, currently second in the MIAC with ten points, just one ahead of the Pipers.

“We always take our games one at a time, but we’re looking for a sweep,” Hall said. “They are a tough opponent every year. As long as we play our game, we’ll give them a run for their money.”

The Pipers haven’t won an official conference game against St. Thomas since the 2012-13 season, when they won a 1-0 overtime affair at Vadnais Heights Sports Center, the old hockey arena, for their only win of the season.

“Our rivalry with St. Thomas is always a good one,” Jordan said. “Some of our guys have played with some of their players in the past but that all goes out the window, and it’s always a good battle.”

The Pipers begin their weekend series against St. Thomas at home this Friday, Dec. 2 at 7:00 p.m. Their away game takes place the next day, Dec. 3, at 7:00 p.m. in Mendota Heights.