Chloe Boreen is entering her third season of NCAA hockey with St. Thomas. She knows it means she'll be looked at as a leader both on and off the ice for a Tommies team looking to take the next step.
Chloe Boreen is the St. Thomas Tommies' top returning goal scorer, and the Junior forward will be looked upon as a leader both on and off the ice. She believes the program, entering its sixth season of NCAA D1 hockey in the WCHA, is developing a special culture.
But with three veterans moving on via the transfer portal, those returning like Boreen and senior Ella Boerger, as well as St. Thomas' own incoming transfers, will now take on a larger role in guiding the program's culture, and winning ways.
"We just need to have a really good close team culture and just really trust each other," said Boreen. "We have... a lot of new people, but we also have a lot of returners. So just us older girls really being good examples, being good leaders for the new people and for the young girls to just play at their best and just learn from us."
Boreen finished last season with 10 goals and 22 points in 36 games. Her game, which features speed, and a dogged pursuit of the puck, was enough to catch USA Hockey's attention this summer as well. After being invited to USA's collegiate camp this summer, Boreen earned a spot on USA's Collegiate Select team for their series against Canada, and she was a standout for the program.
It's another lesson the Somerset, Wisconsin product will look to utilize as she steps into a leadership role with the Tommies this season.
"I would say we have really good leaders. So just us upperclassman, we've got to be really good role models for the team," said Boreen. "I think that with that being returners, just we've played in this league. We know how hard this league is. So just our physicality, our work ethic, our compete. Those are going to be really important factors that we have to implement in each game."
St. Thomas had their best ever record in 2025-26. They lost leaders Rylee Bartz and Ellah Hause who transfered to rival Ohio State, and Isla Lindaman who left for Clarkson, but returnees like Boreen, Boerger, JuliAnne and Janessa Gazdik, and transfers like Sydney Bryant and Grace McCoshen know the WCHA, and know what it takes to compete on a nightly basis in college hockey's top conference.
"We have a lot of good upperclassmen too like Ella Burgerer, the Gazdik twins. A lot of people are very familiar with this league," said Boreen. "Transfer Sydney Bryant, she played in this league. So we all know that it's going to be, it's a tough league to play in. But just being positive for the young girls and just showing them the ways... just leading by example in our game on or off the ice will really help."
St. Thomas opens their season September 25 and 26 against New Hampshire before hosting Ohio State the following weekend to open their WCHA play.
