Miami hockey’s Noreen and Mesenburg Preview 2025-26 Season at NCHC Media Day

The start of college hockey season is right around the corner, with non-conference games across the landscape beginning on Oct. 3.

The Miami University RedHawks will open the season against the Ferris State University Bulldogs on Oct. 3-4, but before the action on the ice gets underway, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) hosted its annual media day festivities.

The conference adopted a new virtual format this year with meetings taking place over two days on Sept. 23 and 24. Miami’s meeting occurred Sept. 24, when head coach Anthony Noreen and senior forward Blake Mesenburg took center stage for the media to pepper them with questions.

Noreen stepped in first, and the opening questions focused on the obvious elephant in the room: the incredible roster turnover and how the coaching staff managed it.

A constant theme when discussing the new players on the roster, as it is in almost every press conference Noreen participates in, is reshaping the Miami hockey culture. How do all of these players fit into building a team culture that RedHawk fans, players, coaches and alumni can be proud of?

Noreen and his staff agreed that the important trait to look for was competitiveness, especially considering that it would be impossible to bring in the most talented class in college hockey after one year at the helm.

“I’m a huge believer that a high tide raises all ships,” Noreen said. “You get a bunch of competitive guys in a room together, they’re going to bring even more out of each other because they don’t want to be out-competed by the guy next to them, and that’s a lot of what we’ve seen so far.”

In that same vein, Noreen further discussed the culture and explained why the small group of returning players (seven in total) was selected to remain with the team. The first Friday night after the season ended was what sealed the deal.

“You would think: You’re a student athlete, you haven’t really had a weekend off all season and it’s your first time on a Friday night to have a weekend off and go be a normal college student,” Noreen said. “We had a recruit on campus, and I was walking through the rink at about 9:30 at night, and every one of our returners was in the gym working out aside from their normal spring workouts. And I looked at the guy who we had on the visit and was like, ‘Okay, we might have a chance with this.’ This is why those guys were kept here. This is why we believed in that group to come back.

Among other things, Noreen clarified which roles coaches were assigned this season. All four primary staff members will be involved in recruiting, with David Nies taking the lead as the program’s general manager. Associate coach Troy Thibodeau will work with the forwards and the power play, while Lionel Mauron will work with the defensemen and the penalty kill.

Noreen also highlighted the goaltending position, where Miami fans will see three names who are not only new to the program but also have no experience in Division I college hockey.

“It’s a position we know we need to be better at,” Noreen said. “It’s your quarterback. It’s the most important position, so we didn’t take any of those three [roster spots] lightly. Having said that, it wasn’t just about ability. It was finding guys who we thought had a really high ceiling and a ton of ability. They’re guys who have made runs at different levels and shown up when it’s been on the line.”

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After Noreen’s media session finished, Mesenburg stepped up to the plate for his round of questions, including one about Noreen and what the second-year head coach has meant to both him and the program.

“For him to step in and trust me as a guy who has been here through two tough years when he came in,” Mesenburg said, “I think it’s been incredible that he’s given me this shot and believed in me over the last year and two months. I can’t thank him enough for that, and I think it's meant a lot that he has found the guys who maybe aren’t the highest-end skill level, but he knows guys who are going to right the ship and represent Miami hockey in the best way possible.”

Mesenburg, who was wearing the ‘A’ as an alternate captain last season, emphasized the key differences between the player pool this season and last. Instead of focusing on the skill or competitiveness of the new players, the focus was on the atmosphere around the rink as everyone became familiar with one another.

“I think the one thing I’ve noticed especially is there’s kind of a different buzz around the rink,” Mesenburg said. “With this many new guys, we can come in and set a standard as returners, but with 21 new guys, it allows guys to get comfortable and show their true colors earlier on, and it makes it easier for everyone to set a standard.”

Finally, Mesenburg’s time concluded after speaking about his goals for the team and as an individual. With 95 collegiate games under his belt and a plethora of off-ice awards from the NCHC, the 23-year-old center has seen plenty of ups and downs, but the objective remains the same.

“For me personally, it’s like it has been the last three years: leaving this place better than I found it,” Mesenburg said. “I know I might not be able to experience this program when it’s at its peak and fully moving, but I know I want to be a part of building this foundation and say I was able to make a difference on this program and see this program when it’s truly shining.”

@jjmid04

middleje@miamioh.edu