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Subscribe to USCHO Game of the Week:Yale graduate, former NHL goaltending coach Westlund tabbed new assistant coach for UConn men’s hockey team
UConn has announced the addition of Alex Westlund to the men’s hockey coaching staff as an assistant coach with a focus on goaltending and recruiting.
Westlund joins the Huskies staff after spending the past three years with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings where he served as the team’s goaltending coach.
“We’re excited to add Alex to our program,” said Huskies head coach Mike Cavanaugh in a statement. “He’s an experienced coach who brings valuable knowledge from the NHL, AHL, and Team USA. His enthusiasm for the game will be contagious, and we look forward to having him on our team.”
Prior to his time with the Red Wings, Westlund served as the goalie coach for Team USA during the IIHF World Championship (2024) and was the AHL’s Hershey Bears (AHL) goaltending coach (2017-22). Additionally, Westlund served as a goalie coach overseas for the KHL’s Medvescak Zagreb (2016-17) and the Augsburg Panther Eishockey Club (2015-17).
On top of his experience at the professional level, Westlund is very familiar with the USA Hockey system, serving as the USA Hockey New England District head goalie coach and evaluator for the U15-U18 age groups and was part of the USA Hockey Select 17 Festival goalie evaluation group for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup summer tournament in 2014, 2015 and 2021.
A Yale graduate, Westlund set the record for all-time games played and saves and won the Ivy League championship in 1998 and 1999.
Westlund appeared in over 750 professional games during 16 seasons, playing in leagues across North America, Russia, Europe and Asia.
Rensselaer adds Schneider, ‘one of the brightest and most promising young coaches in college hockey,’ as new assistant coach for Engineers
Rensselaer has announced that Cory Schneider will be joining the RPI bench as an assistant coach for the men’s hockey team.
Schneider arrives in Troy, N.Y., following three seasons at Clarkson, where he was an integral part of the Golden Knights’ coaching staff, including key roles in recruiting, player development, and power play management.
Schneider’s power play units have ranked in the top 10 nationally three times in the past five seasons (2024-25 at Clarkson – tied for 6th in the country (25.7%), 2021-22 at AIC – 5th in the country (25.9%), 2020-21 at AIC – 8th in the country (23.6%).
Prior to his time at Clarkson, Schneider spent three seasons alongside new RPI head coach Eric Lang at American International, where he helped the Yellow Jackets claim three consecutive Atlantic Hockey championships.
“Cory is one of the brightest and most promising young coaches in college hockey, renowned for his exceptional recruiting skills and relentless work ethic,” said Lang in a statement. “With a proven championship pedigree, he understands what it takes to build a winning, championship-caliber team. We are ecstatic he is part of our RPI family, and we are lucky to have him on board.”
From 2017 to 2019, Schneider served as an assistant coach at UMass Boston. During his tenure, the Beacons won the NEHC regular-season title and earned the program’s first-ever berth in the NCAA Division III tournament. He began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at the Wentworth Institute of Technology from 2015 to 2017.
A four-year member of the Ohio State men’s team, Schneider appeared in 112 games for the Buckeyes from 2008 to 2012. He was a team captain as a senior and was recognized as a three-time Big Ten all-academic honoree. He earned the conference’s sportsmanship award in 2011 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Schneider also played professionally in the ECHL with the Fort Wayne Komets and Cincinnati Cyclones and in the CHL with the Fort Worth Brahmas.
CCHA 2025-26 Men’s Hockey Season Preview: Potential there for conference ‘to be the tightest the CCHA has ever been’
It’s almost a cliche at this point to point out the parity that exists in the CCHA.
Sure, Minnesota State last season won their third MacNaughton Cup in the four seasons since the league was re-formed in 2022, but every year we’ve seen close races for the league title and for home ice in the conference tournament.
This year, though, things look even more unpredictable. With the NCAA finally allowing major junior players into the fold, the talent pool is more wide-open than it’s ever been.
“With the influx of the new players, especially with the CHL, I think that’s where the anticipation is for me, just to see how those kids blend into college hockey, the college environment, what skill level they bring,” CCHA commissioner Don Lucia said during the conference’s annual media day in September. “We have some outstanding returning players, too, and you go to every team and they all have real key returners. That’s why I think you’re going to see such a competitive league this season.
“Some of the teams that might have been picked fifth, sixth even have an opportunity based on how their teams come together, to not only be in home ice conversation but fighting for the league title as well.”
This year seven of the nine CCHA teams have at least one player who played in the CHL at some point in their careers.
“I can’t tell you who’s going to be the quickest to adjust,” Bowling Green coach Dennis Williams said. “What you’re trying to do is to get the players up to speed with the way the game is played in college hockey, which is drastically different than the CHL, so there’s going to be a little bit of time there.”
Williams, who is in his second year with the Falcons, spent seven seasons as the head coach of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips before returning to his alma mater. And Williams utilized those connections, bringing in 11 players from the CHL to add to an already-veteran Falcons roster. The recruiting class was ranked No. 1 in the country by some analysts and the Falcons were picked to finished third in the media poll with four votes.
Defending champions Minnesota State, meanwhile, didn’t add any CHL talent but faced with the prospect of losing 18 players either to graduation or the portal managed to bring in 17 players the “old fashioned” way — meaning the USHL and the transfer portal. The lack of CHL recruits didn’t hurt them in the polls, either—the media picked them to finish first and the coaches second.
“The league will probably be based on consistency, who can come night in and night out, so we have to get new players advanced to that level,” third-year Minnesota State coach Luke Strand said. “We felt the balance that our freshman class coming in after our graduation of a big number, and we could get some transfers that could probably give us a shot in the arm earlier. I’m sure at some point we will utilize the CHL but we’re not necessarily at that point now.”
Of course, not everything in this league will be about newcomers. The CCHA is still, at its heart, a league full of older, experienced players. Minnesota State goaltender Alex Tracy was a finalist for the Mike Richter Award last season, and he, MSU defenseman Evan Murr and St. Thomas forward Lucas Wahlin were all first-team All-CCHA last season. Michigan Tech’s Stiven Sardarian and Isaac Gordon were two of the league’s top scorers and both return to Houghton. Augustana goaltender Josh Kotai might have been the top goalie in the league last season if it wasn’t for Tracy.
“There’s more consistency through continuity,” said Augustana coach Garret Raboin, whose experienced team returns a whopping 20 players from a season in which the Vikings finished second. “There’s expectations, there’s a standard that they’ve set for themselves in terms of how we go about our business. All these things take time, and that’s what we’re realizing here as we start year three.”
However the teams in the CCHA have gone about building their rosters to compete this season, most of the league’s coaches are expecting unpredictability.
“It’s going to be like any other year. I said this last year, it’s going to be the tightest the CCHA has ever been, but I think this year’s going to be,” Bemidji State coach Tom Serratore said. “It’s going to be competitively deep, and I think a number of teams have a shot at winning the league. I think it’s the new normal in our league, and it’s the new normal in college hockey.”
AUGUSTANA
HEAD COACH: Garrett Raboin (third season)
LAST SEASON: 18-13-4 (9-5-2 CCHA; second; lost to Bemidji State in CCHA quarterfinals)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Junior goaltender Josh Kotai (17-10-3, 1.92 GAA, .936 SV%), junior forward Hunter Bischoff (10-13-23), junior forward Brett Meerman (7-16-23), and junior defenseman Hayden Hennan (3-12-15)
KEY LOSSES: Forward Luke Mobley (13-7-2), forward Payton Matsui (8-13-21), forward Simon Falk (5-11-16)
KEY ADDITIONS: Forward Cole Burtch (Ferris State, CCHA, 17-19-26), forward Jacob Jastrzebski (USHL, Des Moines), forward Leo Bulgakov (NAHL, Aberdeen)
2025-26 OUTLOOK: Augustana is one of the big boys now: No longer the new kids on the block, they’re full league members, playing a full league schedule, with a set of expectations closer to those of programs that have been around for decades. And this season, those expectations are clear: Compete for the MacNaughton Cup. Considering their second place finish last season, the Vikings must feel good about their chances. Goaltender Josh Kotai — one of the top netminders in a league that has plenty of top-tier goalies — leads an experienced group of players who now will face the rigors of an entire CCHA schedule. Last season the Vikings played half as many games as everyone else and took second place based on points percentage. The question will be if they can maintain that pace through an entire conference slate. If they can, they will be among the top teams in the league.
JACK’S PREDICTION: Third
BEMIDJI STATE
HEAD COACH: Tom Serratore (25th season)
LAST SEASON: 15-18-5 (10-12-4 CCHA; seventh; lost to Minnesota State in CCHA semifinals)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Senior forward Kirklan Irey (11-13-24), senior forward Reilly Funk (7-16-23), sophomore defenseman Isa Parekh (3-15-18), and junior forward Kaspar Magnussen (7-9-18)
KEY LOSSES: Goaltender Mattias Sholl (14-17-5, 2.81 GAA, .897 SV%), forward Jackson Jutting (14-8-22), forward Eric Martin (10-13-23)
KEY ADDITIONS: Goaltender Max Hildebrand (WHL, Prince Albert), defenseman Max Vig (USHL, Cedar Rapids), defenseman Hudson Thornton (ECHL, Orlando), forward Connor McClennon (USports, Alberta)
2025-26 OUTLOOK: The rule change that finally allowed major junior players into college hockey has truly diversified the talent pool in the college game. Nowhere is this more apparent than in how Bemidji State approached its incoming recruiting class this season. The Beavers leaned heavily on CHL talent, including Max Hildebrand—the WHL goaltender of the year last season—but they were also able to utilize a previously-untapped transfer market by adding many experienced players from USports. A few of these players—namely Connor McClennon and Hudson Thornton—have played multiple games in the AHL and ECHL. The NCAA granted them eligibility, and these players should be able to step in right away and add to an already experienced Beaver lineup that includes Kirklan Irey, Isa Parekh and Reilly Funk. Expect to see BSU in the thick of the MacNaughton Cup race all season.
JACK’S PREDICTION: Fourth
BOWLING GREEN
HEAD COACH: Dennis Williams (second season)
LAST SEASON: 18-14-4 (12-10-4 CCHA; fourth; lost to St. Thomas in CCHA semifinals)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Junior forward Brody Waters (16-6-22), junior forward Ben Doran (10-12-22), senior defenseman Dalton Norris (2-15-17), and junior goaltender Cole Moore (6-11-1, 2.80 GAA, .906 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: Goaltender Christian Stoever (12-3-3, 1.76 GAA, .942 SV%), forward Ryan O’Hara (11-22-33), forward Ethan Scardina (7-9-16)
KEY ADDITIONS: Goaltender Jacob Steinman (QMJHL, Halifax/Montcon), forward Dominik Rymon (WHL, Everett), defenseman Ty Higgins (QMJHL, Rouyn-Noranda), forward Noah Morneau (OHL, Windsor), forward Tyler Hosten (ECAC, RPI)
2025-26 OUTLOOK: For all the talk about the top-ranked incoming recruiting class—and it’s an impressive one—the Falcons also retained an nice group of returners. Junior forward Brody Waters was sneakily one of the top goalscorers in the league last season with 16, and headlines a solid forward group that also includes Brett Pfoh, Ben Doran and Jaden Grant. They also return goaltender Cole Moore, who was a solid contributor in a killer goaltender tandem with the now-graduated Christian Stoever. Last season the Falcons really took flight in the second half of the season, and if they can keep that consistency for a full season, expect them to compete for a MacNaughton Cup
JACK’S PREDICTION: First
FERRIS STATE
HEAD COACH: Brett Riley (first season)
LAST SEASON: 13-20-3 (12-13-1 CCHA; sixth; lost to St. Thomas in CCHA quarterfinals)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Senior forward Gavin Best (10-9-19), senior forward Tyler Schleppe (9-9-18), sophomore defenseman Logan Heroux (3-11-14)
KEY LOSSES: Forward Caiden Gault (15-10-25), defenseman Travis Shoudy (6-12-18), forward Cole Burtch (7-19-26), forward Kaleb Ergang (6-15-21)
KEY ADDITIONS: Goaltender Noah Rupprecht (NCAA, LIU), goaltender Hobie Hedquist (NCHC, North Dakota), forward John Lundy (AHA, AIC), forward Josh Zary (NCAA, LIU), forward Carter Rapalje (NCAA, LIU)
2025-26 OUTLOOK: For the first time in decades, there’s a new look behind the bench in Big Rapids. First-year head coach Brett Riley takes over Bob Daniels, who retired after 33 seasons at Ferris State. Riley, who comes from Long Island, has already taken a different approach to building his first team with Ferris State. Seventeen returners are complimented with 13 newcomers, all of whom were exclusively brought in through the transfer portal—including five players Riley brought with him from Long Island. That means the Bulldogs won’t have any true freshmen on the roster this season. That experience should bode well for Ferris. Riley did a great job turning independent Long Island into a competitive program with fewer resources, so there’s hope for fans in in Big Rapids that the Bulldogs can finally re-enter the upper echelon of the CCHA and compete for home ice.
JACK’S PREDICTION: seventh
LAKE SUPERIOR STATE
HEAD COACH: Damon Whitten (12th season)
LAST SEASON: 12-22-2 (10-15-1 CCHA; eighth; lost to Minnesota State in CCHA quarterfinals)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Senior forward Connor Millburn (9-14-23), senior forward Sasha Teleguine (14-5-19), junior forward Luke Levandowski (5-9-14), junior forward John Herrington (4-14-18)
KEY LOSSES: Forward Timo Bakos (10-12-22), forward Dawson Tritt (7-10-17), defenseman Nate Schweitzer (3-15-18)
KEY ADDITIONS: Forward Ryan Beck (NCHC, Colorado College), forward Calem Mangone (OHL, Saginaw), goaltender Andrew Oke (OHL, Saginaw), defenseman Max Ranström (NAHL, Corpus Christi),
2025-26 OUTLOOK: Lake Superior State has seemingly been on the cusp of something for a few years now, but have had trouble turning the corner with a season above .500. Two seasons ago, the Lakers finished seventh but were a game away from playing in the Mason Cup final. Last season was something of a step back, as they finished eighth and were swept by Minnesota State in the first round of the playoffs. This year’s team lost a couple top scorers to graduation but Connor Millburn returns for his senior season hoping to make a splash after dealing with some injuries last year. Plus, over the offseason the LSSU hockey program was the benefactor of a million-dollar anonymous donation in hopes that the Lakers have more money to compete in the NIL market, there are reasons for optimism.
JACK’S PREDICTION: Eighth
MICHIGAN TECH
HEAD COACH: Bill Muckalt (first season)
LAST SEASON: 16-17-3 (12-11-3 CCHA; fifth; lost to Bowling Green in CCHA quarterfinals)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Senior forward Stiven Sardarian (11-24-35), junior forward Isaac Gordon (7-19-26), junior forward Max Koskipirtti (7-20-27), sophomore forward Elias Jansson (12-11-23)
KEY LOSSES: Forward Logan Morrell (11-10-21), defenseman Matthew Campbell (6-6-12), defenseman Chase Pietila (7-15-22), forward Jack Works (5-10-15)
KEY ADDITIONS: Forward Teydon Trembecky (WHL, Victoria), goaltender Owen Bartoszkiewicz (NCAA, Lindenwood), forward Rylan Gould (WHL, Swift Current), forward Noah Reinhart (QMJHL, Val-d’Or), Carson Latimer (USports, U of British Columbia)
2025-26 OUTLOOK: Bill Muckalt didn’t waste much time hitting the recruiting trail in his return to Houghton. Muckalt, who was an assistant at Tech under Mel Pearson in the 2010s, hit a home run in recruiting both current players and newcomers to Houghton. Shortly after Muckalt’s hiring was announced, Isaac Gordon decided to withdraw his previous transfer portal commitment from North Dakota. Leading scorer Stiven Sardarian, who had a few offers to go to the AHL, also decided to return to school. As a result, the Huskies return six double-digit scorers from last season. Additionally, Muckalt and the Tech coaching staff did a great job in convincing some top players from the CHL to come to Houghton. Of Tech’s 18 newcomers, eight are from the CHL and four of those are underagers who have junior eligibility left. There’s a lot of upside here, but the big question for Michigan Tech is how well these players will adapt to the college game and gel with the returners under a new coach’s system.
JACK’S PREDICTION: Fifth
MINNESOTA STATE
HEAD COACH: Luke Strand (third season)
LAST SEASON: 27-9-3 (18-5-3 CCHA; first; beat St. Thomas in CCHA championship, lost to Western Michigan in NCAA Fargo Regional semifinals)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Senior goaltender Alex Tracy (26-9-3, 1.42 GAA, .946 SV%), junior defenseman Evan Murr (7-20-27), junior forward Luigi Benincasa (6-18-24)
KEY LOSSES: Forward Rhett Pitlik (13-27-40), forward Adam Eisele (13-13-26), forward Josh Groll (14-18-32), forward Brian Carrabes (10-10-20), forward Kaden Bohlsen (12-5-17)
KEY ADDITIONS: Forward Reid Morich (USHL, Waterloo), defenseman Rylan Bonkowski (USHL, Tri-City), forward Felikss Gavars (ECAC, St. Lawrence), forward Tristan Lemyre (NCHC, Western Michigan)
2025-26 OUTLOOK: The good news is that All-American Mike Richter Award finalist and CCHA player of the year Alex Tracy returns for the Mavericks. With him in the net, they will be tough to beat. The bad news, however, is that MSU lost 18 players — eight to the transfer portal and 10 to graduation. All five of MSU’s double-digit goal-scorers are gone, and only Evan Murr, Luigi Benincasa and Ralfs Bergmanis reached double digits in overall points. With 17 newcomers, the Mavericks will have to figure out who is going to be relied upon to score goals.
JACK’S PREDICTION: Sixth
NORTHERN MICHIGAN
HEAD COACH: Dave Shyiak (second season)
LAST SEASON: 5-27-2 (4-20-2 CCHA; ninth; did not make conference tournament)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Sophomore forward Grayden Slipec (10-9-19), sophomore forward Jakub Altrichter (3-16-19), junior defenseman Tynan Ewart (1-10-11), sophomore forward Aidyn Hutchinson (4-6-10)
KEY LOSSES: Goaltender Ryan Ouellette (5-25-2, 2.95 GAA, .917 SV%), forward Jesse Tucker (4-5-9), forward Tanner Latsch (5-2-7), forward Ryan Duguay (6-2-8)
KEY ADDITIONS: Forward Caiden Gault (CCHA, Ferris State), forward Mathew Ward (WHL, Medicine Hat), goaltender Jackson Fuller (NAHL, New Mexico), forward Tobias Pitka (BCHL, Victoria)
2025-26 OUTLOOK: The 2024-25 Wildcats sure took their lumps. This was to be expected, as Dave Shyiak was hired late in the offseason and had to scramble to fill out a roster. All things considered, NMU performed admirably, with goaltender Ryan Ouellette helping them stay in more games than perhaps they should have been. Ouellette is gone, but considering barely any players on last year’s roster had any significant collegiate hockey experience, they should be able to be competitive in games even without a goaltender bailing them out. With some impressive returners like Grayden Slipec and Jakub Altricher and solid experienced newcomers that came through the portal (like Ferris State leading scorer Caiden Gault), the Wildcats might not make the playoffs, but they will be fighting for those final few playoff sports for much longer than they did last season.
JACK’S PREDICTION: Ninth
ST. THOMAS
HEAD COACH: Rico Blasi (fifth season)
LAST SEASON: 19-14-5 (13-9-4 CCHA; third; lost to Minnesota State in CCHA championship game)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Senior forward Lucas Wahlin (17-24-41), senior forward Ryan O’Neill (6-15-21), senior forward Jake Braccini (9-10-19), junior defenseman Chase Cheslock (1-13-14), senior goaltender Aaron Trotter (12-5-3, 2.63 GAA, .909 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: Goaltender Jake Sibell (7-9-2, 2.46 GAA, .923 SV%), forward Liam Malmquist (20-25-45), forward Cooper Gay (9-11-30), defenseman Chase Foley (3-19-22), forward Matthew Gleason (11-11-22)
KEY ADDITIONS: Goaltender Carson Musser (NCHC, Colorado College), defenseman Colton Jamieson (USHL, Madison), forward Lucas Van Vliet (USHL, Dubuque), forward Josh Giuliani (USHL, Dubuque), forward Nathan Pilling (WHL, Seattle)
2025-26 OUTLOOK: St. Thomas’ final season in the CCHA has the most expectations of any they have had to date. The Tommies, who will join the NCHC next season, are also eligible for the NCAA tournament this year. With one of their two outstanding goaltenders from the CCHA’s best goalie rotation back in the net (Aaron Trotter) and one of the best goal scorers in the nation returning to St. Paul (Lucas Wahlin), the Tommies are going to be a threat to win lots of hardware before they depart.
JACK’S PREDICTION: Second
After 17 NHL seasons, former Michigan star Pacioretty back with Wolverines as special assistant to head coach
Former Wolverines standout Max Pacioretty has joined Michigan as special assistant to the head coach.
Pacioretty played 17 years in the NHL, with his final season in 2024-25 with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“Bringing in a guy like Max is huge for us,” Michigan head coach Brandon Naurato said in a statement. “He’s been through it all in the NHL and knows what it takes to play and lead at the highest level. Our players are going to learn a ton from the way he sees the game, how he prepares and how he carries himself. It’s exciting to have that kind of experience around every day. Having an alum like Max back around the program reminds our players that they’re part of something bigger, and that’s the Michigan hockey legacy.”
“After 17 seasons in the NHL, I’m excited to begin this next chapter with Michigan Hockey,” added Pacioretty. “I’m so thankful for the teammates, coaches and fans who have been a part of my journey. Hockey has given me so much, and now I have the opportunity to help develop the next generation of players. Michigan has a tradition of producing elite talent, and I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned to help these guys grow on and off the ice. Just as important, this next step allows me to be closer to my family and spend more time with my kids. I’m going to be coaching my four boys in youth hockey and that’s something I’ll really cherish as a dad.”
Pacioretty was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of 2007 NHL Draft. Following his freshman year at Michigan, Pacioretty made his debut with the Canadiens in 2009, scoring his first NHL goal on his first NHL shot. He led the team in scoring in 2011-12 en route to capturing the Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy. Prior to the start of the 2015-16 season, Pacioretty was named captain of the historic franchise. He had five seasons in which he scored 30 or more goals.
He spent four seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights (2018-22) and was elected to the 2020 NHL All-Star Game. Pacioretty played the 2022-23 season with the Carolina Hurricanes and the 2023-24 season with the Washington Capitals.
During the 2007-08 season at Michigan, he tallied 15 goals and 38 points in 36 games and was named to the CCHA all-rookie team.
Pacioretty made Michigan history in 2024 when he surpassed his former head coach Red Berenson in career NHL points. Also the Michigan leader in NHL goals scored with 335, Pacioretty ranks fifth in assists with 346 and games played with 939.
The PodKaz women’s hockey podcast – An early nonconference surprise and a look ahead to a top-10 series
This edition of the PodKaz, the weekly look at NCAA women’s hockey from USCHO.com, has hosts Nicole Haase and Todd Milewski looking back at an upset by Merrimack against Clarkson and weighing the ramifications.
Then we reflect on Penn State’s sweep of St. Lawrence and a split between UConn and St. Cloud State in matchups between ranked teams. The result of a series between Minnesota and Boston College opened some eyes.
The weekend ahead brings a featured series between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 7 Colgate, both getting their first real action of the season. Plus, we look ahead to series with No. 9 Clarkson hosting No. 12 UConn and No. 13 Boston University welcoming No. 3 Minnesota.
The PodKaz is a production of USCHO.com. Have a question for us? Reach out to Nicole (@NicoleHaase) or Todd (@ToddMilewski) on social media or email todd.milewski@uscho.com.
Former Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey captain Revering hired as new assistant coach at St. Scholastica
The St. Scholastica women’s hockey team has named McKenzie Revering new assistant coach.
Revering, a native of Alexandria, Minn., joins the Saints after a solid playing career and years of developing top hockey talent.
“We are extremely excited to announce our new assistant coach, McKenzie Revering,” said Saints head coach Sydney Brodt in a news release. “She is going to bring her elite-level hockey knowledge, contagious positive energy, and natural leadership to the Saints.”
Revering played at Minnesota Duluth from 2017 to 2021, serving as team captain in her senior year.
Following her collegiate career, Revering returned to Alexandria, where she taught and coached at Alexandria High School for four years. She has also been heavily involved with Northern Elite and Minnesota High Performance Hockey, working with some of the state’s best high school players.
Former Oswego men’s hockey player Grimshaw named new assistant coach at Middlebury
Middlebury has announced the hiring of Trent Grimshaw as the assistant men’s hockey coach.
Grimshaw joins the Panthers after playing in the SPHL during the 2024-25 season.
“I’m very excited to welcome Trent to the Middlebury community and the men’s hockey program,” said men’s hockey coach Jack Ceglarski in a statement. “He will bring energy, passion and playing experience to our team that I know our players will enjoy having around them.”
“It is an honor and a privilege to join Middlebury, a program where both academics and athletics are valued at the highest levels,” added Grimshaw. “I look forward to contributing to its proud tradition of excellence on and off the ice.”
Away from competition, Grimshaw has served as an agent with AHA Advising for the past year, mentoring players and their families on advancement to the junior and collegiate levels of ice hockey, while creating personalized player development and exposure plans. Before his role with AHA Advising, he served as a skills development coach with Hockey University and Oswego Minor Hockey.
Grimshaw has also held assistant coaching positions during the past two years with FTH Hockey, Pioneer High School and Compuware. He spent six winters (2017-23) as a skills coach with Total Package Hockey and was named a USA Hockey camp instructor in 2018.
Grimshaw concluded his collegiate career with Oswego in 2024, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in health and wellness with a minor in athletic coaching.
NCHC 2025-26 Men’s Hockey Season Preview: Conference looks wide-open with targets on defending national champion Western Michigan
Year-in and year-out, ever since their conference held its first games in 2013, coaches and players from NCHC member schools have talked about the meat-grinder that is their league.
It might be even tougher now, and it’s certainly as difficult as ever to predict who will end up where.
The conference boasts the defending national champion in Western Michigan, maybe not a college hockey blueblood, but unquestionably a program that has been on the rise under coach Pat Ferschweiler. Speaking of coaches, there’s a new one at North Dakota (or a new head coach, anyway, as Dane Jackson was previously an assistant there), and Denver’s David Carle, coming up on a decade in charge, always has his team among the nation’s best.
There are also well-known coaches in the NCHC whose teams have something to prove. Expectations were high last season for St. Cloud State, but veteran coach Brett Larson’s Huskies missed the mark. So, too, did Minnesota Duluth in Scott Sandelin’s 25th season, a milestone in itself for a coach who has delivered three national titles to the Twin Ports.
Passing through a NCHC regular-season slate with flying colors puts you in very good shape nationally. Just ask Western, and seven national champion teams over the past dozen years. Could we see a NCHC team win the natty again this year? Very possible, but just as it’s a bear to get through any campaign in this conference, it’s getting increasingly hard to say with much confidence how it will all pan out.
And, honestly, we like it that way.
ARIZONA STATE
HEAD COACH: Greg Powers (entering 11th NCAA Division I season at ASU)
LAST SEASON: 21-14-2 overall, (14-9-1, second in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Kyle Smolen (Jr., 12-18-30); F Cullen Potter (So., 13-9-22); D Sam Court (So., 3-8-11)
KEY LOSSES: F Ryan Kirwan (26-13-39); F Artem Shlaine (17-21-38); D Noah Beck (5-28-33)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Jack Beck (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL)/Wheeling (ECHL); F Noah Powell (Ohio State transfer); F Johnny Waldron (Miami transfer)
2025-26 PREDICTION: You know how we picked Arizona State to finish eighth in its first season in the NCHC, but said we weren’t terribly confident about that pick and that the Sun Devils might well finish higher than that? That could be the case again this year, even with more generally expected from Powers’s squad. They are without their top three scorers from last season, and they’ll enter the new campaign with three fresh faces vying for time in the goaltender’s crease, but when ASU had its winningest season as a NCAA program two years ago, then did what it did last season in its first campaign as a conference member, overlooking this program is becoming a worse idea all the time.
2025-26 PREDICTED FINISH: Fourth
COLORADO COLLEGE
HEAD COACH: Kris Mayotte (entering his fifth season at CC)
LAST SEASON: 18-18-1 (11-12-1, sixth in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Owen Beckner (So., 7-20-27); D Max Burkholder (Jr., 6-20-26); G Kaidan Mbereko (Sr., 15-15-1, 2.65 GAA, .905 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Noah Laba (10-16-26); D Ty Gallagher (9-17-26); F Gleb Veremyev (9-8-17)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Tomas Mrsic (Prince Albert, WHL), Wilson Bjorck (Djurgardens IF, Sweden); D Colton Roberts (Vancouver, WHL)
2025-26 PREDICTION: Mbereko is one of the best goaltenders in a conference that has quite a few top-tier folks in that department, and he can steal you a game or six. But I’m really curious about what CC will do this season as a unit. They’re quite young, with only two seniors, and it’ll be interesting to see how they make up for the production they’ve lost in the likes of Laba and Gallagher. Fifth in the NCHC could be promising for what’s to come from the Tigers over the next couple of years, but of course they’ll be aiming higher than that.
2025-26 PREDICTED FINISH: Fifth
DENVER
HEAD COACH: David Carle (entering his eighth season at DU)
LAST SEASON: 31-12-1 (15-8-1, third in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Sam Harris (Jr., 23-12-35); D Erik Pohlkamp (Jr., 11-24-35); D Boston Buckberger (9-21-30)
KEY LOSSES: F Jack Devine (13-44-57); F Aidan Thompson (21-34-55); D Zeev Buium (13-35-48)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Kristian Epperson (Saginaw, OHL); D Eric Jamieson (Everett, WHL); G Quentin Miller (Chilliwack, BCHL)
2025-26 PREDICTION: Denver loses its top four scorers from last season, including another forward in Carter King, and the Pioneers will have a new starting goaltender with the departure of Matt Davis. But there’s a lot to like about Denver’s 10 incoming freshmen, as well as with what returns. Harris and Pohlkamp are deserved preseason All-Conference selections, and it’s a fool’s errand to overlook a Denver team that’s been a Frozen Four contender three of the last four seasons. The Pios will be firmly in the hunt again.
2025-26 PREDICTED FINISH: Second
MIAMI
HEAD COACH: Anthony Noreen (entering second season at Miami)
LAST SEASON: 3-28-3 (0-23-1, ninth in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: D Michael Quinn (So., 2-10-12); F Casper Nassen (Jr., 6-4-10); F Blake Mesenberg (Sr., 4-3-7)
KEY LOSSES: F Colby Ambrosio (7-13-20); F Johnny Waldron (4-8-20); F Matt Choupani (6-10-16)
KEY ADDITIONS: F David Deputy (Muskegon, USHL); D Charlie Michaud (Madison, USHL); D Shaun McEwan (Tri-City, USHL)
2025-26 PREDICTION: Last season was a bit of a free hit for Noreen, who was jumping aboard a program that never hit the 10-win mark in five seasons under his successor. Noreen’s first year in charge was obviously rough, with the RedHawks finishing 19 points adrift at the bottom of the NCHC standings. There’s a part of me that gets sleeping-giant vibes with Miami, and I really like Noreen’s approach, but this is a multi-year building job.
2025-26 PREDICTED FINISH: Ninth
MINNESOTA DULUTH
HEAD COACH: Scott Sandelin (entering his 26th season at UMD)
LAST SEASON: 13-20-3 (9-13-2, seventh in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Max Plante (So., 9-19-28); F Jayson Shaugabay (So., 12-14-26); D Aaron Pionk (Jr., 3-23-26)
KEY LOSSES: F Dominic James (14-16-30); D Owen Gallatin (4-11-15); D Aiden Dubinsky (4-10-14)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Daniel Shlaine (Lincoln, USHL); D Grayden Siepmann (Saskatoon, WHL); G Ethan Dahlmeir (Miami transfer)
2025-26 PREDICTION: Minnesota Duluth was one of the NCHC’s lesser-known quantities coming into last season, and this time, the Bulldogs aren’t a whole lot different in that regard. Eighteen underclassmen make up the bulk of UMD’s roster, and while there are some very good returners like Plante and Pionk, I don’t know that I’m ready to predict that the Bulldogs will make a major jump this season.
2025-26 PREDICTED FINISH: Sixth
NORTH DAKOTA
HEAD COACH: Dane Jackson (entering first head coaching season at UND)
LAST SEASON: 21-15-2 (14-9-1, fifth in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: D Jake Livanavage (Jr., 4-24-28); D Abram Wiebe (Jr., 4-20-24); F Dylan James (14-8-22)
KEY LOSSES: F Sacha Boisvert (18-14-32); F Owen McLaughlin (5-25-30); G TJ Semptimphelter (18-11-2, 2.68 GAA, .910 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F David Klee (Muskegon, USHL); F Cole Reschny (Victoria, WHL); D Sam Laurila (Fargo, USHL); Keaton Verhoeff (Victoria, WHL)
2025-26 PREDICTION: Expectations among Fighting Hawks fans are always high, which helps explain why national championship-winning coach Brad Berry was dismissed after UND missed the NCAA tournament two of the past three years. Most prognosticators, myself included, were off in terms of where we expected the Hawks to stack up last season, but while they’ve lost some key pieces, they always reload and have a lot of promising newcomers. Oh, and the last time they had a new head coach, they won it all in his first season. No pressure, then.
2025-26 PREDICTED FINISH: Third
OMAHA
HEAD COACH: Mike Gabinet (entering ninth season at UNO)
LAST SEASON: 18-17-1 (14-9-1, fourth in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Cameron Mitchell (Sr., 8-12-20); D Jacob Guevin (Sr., 7-13-20); G Simon Latkoczy (Jr., 14-16-1, 2.70 GAA, .922 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Sam Stange (16-18-34); F Brady Risk (13-12-25); F Harrison Israels (10-15-25)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Marcus Nguyen (Brandon, WHL); F Luke Woodworth (Drummondville, QMJHL); D Marc Lajoie (Alberta, U Sports)
2025-26 PREDICTION: Last season saw Omaha take a small step back, after one of the Mavericks’ best campaigns ever. They were led up front last season by three graduate students, as you do, and there’s a good amount of slack to be picked up. This is a fairly young squad with 15 newcomers, but Latkoczy can keep you in any game, and Gabinet will be hoping that an incoming class filled with prior leadership experience will get up to speed quickly. If they do, watch the Mavericks compete for a home-ice playoff spot.
2025-26 PREDICTED FINISH: Seventh
ST. CLOUD STATE
HEAD COACH: Brett Larson (entering eighth season at SCSU)
LAST SEASON: 14-21-1 (7-16-1, eighth in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Austin Burnevik (So., 13-15-28); F Tyson Gross (Jr., 9-16-25); D Josh Zinger (Sr., 4-4-8)
KEY LOSSES: D Josh Luedtke (3-5-8); F Mason Salquist (3-4-7); G Isak Posch (12-10-0, 2.39 GAA, .923 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Noah Urness (Sioux Falls, USHL); F Nolan Roed (Tri-City, USHL); D Tanner Henricks (Lincoln, USHL)
2025-26 PREDICTION: St. Cloud State is fresh off what’s fair to call a down season, considering the Huskies were picked to finish five spots higher in the NCHC standings than where they ended up. They didn’t lose a ton over the offseason in terms of skaters, but I feel like this might’ve been a different team with a healthy Posch in net. He left early, though, and it’ll be very interesting to see how Larson’s crew looks from the net out.
2025-26 PREDICTED FINISH: Eighth
WESTERN MICHIGAN
HEAD COACH: Pat Ferschweiler (entering fifth season at WMU)
LAST SEASON: 34-7-1 (19-4-1, first in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Owen Michaels (Jr., 18-18-36); F Grant Slukynsky (Jr., 10-16-26); G Hampton Slukynsky (So., 19-5-1, 1.90 GAA, .922 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Alex Bump (23-24-47); F Tim Washe (16-22-38); F Matteo Costantini (8-15-23)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Cole Spicer (Dubuque, USHL); F William Whitelaw (Michigan transfer); D Theo Wallberg (Ohio State transfer)
2025-26 PREDICTION: Remember when we picked WMU to finish sixth in its own conference last season? Yeah, whoops. They weren’t even as low as sixth in the country, instead winning their program’s first national championship. Ferschweiler already had a really good thing going in Kalamazoo, and the future looks bright, too, with a new arena coming down the pike. As for this season, even with the likes of Bump and Washe gone, there’s so much firepower returning, as well as several newcomers with prior big-name college experience. If you think we’re taking the Broncos anywhere lower than first this time around, keep dreaming.
2025-26 PREDICTED FINISH: First
The NCAA Power Index (NPI) is replacing the PairWise, but what does that mean for college hockey?
The PairWise Rankings have been as familiar – and often controversial – as any topic across college hockey for the better part of three decades.
The term, first coined by three self-described “stat geeks” from the University of Minnesota (who went on to start USCHO back some 30 years ago), is going the way of the VHS tape this season as the NCAA Men’s Division I ice hockey committee changes how teams are selected for the postseason NCAA championship.
The NCAA Power Index, known simply as the NPI, will replace the PairWise Rankings as the selection process for the 2026 championship next March.
It is a move that has been a long time coming, one that coaches have called on to change for a number of years in hopes of finding some sort of ranking system that fairly and evenly quantifies teams to assemble the NCAA tournament field.
So what is different and how much of a difference will this new system make?
When you come down to it, things may seem similar.
USCHO recently spoke with Tim Danehy, known better in the college hockey universe as the person who once operated the well-liked website collegehockeystats.net for almost two decades. He has often been called up to put his highly-talented mathematical brain to use in a consulting role to the NCAA and ice hockey, particularly when it comes to how teams are selected for the NCAA tournament.
Danehy does acknowledge that the NPI might not produce a different 16-team field come March than the PairWise might. But he says one of the most important characteristics of the NPI is its ability to eliminate some statistical anomalies that hampered the PairWise.
As an example, Danehy points to last season and the comparison of Ohio State and Princeton. The Buckeyes finished the season ranked 10th in the PairWise. The team’s Ratings Percentage Index, or RPI (which measure your success against your opponents, taking into consideration your strength of schedule) was .5594, also ranked 10th.
Princeton finished the season 43rd in the PairWise, with an RPI of .4830. But the Tigers won twice at home against Ohio State in late November, both by the score of 3-1.
Now let’s look at the criteria of the PairWise Ranking to better understand how Princeton and Ohio State compare to one another.
There are three criteria that the PairWise has used for a number of years:
- RPI
- Common opponents
- Head-to-head
One point is awarded for each criteria won, understanding that each head-to-head victory earns a criteria point. If there is a tie in total criteria won, the team with the best RPI wins the comparison.
Ohio State wins the RPI criteria soundly, but because Ohio State and Princeton had no common opponents, those two losses in November made it impossible for the Buckeyes to win the comparison against Princeton.
“The PairWise comparison says Princeton is better,” said Danehy, noting that almost any other measurement would have Ohio State ahead. “There’s an enormous RPI gap, but [in the PairWise Ranked] that doesn’t matter.”
It is statistical anomalies that the NPI looks to address, and it does this by selectively eliminating certain games that can negatively – and also positively – impact a team’s position.
In the NPI system, games that negatively impact a team’s ranking are not simply counted against the team, but are systematically evaluated and potentially removed. Here’s how it works:
1. Initially, all games are counted in the calculation
2. The system then identifies the lowest-value wins
3. Games below a certain threshold can be removed from the calculation
4. There’s a minimum wins requirement (12 wins) to prevent teams from eliminating their entire schedule
5. When a game is removed, it’s as if the game was never played – teams are not penalized, just eliminated
6. The removal process is dynamic and iterative, meaning:
– Each game’s removal affects other teams’ calculations
– The process repeats multiple times, thus stabilizing the rankings
The goal is to prevent teams from being artificially boosted or penalized by extremely weak or strong individual games while maintaining a representative season-long performance metric.
Better said, teams get rewarded for playing stronger teams.
“We immediately solve that disconnect,” Danehy said. “If you’re ranked higher than me, you’re worth more towards strength of schedule than me. I can’t help my strength of schedule more by playing somebody that’s ranked below.”
These changes should not, and in all likelihood will not, create a radical shift in the rankings. Instead, according to Danehy, it will produce a more defensible mathematical method.
And this system has already been tested. Division III has been using the NPI across all sports (in fact, here is the link to an excellent podcast explaining NPI in depth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrKp8McryUA). And women’s Division I hockey replaced the PairWise with the NPI last season.
With the season ready to begin, we are still a long way of worrying about which teams will and won’t make the NCAA tournament. But when you Google searches for “PairWise Rankings” next March yield little, just changed the search term to “NPI.”
NCAA replaces PairWise with NCAA Power Index (NPI) for D-I men’s hockey championship tournament selections
At the latest meeting of the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Oversight Committee, the final vote for championship selection criteria was passed unanimously finalizing the use of the NCAA Power Index (NPI) for the 2025-26 season.
The NPI replaces the PairWise, which had been in use since the 2013-14 season. One of the benefits of the NPI is that the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Oversight Committee now has the ability to adjust key pieces of the formula (dials) to enhance the selection process. Dials are set prior to the start of the competitive season and can be reevaluated on an annual basis if necessary.
“The committee is excited to implement the NPI for the 2025-26 season,” said Tim Troville, chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee and senior associate director of athletics at Harvard, in a statement. “We spent months taking a deep dive into the numbers from each of the last four seasons with the goal of removing potential mathematical anomalies from the selection process. We had numerous discussions with conference commissioners and coaches and are really pleased with the process and the outcome. What we found was that there was virtually no difference in which teams qualify for the Division I tournament field, however, where teams were seeded did change slightly.”
The NPI functions in a similar way to the Pairwise, and the hockey committee spent hours comparing different calculations before finally settling on the dials. The dials include winning percentage, strength of schedule, quality win bonus points, a mechanism to deal with games that enter overtime and a minimum number of wins that must be factored into the rankings calculation.
The NPI dials for the 2025-26 season are as follows:
- Win percentage / Strength of Schedule – 25%/75%
- Home-Away Win/Loss – 1.2/0.8 (regular season), 1.0/1.0 (postseason)
- Quality Win Base – 51
- Quality Win Multiplier – 0.5
- Overtime – 60/40 (regular season), 100/0 (postseason)
- Minimum Wins – 12
In addition to the dials, the committee also elected to remove the requirement that teams earn a winning percentage of at least .500 to be considered for an at-large berth.
Big Ten 2025-26 Men’s Hockey Season Preview: Are odds in conference’s favor of finally bringing home a national championship?
Let’s go to Vegas, baby.
The 2026 Frozen Four will be played in T-Mobile Arena, home of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, and wouldn’t any team from the Big Ten love to ride a streak all the way to the final buzzer of the national championship game next April?
Because, of course, not one of them has since the Big Ten’s inception in 2013.
It’s not that B1G teams haven’t earned national titles. Four storied programs – Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Wisconsin – have 23 national championships among them, but not one of them has won representing the Big Ten.
Two current teams, Notre Dame (2018) and Minnesota (2014, 2023) have been Frozen Four runners-up while playing Big Ten hockey, and since 2013-14 and including those title game appearances, the conference has been represented 10 times, most notably in 2018 when Michigan and Ohio State joined Notre Dame in St. Paul. Minnesota Duluth, the lowest seed in the field, won it all.
The last time any current B1G team won a national championship was in 2007, when the Spartans surprised Boston College in St. Louis for their third national title, back when Michigan State was part of the CCHA.
The youngest player currently on Michigan State’s roster, sophomore Shane Vansaghi, was four days shy of five months old when that happened. This year’s Michigan State captain, Matt Basgall, hadn’t yet started kindergarten.
Picked first in the Big Ten coaches’ preseason poll, Michigan state welcomes 13 new players this season. “We’re excited,” said coach Adam Nightingale, entering his fourth season. “We feel like the guys that decided to come here came for the right reasons.”
The Spartans saw their bid for another title end with a 4-3 loss to Cornell in the Northeast Regional semifinal last season. This year, Nightingale said that he and his staff “started the year talking about some scars.” Success in the Nightingale era includes back-to-back playoff titles in 2024 and 2025, but it’s clear that Michigan State has an additional goal.
“The nice thing with scars,” said Nightingale, “is that you don’t forget why you have them.”
Picked second by the coaches this season, Penn State made its first trip to the Frozen Four last year and lost the semifinal game 3-1 to Boston University. The Nittany Lions made that program history after not winning a single Big Ten game until the start of the second half of the season, fueling a remarkable run.
Following the loss to the Terriers, coach Guy Gadowsky said that “the fact that we were so far back, so left for dead and came back to make the Frozen Four is something I don’t think any of these guys are ever going to forget. I know I’m not.”
That lesson is undoubtedly what inspired the return of so many key Nittany Lions this season, including five forwards who accounted for 84 of Penn State’s 139 overall goals from last year. Joining all of Penn State’s returning talent are six players from Canadian major juniors.
Every current B1G team has now made a Frozen Four appearance, but one program hasn’t done so since the start of Big Ten conference play. Wisconsin last played in the Frozen Four in 2010, representing the WCHA. In their most recent trip prior to that, the Badgers won the national title in 2006, the year before Michigan State’s last championship.
After a disappointing 2024-25 season led to a sixth-place conference finish and an exit in the Big Ten quarterfinal round, the Badgers were picked fifth in the coaches’ preseason poll. Coach Mike Hastings, beginning his third season in Madison, welcomes eight freshmen and two players from the transfer portal as this season begins.
“We’re still in the process of creating and sustaining our identity,” Hastings said after a preseason scrimmage. “As boring as this sounds, we’ve got to get to our dailies. I do feel we’ve got a unified group in the idea of what their understanding is to what we have to get better every day.”
The Big Ten team to play most recently for a national championship, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, were picked third in the coaches preseason poll after sharing last year’s regular-season B1G title with Michigan State. The Gophers welcome eight freshmen and two transfers, and coach Bob Motzko noted the new look of the team before the season began.
“Gone are a lot of names that we would count on,” said Motzko. “We’re going to find out where it goes, but I can tell you we like what we see. It’s going to be a little different version, but there’s a whole can of whump-ass out there with how they compete and get after it.”
Michigan made three straight trips to the Frozen Four from 2022 to 2024, but the Wolverines missed the NCAA tournament altogether last season following a campaign in which the team never seemed to gel. Coach Brandon Naurato said that this year, he’s hoping to find that chemistry earlier – and that he and his staff are very excited about this team.
“It’s been a lot of fun working this group,” said Naurato, who called this Wolverines team “a group of kids that want to get better every day.”
There are a dozen rookies on the Michigan roster, six of whom are from among the Canadian major junior ranks, plus some talent brought in through the transfer portal. Like the Gophers, the Wolverines have 13 total NHL draft picks on their roster. Michigan may be rebuilding a bit, but the Wolverines are not reinventing anything.
After finishing third in the conference last season, Ohio State was picked in preseason to finish sixth. Given that the Buckeyes are returning a veteran team with solid goaltending, one reason for that relative lack of faith may be the way Ohio State bowed out of the NCAA tournament with an 8-3 loss to Boston University in the Northeast Regional semifinal game.
At a glance, Ohio State may not look as fancy as other B1G teams this season, but the Buckeyes do have the talent to surprise some people.
Picked to finish last in the conference, Notre Dame begins a new era following the retirement of Jeff Jackson as Fighting Irish alum Brock Sheahan (2004-08) takes the helm.
Notre Dame struggled last season, leading to four conference wins and a 1-0 semifinal loss to Michigan State in the conference playoffs. The list of things for first-year head coach Brock Sheahan to address this season is longish. An offense that averaged 2.68 goals per game on average last year but gave up 3.34. A leaky penalty kill (.774). Good goaltending but an inconsistent team defense.
With eight drafted players, a small rookie class, and solid use of the portal, the Fighting Irish may punch well above their weight, so to speak.
“I think the Big Ten is going to be loaded,” said Naurato, “in a tough way, in an awesome way.”
Wouldn’t that be something?
What are the odds?
MICHIGAN
HEAD COACH: Brandon Naurato (fourth season)
LAST SEASON: 18-15-3 (12-10-2 B1G, fourth, lost conference quarterfinal)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Forwards Michael Hage (13-21-34), Will Horcoff (4-6-10), T.J. Hughes (15-23-38), Garrett Schifsky (11-9-20); defenseman Tyler Duke (5-18-13)
KEY LOSSES: Forward Evan Werner (11-11-22); defensemen Ethan Edwards (5-16-21) and Jacob Truscott (3-13-16); goalie Logan Stein (11-9-2, 3.22, .893)
KEY ADDITIONS: Forwards Matthew Mania (Flint, OHL), Cole McKinney (USNTDP, USHL), Jayden Perron (North Dakota, NCHC), Drew Schock (USNTDP, USHL), (Malcolm Spence (Erie, OHL), Teddy Spitznagel (Muskegon, USHL); defensemen Asher Barnett (USNTDP, USHL), Henry Mews (Sudbury, OHL), Ben Robertson (Cornell, ECAC); goalies Jack Ivankovic (Brampton, OHL), Stephen Peck (Muskegon, USHL)
2025-26 PREDICTION: Usually Michigan reloads every season, bringing in high-level players to complement an already well-oiled machine. This year, the Wolverines are renovating, with 11 new players on the roster. For two years running, Michigan has finished fourth in the Big Ten standings. In 2024, the Wolverines parlayed that finish into a Frozen Four appearance; last year, they sat out the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2020 follow three straight trips to the Frozen Four. With a mix of talented veterans, transfers, OHL players and freshmen, Michigan is going to have to find its identity fast if the Wolverines want to contend for a Big Ten title – or even finish above fourth place, again.
PAULA’S PICK: Fourth
MICHIGAN STATE
HEAD COACH: Adam Nightingale (fourth season)
LAST SEASON: 26-7-4 (15-5-4, tied first B1G, lost NCAA Northeast Regional semifinal)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Forwards Daniel Russell (13-12-25) and Charlie Stramel (9-18-27); defensemen Matt Basgall (6-20-26), Patrick Geary (1-6-7), Maxim Strbak (3-16-19); goalie Trey Augustine (19-7-4, 2.08, .924)
KEY LOSSES: Forwards Karsen Dorwart (13-18-31), Isaac Howard (26-26-52), Joey Larson (10-14-24); defensemen Nicklas Andrews (2-16-18)
KEY ADDITIONS: Forwards Cole Burke (Fairbanks, NAHL), Ryker Lee (Madison, USHL), Cayden Lindstrom (Medicine Hat, WHL), Porter Martone (Brampton, OHL), Eric Nilson (Djurgårdens, Sweden), Anthony Romani (Barrie, OHL); defensemen Sean Barnhill (Dubuque, USHL) and Colin Ralph (St. Cloud, NCHC); goalie Melvin Strahl (Youngstown, USHL)
2025-26 PREDICTION: It’s hard for any team to lose a 26-goal scorer, as the Spartans did when Isaac Howard departed for the pros at the end of last season. Harder still is losing two more of the team’s four 10-plus goal scorers, but here’s the thing about Michigan State: in spite of having only four guys on the roster with 10 or more goals last season, the Spartans were still averaging 3.49 goals per game for the seventh most productive offense in the NCAA. With 15 NHL draft picks on their roster – including 2023 second-round Detroit pick, goaltender Trey Augustine – there’s no doubt that the Spartans have the talent to compete for another conference title. How quickly this squad coalesces will determine how far Michigan State will go.
PAULA’S PICK: First
MINNESOTA
HEAD COACH: Bob Motzko (eighth season)
LAST SEASON: 25-11-4 (15-6-3, tied first B1G, lost NCAA West Regional semifinal)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Forwards Brody Lamb (17-9-26) and Brodie Ziemer (12-11-23); defensemen Leo Gruba (1-2-3) and Luke Mittelstadt (2-16-18); goalie Nathan Airey (12-3-2, 2.47, .900)
KEY LOSSES: Forwards Connor Kurth (18-21-39), Oliver Moore (21-21-33), Jimmy Snuggerud (24-27-51), Matthew Wood (17-22-39); defensemen Sam Rinzel (10-22-32), goalie Liam Souliere (13-8-2, 2.35, .917)
KEY ADDITIONS: Forwards Mason Moe (Madison, USHL), L.J. Mooney (USNTDP, USHL), Javon Moore (Sioux Falls, USHL), Tanner Ludtke (Omaha, NCHC); defensemen Finn McLaughlin (Muskegon, USHL) and Jacob Rombach (Lincoln, USHL); goalie Luca Di Pasquo (Michigan State, B1G)
2025-26 PREDICTION: The Golden Gophers ended their 2024-25 season on a bitter note, a 5-4 loss in overtime to Massachusetts in regional semifinal play, a game in which an uncalled trip of a Minnesota player led to the game-winning goal at the other end. After fighting through the injury bug in the second half last season, that end felt like an injustice – perhaps some fuel for another run this year. Although the Minnesota roster looks a bit different this season and no one is sure who will be in net, this is a team loaded with talent, with 13 draft picks and very solid newcomers. The Gophers will be in the mix at the end of it all.
PAULA’S PICK: Third
NOTRE DAME
HEAD COACH: Brock Sheahan (first season)
LAST SEASON: 12-25-1 (4-19-1, seventh B1G, lost conference semifinal)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Forwards Brennan Ali (7-12-19), Cole Knuble (12-27-39), Danny Nelson (13-13-26); defensemen Paul Fischer (2-29-21) and Axel Kumlin (6-15-21); goalie Nicholas Kempf (2-10-1, 3.74, .895)
KEY LOSSES: Forwards Blake Biondi (12-15-27), Justin Janicke (15-19-34), Hunter Strand (8-8-16); defenseman Ryan Helliwell (1-6-7); goalie Owen Say (10-15-0, 2.82, .920)
KEY ADDITIONS: Forwards Will Belle (USNTDP, USHL), Cole Brown (Brantford, OHL), Pano Fimis (Erie, OHL), Sutter Muzzatti (Rensselaer, ECAC), Evan Werner (Michigan, B1G); defensemen Caeden Carlisle (Sault Ste. Marie, OHL); goalie Luke Pearson (Yale, ECAC)
2025-26 PREDICTION: There is a very good chance that the Fighting Irish will finish well above last place, and that’s not just because they may benefit from new-coach bounce. Sheahan has been an associate head coach at Notre Dame for two seasons now, so he’s familiar with everything the Irish need. Notre Dame’s a veteran team returning solid offense up front. The defensive corps needs some solidifying and goaltending is a question mark, but the Irish aren’t starting from rock bottom. Add to that a smart use of the transfer portal and some skilled freshmen and nothing looks bleak in South Bend.
PAULA’S PICK: Seven
OHIO STATE
HEAD COACH: Steve Rohlik (13th season)
LAST SEASON: 24-14-2 (14-9-1, third B1G, lost NCAA Northeast Regional semifinal)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Forwards Davis Burnside (14-19-33), Max Motes (14-12-26), Jake Rozzi (5-7-12), Riley Thompson (17-16-33); defensemen Nathan McBrayer (4-6-10) and William Smith (3-3-6); Kristoffer Eberly (12-4-1, 2.28, .915)
KEY LOSSES: Forwards Joe Dunlap (8-14-22), Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (17-23-40), Patrick Guzzo (9-7-16); defensemen Damien Carfagna (7-21-38), Brent Johnson (5-8-13); goalie Logan Terness (12-10-1, 2.47, .917)
KEY ADDITIONS: Forwards Felix Caron (Rensselaer, ECAC), Niall Crocker (Prince Albert, OHL), Adam Eisele (Minnesota State, CCHA), Jake Karabela (Guelph, OHL); defensemen Bryce Ingles (Sioux Falls, USHL), Sam McGinley (Swift Current, WHL), Broten Sabo (Alaska, Independent NCAA), Ethan Straky (Colorado College, NCHC); goalie Sam Hillebrandt (Barrie, OHL)
2025-26 PREDICTION: The Buckeyes lose some of last year’s offensive talent but return a bit as well, and overall, this is a battle-tested, balanced, veteran team. With a mix of transfers, players from Canadian major juniors and some rookies from the U.S. minors, Ohio State may be adding the ingredients it needs to follow up its third-place B1G finish from last season with another push at the top of the standings. They may not be flashy, but if they find their chemistry early in the season, they won’t be a team that can be taken for granted in any way.
PAULA’S PICK: Fifth
PENN STATE
HEAD COACH: Guy Gadowsky (14th season)
LAST SEASON: 22-14-4 (9-11-4, fifth B1G, lost Frozen Four semifinal)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Forwards Charlie Cerrato (15-27-42), Matt DeMarsico (17-15-32), Aiden Fink (23-30-53), Reese Laubach (15-15-30), JJ Wiebusch (14-19-33); defensemen Cade Christenson (2-7-9) and Jarod Crespo (2-5-7); goalie John Seifarth (3-2-0, 2.02, .932)
KEY LOSSES: Forward Danny Dzhaniyev (12-19-31) and Ben Schoen (7-13-20); defensemen Jimmy Dowd (1-9-10) and Simon Mack (3-27-30); goalie Arsenii Sergeev (19-9-4, 2.54, .919)
KEY ADDITIONS: Forwards Lev Katzin (Guelph, OHL), Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat, WHL), Luke Misa (Brampton, OHL), Shea Van Olm (Spokane, WHL); defensemen Nolan Collins (Flint, OHL), Mac Gadowsky (Army, AHA), Jackson Smith (Tri-City Americans, WHL); goalie Kevin Reidler (Omaha, NCHC)
2025-26 PREDICTION: It’s impossible not to be enthusiastic about Penn State’s prospects this year. For the entirety of their Big Ten existence, the Nittany Lions have struggled to find their place and sustain it. After capturing the regular-season title in 2020, the Nittany Lions were denied the chance to test that momentum because COVID canceled that season. Gadowsky was up front about how challenging he found coaching during the COVID era, and when Penn State began to realize its potential, key injuries hobbled the Nittany Lions in more ways than one. And now after Penn State came up short in last year’s Frozen Four after a magical second half, so much talent is returning that Nittany Lions fans must be giddy. Who will be in net? Who knows? As long as he keeps out one less than the Nittany Lions score – and the Nittany Lions absolutely will score – that will be all that Penn State needs.
PAULA’S PICK: second
WISCONSIN
HEAD COACH: Mike Hastings (third season)
LAST SEASON: 13-21-3 (7-16-1, sixth B1G, lost conference quarterfinal)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Forwards Quinn Finley (20-20-40), Kyle Kukkonen (10-9-19), Gavin Morrissey (9-23-32); defensemen Ben Dexheimer (1-16-17), Logan Hensler (2-10-12), Jack Phelan (0-4-4); goalie Anton Castro (0-1-0, 4.27, .786)
KEY LOSSES: Forwards Cody Laskosky (7-4-11), Owen Lindmark (5-4-9), Ryland Mosley (18-19-37); defensemen Daniel Laatsch (2-3-5) and Anthony Kehrer (1-11-12); goalies William Gramme (8-2-4, 3.23, .878) and Tommy Scarfone (11-16-3, 2.61, .900)
KEY ADDITIONS: Forwards Oliver Tulk (Calgary, WHL) and Vasily Zelenov (Green Bay, USHL); defensemen Aiden Dubinsky (Minnesota Duluth, NCHC) and Luke Osburn (Youngstown, USHL); goalies Daniel Hauser (Calgary, WHL) and Eli Pulver (Minnesota State, CCHA)
2025-26 PREDICTION: The Badgers have a lot of rebuilding to do this season – from the net out. It’s unfair to judge the only returning goalie, Anton Castro, by the stats of the single game he played last season, and while Daniel Hauser looks promising, he’s new to college hockey and Eli Pulver played one game in his rookie season. The Badgers allowed 2.97 goals per game on average last year while scoring 2.92, so there’s clearly some work to do in several areas. Wisconsin ends the first half with four straight conference series, so by the time league play intensifies even more after the first of the year, the Badgers should know who they are.
PAULA’S PICK: sixth
Women’s Hockey Weekend Wrap – September 29, 2025
(1) Wisconsin at Bemidji State
On Friday, Maggie Scannell had a hat trick while Lacey Eden and Kirsten Simms each had two goals and an assist to lead Wisconsin to a 9-2 win. Charlotte Pieckenhagen scored her first as a Badger whiel Maddie Kaiser and Kate Johnson were the goals scorers for Bemidji in the loss. In the second game, five different Badgers lit the lamp, including Scannell with her fourth of the weekend and Adéla Šapovalivová with the first of her career to give Wiconsin a 5-0 win and weekend sweep.
Boston College at (3) Minnesota
The Gophers scored five goals in the second half of the first period to put Thursday’s game out of reach en route to a 7-1 win. Bella Fanale scored her first collegiate goal to open the scoring and added another later in the game. Abbey Murphy had a goal and three assists while Ava Lindsey had three assists. Ava Thomas was the goal scorer for Boston College. On Friday, Abbey Murphy’s three goals and two assists pushed her past 200 career points. Josefin Bouveng’s goal pushed her past 100 career points. Fanale added a goal and three assists and Tereza Plosová had two goals and an assist – her first as a Gopher – as Minnesota took a 11-0 win and weekend sweep.
(6) Minneosta Duluth at Syracuse
The Bulldogs took a pair of 4-0 wins to sweep their weekend series. On Thursday, Caitlin Kraemer, Thea Johansson, Josie St. Martin and Rae Mayer each lit the lamp. In the second game, Johansson had a pair of goals, Kraemer found the back of the net and freshman Molly Cole earned her first as a Bulldog. Eve Gascon earned two shutouts on the weekend.
(7) Clarkson at Merrimack
Six different players scored a goal and 11 players had at least one point in the Golden Knights’ 6-3 win on Friday. They opened the scoring just 90 seconds in as Morgan Walton got her first career goal. The game was close through two periods, but Clarkson pulled away with three third period goals to secure the win. Freshman Manon le Scodan also earned her first goal, leading the team with a goal and an assist. Avery Anderson scored in the first for Merrimack to tie the game and goals from McKenzie Cerrato and Emma Pfeffer in the second sent the teams into the 2nd intermission tied at three. Le Scodan, Megan McKay and Raedyn Spademan’s third period goals close out the win. On Saturday, Merrimack freshman goaltender Lauren Lyons made 43 saves in her first collegiate start and the Warriors came out strong, scoring the first three goals of the game en route to a 5-3 win. Maggie Kime’s scored on the power play midway through the first. Less than a minute later, Cerrato’s centering pass deflected into the net to extend the lead to 2-0. Rookie defender Neely Hawn snapped a top shelf wrister to extend the lead to 3-0 midway through the second. Power play goals from Sena Catterall and Kate Manness pulled Clarkson within one heading into the third. Stina Sandberg served as handy deflector for Hailey Eikos in the opening minutes of the third to make it a 4-2 game. A minute later Jenna Chaplain extended the lead to 5-2. Rhea Hicks’ late goal made it a 5-3 game with three to play, but Lyons stood tall and Merrimack took the upset win to split the weekend.
(9) St. Lawrence at (8) Penn State
After losing to SLU in the past two NCAA tournaments, the Nittany Lions got a little revenge, sweeping the Saints this weekend. On Thursday, Katelyn Roberts, Nicole Hall and Grace Outwater each scored to give the Nittany Lions a 3-0 win. Friday’s match up was a game of streaks. After a scoreless first, rookie Taya MacDonald scored her first career goal to make it 1-0. She was joined by fellow freshman Matilde Frantin, who tallied her first career goal to put PSU up 2-0 heading into the third. Not to be outdone, Saints rookie Lilien Benakova got her first career goal to cut the lead to 2-1. Alexia Côté tied the game 2-2 midway through the period. That’s where Penn State stepped up. Outwater and Tessa Janecke scored less than two minute apart to put the Nittany Lions back ahead and Nicole Hall’s late steal secured the 5-3 win. St. Lawrence’s goalies comined for 83 saves on the weekend.
Maine at (10) Quinnipiac
The Black Bears gave the Bobctas all they could handle this weekend, but Quinnipiac came away with a pair of one-goal wins. In the first game, Bryn Prier opened the scoring early before Ella Sennick doubled the lead to 2-0. But Maine pushed back in the second as Haley Ryan made it 2-1 and Gracie Hanson potted a short-hander to tie the game. Alex Law’s goal before the end of the second put Quininpiac back on top and they held on through the final frame to earn the 3-2 win. In the second game, rookie Jade Barbirati from France scored the Bobcats’ first and last goals – the first of her career – to lead QU to an OT win. Mackenzie Podewell put Maine on the board just three minutes into the game. Barbirati responded, but the tie lasted only a few minutes before Mikayla Boarder gave the Black Bears the 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission. The teams traded another pair of goals as Makayla Watson lit the lamp for Quinnipiac to make it 2-2 before Isabelle Michaud put Maine back on top 3-2 heading into the third. Tessa Holk’s goal from distance was the only goal in the third period, sending the game to overtime. Kahlen LaMarche’s shot from distance was tipped by Watson and then Barbirati cleaned up the rebound to second the 4-3 OT win.
(13) St. Cloud State at (12) Connecticut
This battle of Huskies showed exactly why the teams are so closely ranked as they split a pair of 2-1 games this weekend. UConn scored first on Megan Woodworth’s breakaway, ending SCSU’s season-opening 130-minute shutout streak. St. Cloud responded a few minutes later when Raili Mustonen was alone in front of the net to tap in Avery Farrell’s pass from behind the net and make it a 1-1 game. Julianne Labbé scored in the opening minutes of the 3rd on a two-on-one breakway with Payton Holloway. The St. Cloud defense closed up, allowing just six shots from UConn in the final frame and Emilia Kyrkkö made 35 total saves to lead SCSU to the 2-1 win. On Saturday, Tia Chan made 36 saves and Connecticut took advantage of special teams opportunities, scoring twice on the power play to take a 2-1 win and earn a split. Brooke Campbell scored midway through the first to make it 1-0 UConn. Sydney Bryant scored her first career goal on a penalty shot in the second awarded when a Connecticut player covered the puck in the crease. But Lily Dewar added her own power play goal and that proved enough to give UConn the win. Connecticut also made 27 blocks in the game.
Michigan State chosen top team in 2025 Big Ten preseason coaches poll; preseason all-conference teams also unveiled
Two-time defending regular-season champion Michigan State is favored to win the 2025-26 Big Ten championship according to the Big Ten hockey preseason coaches poll released on Thursday.
Preseason All-Big Ten teams were also selected in voting conducted by conference head coaches.
BIG TEN 2025-26 PRESEASON POLL
1. Michigan State
2. Penn State
3. Minnesota
4. Michigan
5. Wisconsin
6. Ohio State
7. Notre Dame
PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM
Cole Knuble, Notre Dame, Jr., Forward
Aiden Fink, Penn State, Jr., Forward
Quinn Finley, Wisconsin, Jr., Forward
Matt Basgall, Michigan State, Sr., Defenseman
Mac Gadowsky, Penn State, Jr., Defenseman
Trey Augustine, Michigan State, Jr., Goaltender
PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAM
Michael Hage, Michigan, So., Forward
T.J. Hughes, Michigan, Sr., Forward
Gavin McKenna, Penn State, Fr., Forward
Paul Fischer, Notre Dame, Jr., Defenseman
Luke Mittelstadt, Minnesota, Sr., Defenseman
Kristoffer Eberly, Ohio State, Jr., Goaltender
ECAC Hockey women’s postseason tournament moving to Lake Placid, starting with 2026 event
ECAC Hockey has announced that the league’s women’s championship will move to historic Lake Placid, N.Y., beginning with the 2025-26 season.
The top four teams in the league will compete for the title at the legendary 1980 Rink – Herb Brooks Arena inside the Olympic Center.
“Lake Placid is a special place in the hockey community, and we are thrilled to bring the ECAC Hockey women’s championship to this historic venue,” said ECAC Hockey commissioner Doug Christiansen in a news release. “This move will provide an unforgettable championship atmosphere for our student-athletes and fans while building on the league’s tradition of excellence.”
The inaugural Lake Placid women’s championship weekend is set for March 6-7, 2026, featuring semifinal games on Friday, March 6, and the championship final on Saturday, March 7. The winner will earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Lake Placid, famously the site of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice,” has a rich history of hosting world-class events and continues to serve as a premier destination for athletes and fans alike.
“We’re excited to partner with ECAC Hockey and welcome its women’s championship to Lake Placid, the home of ECAC Hockey,” said Chadd Cassidy, VP of Legacy Venue Operations for the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority. “Herb Brooks Arena is the most iconic rink in the world, and we look forward to creating a memorable experience for players, coaches, and fans.”
Tickets for the 2026 ECAC Hockey women’s championship will go on sale later this year. Additional details on schedules, lodging and fan activities will be announced at a later date.
Teams announced for 2026, 2027, 2028 Friendship Four hockey tournaments in Belfast
The competing teams for the 2026, 2027, and 2028 Friendship Four hockey tournaments have been announced, marking a major milestone as the event celebrates its 10-year anniversary in Belfast in 2025.
Founded by the Odyssey Trust and held annually at the SSE Arena, Belfast, the Friendship Four is the first and only NCAA Division I hockey tournament to take place outside of North America. Since its inception in 2015, the tournament that is contested for the Belpot Trophy has become a flagship event in Northern Ireland’s sporting calendar, bringing world-class collegiate hockey to Belfast while promoting education, cultural exchange, and community engagement.
The 2026 edition of the Friendship Four will welcome Connecticut, Providence, Minnesota Duluth and Colgate. In 2027, Northeastern, Quinnipiac, North Dakota and Wisconsin will take to the ice, while the 2028 lineup will see Notre Dame, Omaha, Dartmouth and Maine.
“Reaching the 10-year anniversary of the Friendship Four is a remarkable achievement and a celebration of everything the tournament has come to represent,” said Odyssey Trust sports director Steve Thornton in a statement. “Over the past decade, Belfast has welcomed some of the top NCAA teams and inspired new generations of fans. As we look to the future, we are thrilled to confirm three outstanding lineups for 2026, 2027 and 2028, which promise to deliver more unforgettable hockey memories at the SSE Arena.”
The high-profile tournament is designed to promote education, social welfare, and community interaction, building on the Sister Cities agreement between Belfast and Boston, signed a decade ago. The agreement aims to foster stronger economic development, trade and investment, tourism, youth, cultural exchanges, and educational linkages between the two cities, as well as to increase awareness of Belfast and Boston being growth cities in the connected health and life sciences, creative industries, tourism, financial services, and knowledge economy sectors.
In conjunction with the recent announcement in Boston, a special acknowledgement was also made to Ralph Cox, whose vision, leadership, and unwavering commitment have been instrumental in the growth and success of the Friendship Four since its inception. Cox, who is a member of the Friends of the Friendship Four Advisory Board, was presented the Belfast Homecoming Ambassador Medal, a prestigious honor presented annually to outstanding individuals who have shown exceptional commitment to reconnecting with, investing in, and supporting Belfast.
The Friendship Four returns to Belfast this November with the Rochester Institute of Technology, Sacred Heart, Miami and Union. The fourth women’s Friendship Series tournament will see Boston University, Harvard, Quinnipiac and Minnesota Duluth take to the ice in Belfast in January 2026.
For more information or to purchase tickets for both tournaments, visit Ticketmaster.
Women’s Division I College Hockey: The PodKaz – Previewing the WCHA and NEWHA, plus a look at the season’s early weeks
This week’s edition of the PodKaz from USCHO.com features the last two segments as hosts Nicole Haase and Todd Milewski look around at each of the five NCAA women’s hockey conference at the start of the 2025-26 season.
Defending NCAA champion Wisconsin is the coaches’ favorite in the WCHA, but how much with absences for the Olympics mean to the Badgers’ chase of a repeat?
In NEWHA, Sacred Heart was picked to finish first after it won the playoff championship against Long Island and made its first NCAA tournament appearance.
Then Nicole and Todd reflect on the first weekend of the season and look ahead to a top-10 nonconference series in the weekend ahead.
The PodKaz is a production of USCHO.com. Have a question for us? Reach out to Nicole (@NicoleHaase) or Todd (@ToddMilewski) on social media or email todd.milewski@uscho.com.
Women’s Division I College Hockey: 2025-26 NEWHA season preview
This feels like the most wide-open this conference has been in several seasons. While I’m really high on the returning rosters of Sacred Heart and Stonehill, I know better than to count out LIU, and Franklin Pierce has shown themselves to be incredibly resilient and pesky the past few seasons. And while LIU has dominated the regular season title the past few seasons, there’s been four different tournament champions in that stretch. The confernece is perpetually up for grabs. But the fact that the conference is so wide open is what makes it so fun. I’m at the point where I wouldn’t be surprised if a team I picked second or third actually finishes sixth or seventh or vice versa. I think the margins here will be really thin and the team that comes out on top will show adaptibility, durability and will build up an ability to pull out close games that will come in handy at once the postseason hits.
Assumption
The Greyhounds were remarkably consistent through their first two seasons, winning 10 games in each. They’ll be looking to take that next step this season with a more experienced roster. The goal should be the top half of the conference standings. In order to get there, they have to be more offensive. They actually averaged slightly fewer goals in their second season. One spot of focus should be the power play – they were fourth worst in the country with the advantage, scoring just 11 goals in 105 chances. Getting that right should spill over into their even strength play. I’ll be looking for better puck control and movement as well as more shots on goal. They have to get the puck to the net and get a bit more physical and gritty to get second-chance opportunities.
Last Season
10-23-3, 10-16-2 (sixth). Lost to Sacred Heart in the NEWHA Tournament Quarterfinals.
Key Returners
Juniors Rachel Agerter and Lexi Kirkeby
Key Departures
Jenna Chaplain (Merrimack), Teagan Vaughn (Connecticut)
Chaplain was second on the team in points and led with eight goals while Vaughn led the team in blocks. They were some of the most solid and reliable players on this roster, so they leave big skates to fill.
Most intriguing newcomer
Sara Field
Prediction
Fifth
Franklin Pierce
The Ravens had a stellar season and were among the top 20 teams in the country across all team stats. The one top ranking they need to work on is penalty minutes – they were fifth in the country with 8.47 penalty minutes per game thanks to 122 penalties in 32 games played. When the difference between them and first place was six points – or two wins – those mental mistakes become very costly. Though they were picked fourth in the coaches poll, I feel like they’ve got a good shot at pushing for their second NEWHA title.
Last Season
17-14-1, 17-10-1 (second). Lost to Post in the NEWHA quarterfinals
Key Returners
Senior goalie Jill Hertl, senior Brynn Levinson
Hertl can be a game-changer at any opportunity. She needs support from the rest of the team, but having her in net simply gives them a boost. Levinson led the team in points as a redshirt freshman and was named to the league All-Rookie team. She is small and dynamic and not afraid to get into the dirty areas. She’s particularly good on the power play with a bit more open ice to work with. They count on her for faceoffs and if she can bump her percentage up even a little bit, it should pay dividends for FPU.
Key Departures
Mikayla Kelley, Julia Stevens (graduation)
Most intriguing newcomer
Melanie Targosz
Prediction
Fourth
Long Island University
The Sharks won their fourth straight regular season title last season (they shared the crown in the 21-22 season). But they’ve only managed one tournament win (and NCAA bid) in that stretch. Last year’s was a heart-breaking overtime loss and I’m not sure it will come any easier this time. The coaches have LIU a close second to Sacred Heart in their preseason poll, but I’m not bought in. They have a lot of work to do after some of the foundational players of this program graduated. Seven of the top eight scorers are gone, including the team’s leader in blocks, as is the starting goalie. The incoming class
Last Season
22-11-4, 19-6-3 (first). Lost to Sacred Heart in overtime in the NEWHA Tournament championship
Key Returners
Junior Grace Babington, senior Paige Vreeman
Vreeman missed more than half the season, but looked really good to start the season. If she can return to form, the Sharks could use the way she moves the puck and gets to the net. Babington’s 24 points are more than double the total of the next highest returning scorer. She’s going to get a ton of defensive attention, so she has to adjust her game and her linemates have to step up and support her and prove they are scoring threats as well.
Key Departures
Abbie Thompson, Janine Wallner, Anna Fairman (graduation)
Most intriguing newcomer
Laura Nagy
Prediction
Third
Post
It will be an interesting year for the Eagles as their goalie coach (and men’s team assistant) Brandon Brown has been given the reins on an interim basis this season. Brown is just three years removed from his own career at Post and has not helmed a team. Add in the departure of their two top scorers who were responsible for nearly 50% of the teams points and it could be a rough start as they find their footing. They scored just one goal in their opening series with St. Thomas, surrendering 13 goals. Post was relatively strong on defense last season, ending up middle of the pack among all teams and they’ll need to lean on that again this season as nine freshmen work to get used to the college game and make an impact.
Last Season
13-21-3, 11-14-3 (seventh). Lost to LIU in the NEWHA conference tournament semifinals
Key Returners
Senior goalie Hannah Saunders, junior Noa Farberman
Key Departures
Rowyn Ringor (transfer to Robert Morris), Julia Wysocki (graduation)
Most intriguing newcomer
Peyton Tully, Kai Hyatt
Tully will be playing both hockey and lacrosse at Post. A prolific scorer with the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite program, she brings a ton of athleticism and discipline and the Eagles hope, a scoring touch. Hyatt was on Canada’s U20 ball hockey team and was part of building a brand new hockey program in high school. That experience should help her here as the program looks to set a standard and something to build from in the coming year.
Prediction
Seventh
Sacred Heart
After winning their second NEWHA tournament title and first-ever NCAA appearance, the Pioneers look poised to lead the conference again this season. There was limited roster turnover on the outgoing side and they bolstered every part of the ice through the portal, adding scoring, defense and a goalie, plus size and speed. The coaches poll seemed torn between Sacred Heart and LIU, but to me the edge is clearly Sacred Heart’s to start the season. Many things can and will change once the puck drops, but on paper the Pioneers have the advantage, with an experienced returning roster and talented incoming class that looks like they’ll only bolster what they accomplished last season.
Last Season
21-15-13, 16-9-3 (third). Lost to Minnesota Duluth in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Key Returners
Juniors Isabella Chaput and Peyton Bennetts
Key Departures
Savannah Popick, Carly Greene (graduation)
Most intriguing newcomer
Sophomore Caitlin Pierce (DIII Connecticut College)
Pierce was the NESCAC Rookie of the Year and a D3 Hockey News All Rookie selection. She transitioned into college quickly and the Pioneers hope she’ll do the same moving from DIII to DI.
Prediction
First
Saint Anselm
It feels like the middle of the field here is really up for grabs. I don’t think too many points will separate the teams that finish fourth to seventh place. That’s a wide range which means there’s a lot of opportunity and not a lot of room for error. For the Hawks, that means closing out a lot more of their close games. Those seven ties last season loom large, particularly since three of them came in the final four games to teams above them in the standings. On the one hand, give Saint Anselm credit for being in those games late. On the other, just being there and getting one point isn’t enough and the program has to show that they’re taking the next steps to flip those close games into wins.
Last Season
12-19-7, 10-11-7 (fifth). Lost to Sacred Heart in the NEWHA Tournament semifinals.
Key Returners
Senior Brooklyn Schneiderhan, sophomore Lucy DeCouteau
Three of the team’s top four scorers graduated, making these two even more important this coming season. There was scoring down the roster last season and plenty of opportunity for players to step up and into bigger roles. DeCouteau showed what a big impact a young player can have last season and the Hawks will be hoping others can emulate that.
Key Departures
Tyra Turner, Heather McAvoy (graduation)
Most intriguing newcomer
Freshman Grace Littler, sophomore Eden Granley
Prediction
Sixth
St. Michael’s
Things don’t seem great for the Purple Knights and the outlook for improvement isn’t great. There’s been a ton of staff turnover here the past few seasons, with new assistant coaches for several seasons running and just one assistant on paid staff. I’m not sure anyone is set up to succeed in this situation and hopefully someone at the institution starts to take notice. No one on this team reached double digit points. One of the brightest spots of last season, All-Rookie goalie Jordana DeMarinis, is out, likely for the season. Five players transferred out, leaving the team with a seven member rookie class and more than half the roster as underclassmen. None of this is the players’ fault and I wish I could be more optimistic for them. But the team was at or near the bottom of every team statistical category, with the worst team offense, second worst team defense, worst power play, fourth-worst penalty kill and no shutouts. They were, however, 11th in penalty minutes. For the players’ sake, I hope they can start building something good in Colchester. They deserve it.
Last Season
4-32, 4-24 (eighth). Lost to LIU in the opening round of the NEWHA tournament.
Key Returners
Sophomore Julia Chedel, senior goalie Annika Lavender
Key Departures
Alizee Leblanc (Toronto Metropolitan University – USports), Mary Ley (graduation)
Most intriguing newcomers
Kaydence Carpenter
Prediction
Eighth
Stonehill
This is an important season for the Skyhawks as the program enters its fourth year. After winning the conference tournament two seasons ago, they placed fourth last year. They’ll be looking to get back to the top as a last hurrah for the seniors and to continue to set a precedent for what this program can look like. They have a ton of experience and not a lot of turnover. Goalie Alexsa Caron was outstanding in her rookie season and now comes back with more knowledge and less nerves and should provide the steady base they need to build from. The biggest difference between the last season and the season before was a big drop off in scoring – nearly a goal per game. Stonehill has to be more aggressive and confident with the puck and being able to trust that Caron has them should allow them to be a little more creative and willing to be a little riskier on the offensive end. I have them middle of the pack right now but think there’s probably a pretty high ceiling here. It’s going to be a fight in the middle and they have to grab every possible point to be able to compete for a top two or three spot, but I do think they have the talent to do it.
Last Season
14-19-5, 13-10-5 (fourth). Lost to Saint Anselm in the NEWHA Tournament quarterfinals
Key Returners
Seniors Maddi Achtyl and Sydney Russell, sophomore goalie Alexsa Caron
This feels like a pivotal season for this program as the large group of freshmen that came here to found the program enter their senior season. There are 12 players in their final year who want to prove that the one championship win wasn’t a fluke and that Stonehill is a perpetual contender for a NEWHA championship.
Key Departures
Maeve Connolly, Josie Mendeszoon (graduation)
Most intriguing newcomer
Maddie Bibeau
Prediction
Fourth
Western Michigan gets 29 first-place votes, starts 2025-26 season No. 1 in USCHO.com Division I Men’s Hockey Poll
Defending national champion Western Michigan earned 29 first-place votes in the preseason USCHO.com Division I Men’s Hockey Poll to start the year ranked No. 1.
No. 2 Boston University took home three first-place votes, while No. 3 Michigan State picked up 14 first-place votes.
Denver is slotted fourth and Penn State, with three first-place votes, sits No. 5 to begin the 2025-26 season.
Boston College, Maine, Minnesota, Providence and UConn round out the top 10, respectively.
USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll – Sept. 22, 2025
North Dakota sits 11th, Michigan 12th, garnering one first-place vote, and Quinnipiac (13th), Arizona State (14th) and UMass (15th) are next in the rankings.
Round out the poll, ranked 16-20, in order, are Ohio State, Cornell, Minnesota State, St. Thomas and Wisconsin.
Others receiving votes: Colorado College, Clarkson, Northeastern, UMass Lowell, Omaha, Minnesota Duluth, Sacred Heart, Bentley, St. Cloud State, Notre Dame, Dartmouth, Bowling Green, Colgate, Brown, Harvard, Holy Cross, Michigan Tech, Augustana, Bemidji State, Union.
The USCHO.com Division I Men’s Hockey Poll is compiled weekly and consists of 50 voters, including coaches and media professionals from across the country. Media outlets may republish this poll as long as USCHO.com is credited.
After considering more than 125 online submissions, NCHC names postseason tournament trophy the National Cup
While the NCHC has awarded the Julie and Spencer Penrose Memorial Cup (Penrose Cup) to its regular-season champion since 2014, the conference’s tournament trophy has never had a name.
That is until the 2026 NCHC tournament.
With the NCHC moving its postseason tournament, the Frozen Faceoff, entirely to campus sites across the country this coming season, the conference has decided to name its postseason tournament trophy the National Cup.
The NCHC began its search for a tournament trophy name in July, when the conference asked fans to submit suggestions through an online form. From there, the NCHC sifted through the more than 125 submissions and whittled the list down. The membership then voted and selected a final name – the National Cup.
The National Cup will be awarded for the first time under its new name on March 21, 2026 at the site of the highest remaining seed in the Frozen Faceoff championship game. The tournament trophy itself will remain the same as has been awarded in years past at the Frozen Faceoff.
Conference of New England adds Salve Regina to men’s, women’s hockey conferences for 2026-27 season
The Conference of New England has announced it will add Salve Regina as an associate member in both men’s and women’s hockey beginning with the 2026-27 season.
The addition of the Seahawks will bring the men’s hockey membership to 10 teams, while women’s hockey will officially be at nine teams.
“Salve Regina University is a critical part of the New England hockey landscape that offers two established programs with a proven history of competing at a high level both regionally and nationally,” said CNE commissioner Patrick Colbert in a statement. “It was important that the CNE strategically position itself to be the right fit for them competitively and philosophically. It is clear that their leadership has a strategic vision for these programs and providing them with the right conference affiliation was an intentional and diligent effort.”
The Seahawks were previously in the CNE as full members through the end of 2022-23 and continued their membership in men’s and women’s hockey through the end of the 2023-24 year prior to joining the now-defunct NEHC. In 2024-25, the Seahawks went 12-11-3 overall with a 10-10-0 mark on the men’s side, while on women’s side went 17-10-0 overall with a 14-4-0 record in NEHC play.
“We are very grateful to the CNE for this membership and look forward to reuniting with our former colleagues on the ice,” said Salve Regina president Kelli Armstrong. “Our hockey community is deeply valued at Salve and our athletes contribute in such important ways to our mission.”
Suffolk president and chair of the board of directors Marisa Kelly said, “On behalf of all CNE presidents and institutions, we are excited to welcome Salve ice hockey back to the conference.”
Colbert added, “As one of the premier hockey conferences in the country, we are honored to welcome the Seahawks programs along with their dedicated alumni and fan base that will bring an exciting environment to CNE hockey moving forward.”
