NCAA Women’s Hockey Power Rankings: Ohio State leads preseason Top 10
While some continue to watch what is happening on the gridiron, the real ones are excited to see what’s about to take shape on the ice.
The NCAA Women’s Hockey season begins this weekend, and the quest for a national championship starts. With popularity in the women’s game continuing to grow expotentially, attention on campus puck is closer than ever. More and more people are keen to watch the next wave of PWHL talent, as young faces slowly take the torch from the old guard.
This year, a strong sense of transition is in the air. While the Wisconsin Badgers are the two-time defending champions, a massive loss of talent opens the door for a new team to climb to the top of the podium.
Let’s take a look at my top 10 teams heading into the 2026-27 season:
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
While the Buckeyes lost a couple of exceptional pieces after last season, most notably defender Emma Peschel and forward Sloane Matthews, to the PWHL. Yet, the amount of talent that’s returning sets the Buckeyes on a path back to the national championship game. The nation’s top freshman last year, Hilda Svensson, is looking to have an even better sophomore campaign. Joy Dunne and Jocelyn Amos lead a strong veteran class that includes Mira Jungaker, with other budding stars in Sanni Vanhanen and Maxine Cimoroni also ready to step into the spotlight.
As it has been since Raygan Kirk graduated, goaltending will be a question mark for OSU. After Amanda Thiele and Hailey MacLeod have both entered the pro ranks, it’s going to be interesting to see which of Genny Klein and Taylor Kressin, who played sparingly behind MacLeod last year, will win Nadine Muzzerall’s attention early on this year.
2. Wisconsin Badgers
Of the three-headed monster from the WCHA, there’s no question that the Badgers took the biggest hit, in terms of players lost. Caroline Harvey, Laila Edwards, Lacey Eden, Kirsten Simms, Vivian Jungels…gone. That said, Mark Johnson has enough players returning to the fold (including a couple of exciting new faces) to make a credible bid for a three-peat.
Sure, the team’s top seven scorers are gone, but Adela Šapovalivová is back after scoring an impressive 37 points in just 31 games. She’s going to be relied on to generate most of the offense, though players like Maggie Scannell and Claire Enright are capable of being play drivers. Then, there’s the arrival of the Slovakian prodigy, Nela Lopušanová. There are few players who have managed to capture the attention of many around the hockey world with her incredible performances at the IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championships, and she looks to show that her talents can translate to the top level of college hockey.
Cap Summary
Draft Picks
In net, Ava McNaughton is ready to shut the door again. One of the goaltending prospects of the 2027 PWHL Draft, the senior has been the Badgers’ starter since her rookie season and is biding her time before becoming a star on the international stage with Team USA.
3. Minnesota Golden Gophers
When you lose a player like Abbey Murphy, you have a massive hole to fill. Yet, the Golden Gophers are actually sitting in a good spot heading into the new campaign. Yes, seeing other names such as Josefin Bouveng, Sydney Morrow and Nelli Laitinen move on to the PWHL is tough, but first-year head coach Greg May has a solid arsenal to flaunt this year.
Fresh off a career-best season, senior Ava Lindsay is expected to lead an offensive attack that includes some impressive underclassmen. Bella Fanale proved that she can be a scoring machine, while Tereza Plosova has the foundation of being a key player. Sure, Minnesota took a hit on the blue line, but Chloe Primerano continues to develop into a star player and is expected to be on Canada’s roster at the IIHF Women’s World Championship next month.
On top of that, the goaltending remains unchanged. Hannah Clark is ready to build off a solid sophomore campaign, while Layla Hemp returns as the Gophers’ No. 2.
4. Quinnipiac Bobcats
I think I’m a little higher than most on Quinnipiac. I know they seemed like they were a one-trick pony with Kahlen Lamarche, who scored an NCAA-best 42 goals in her junior campaign, and they lost both Emerson Jarvis and Laurence Frenette. However, the Bobcats are the favorite to win a second ECAC championship this year, and for good reason. On top of Lamarche looking to round out her college career on a high, the team has a couple of efficient two-way blueliners in Ayndley D’Ottavio and captain Makayla Watson, both entering their junior year.
Also, Felicia Frank, fresh off leading the nation with 29 wins last year, is ready to take on the brunt of the work and lead Quinnipiac in her third year with the team. If there’s any hope for the Bobcats to be a true contender on the national scale, the Swedish backstop is going to have to be at the top of her game. If for some reason she were to slip up, freshman Natalia Dilbone is ready to pick up the slack.
5. Northeastern Huskies
I was really shocked to see how good Northeastern was last season, upsetting Minnesota to sneak into the Frozen Four. While they lost a couple of players who were vital to their success – Lily Shannon and Jules Constantinople – the Huskies have a strong returning and incoming class that places at the top of the Hockey East picture.
Stryker Zablocki might not have had the same numbers as Svensson in her first year of college hockey, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t any less impressive. With 44 points, she led the conference in goals and points, earning HEA Player of the Year honors. Morgan Jackson and Allie Lalonde are also back to drive the offensive pressure.
Maybe one of the most underrated goaltenders in college hockey last year was Lisa Jonsson. Heading into her third season in Boston, the Swede has the ability to be a show-stopper, and will have to do that again this year if Northeastern wants to continue to compete with the best of the WCHA.
6. Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs
Forever known as the fourth-best team in the WCHA, Duluth enters the 2025-26 season with hopes of challenging the top dogs in the conference. There are some notable names who have moved on, with Thea Johansson, MaryKate O’Brien, Tova Henderson and Ashley Messier all heading to the PWHL. That said, they bring back Caitlin Kraemer, who is gearing up for a make-or-break season in her development, as she looks to close the gap on a full-time spot on the Canadian National Team.
Speaking of Team Canada hopefuls, Eve Gascon has a lot riding on her shoulders heading into her senior season. Not only does she have the pressure of carrying the team against the top teams in the country, but she’ll have to be top-class if she wants to be the first goaltender taken in the PWHL Draft next summer.
The big hurdle for the Bulldogs will be their lack of depth. Rae Mayer and Madison Burr are back, hoping to bring an offensive spark, with a young Tuuli Tallinen expected to log heavy minutes in her first season in North America. However, there’s a lot of unproven personnel scattered throughout the roster.
7. Clarkson Golden Knights
Clarkson may’ve taken a dip compared to 2024-25, when the team had players like Haley Winn, Anne Cherkowski, and Nicole Gosling, but the team was able to compete with the best in the ECAC and laid the groundwork for a better 2026-27 campaign.
While Sena Catterall, Rhea Hicks and goaltender Holly Gruber have graduated, the Golden Knights have the Manness twins to rely on once again. Sara finished tied with Svensson for the most points by a rookie last season, posting 21 goals and 52 points in just 35 games. She and sister Kate have made it known they should be considered for the Canadian roster sooner rather than later. Kate was one of the top defensive scorers in college hockey last season, and will get a little help on the back end from Sydney Lamb, who transferred in from St. Cloud State.
With Gruber gone, expect to see Arianne Leblanc be the No. 1 netminder to start the year, as the senior will be supported by second-year netminder Aneta Šenková from Czechia.
8. Penn State Nittany Lions
I think many of us are hesitant to think highly of the Nittany Lions, more so than in years past. Jeff Kampersonal’s crew lost nine regulars from last season, including three of the squad’s top five scorers. Despite names like Tessa Janecke, Madelyn Christian, Katelyn Roberts and Katie DeSa turning pro, Penn State has a respectable core coming back that should lead to another Atlantic Hockey of America championship.
Following a career-best sophomore season, Grace Outwater is expected to fill some of the skates that Janecke left behind, with Matilde Fantin, Nicole Hall and Abby Stonehouse all ready to take on bigger roles this year. There’s also a strong freshman class coming to Hockey Valley. Canadian Sofia Ismael, who finished tied for second at the U18s in scoring, is joined by reigning gold medalists in Americans Kylie Ameklkovich and goaltender Morgan Stickney.
The arrival of Stickney makes things interesting for Penn State, as she’ll look to challenge sophomore Madison Campbell for playing time.
9. Princeton Tigers
Courtney Kessel guided the Tigers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in seven years last spring, but she’ll be hard-pressed to repeat that performance this year. That said, she’ll put together a lineup card with some excellent players who will keep Princeton in contention for an ECAC title.
Issy Wunder joining the PWHL is a big loss, but Mackenzie Alexander is coming back after a solid 42-point campaign and will be complemented by sophomore Riley Sorokan up front.
The Averill sisters are also donning the black and orange this year. Both players have been decorated on the international stage, winning gold with the U.S. at the U18S; Caroline brings great scoring awareness, while Maggie, who captained the Americans to gold last January, joins a respectable blue line featuring Megan Healy and Rosie Klein. Whenever the defense falters, senior Uma Corniea, another overlooked netminder, will be there.
10. Cornell Big Red
The Big Red were disappointed that they missed out on the national tournament for the first time in three years, and it’s going to be another tough road for Doug Derraugh’s team to get back to the big dance. Losing key veterans Avi Adam, Georgia Schiff, Grace Dwyer and Alyssa Regalado won’t be easy to overcome, but whenever you have someone like Annelies Bergmann between the pipes, you always have a chance to win. While everyone is looking at Gascon and McNaughton as the top goaltending prospects of the 2027 class, Bergmann is exceptional in her own right.
Where the offense comes is always a question with the Big Red, but senior defender Piper Grober has proven to be a solid two-way blueliner, finishing with 25 points last year, while playing top-four minutes. Senior Karel Prefontaine has hit the 20-point mark in each of her three seasons, and will be looked upon to help run the power play.
If Cornell succeeds, it’s going to be because of their defense. Grober and junior Rose Dwyer are part of a pretty young D-corps that will rely on Derraugh’s structure to stay near the top of the ECAC.
Honorable Mention: Connecticut, Boston College, Minnesota State
