First College Hockey Conference Announces Preseason Coaches Voting: Puck Drop

The first conference predicted order of finish and all-preseason team were announced on Monday as the Atlantic Hockey America announced the results of its annual coaches voting.

To the surprise of no one, reigning four-time champion Penn State was selected as the team to beat, securing every first-place vote from the other six coaches (no one was allowed vote for his or her own team or players on the preseason ballots). Jeffery Kampersal’s first-place vote went to Mercyhurst, which placed second in the voting.

Meanwhile, Penn State junior forward Grace Outwater was named the preseason player of the year. She led the conference in scoring last season with 31 points in 24 league games. The other vote went to RIT senior defender Emma Pickering.

The league’s media day is scheduled for Wednesday.

The 2026-27 NCAA women's college ice hockey season officially opens on Sept. 18, 2026.

AHA Women’s Preseason Poll

1. Penn State (6 first-place votes)
2. Mercyhurst (1)
3. RIT
4. Lindenwood
(tie) Syracuse
5. Robert Morris
6. Delaware

Preseason All-Conference Team

F: Jessica MacKinnon, Jr., Robert Morris
F: Grace Outwater, Jr., Penn State
F: Julia Perjus, So., Mercyhurst
D: Danica Maynard, So., Penn State
D: Emma Pickering, Sr., RIT
G: Magdalena Luggin, Jr., Mercyhurst

Also receiving votes: Maja Alenius (So., D, Mercyhurst); Peyton Armstrong (Jr., F, Syracuse); Ava Drabyk (So., G, Syracuse); Alaina Giampietro (Jr., F, Robert Morris); Maggie Hatch (Sr., G, Robert Morris); Mikah Keller (So., F, Penn State); Sofia Nuutinen (Sr., F, Mercyhurst); Abby Stonehouse (Jr., F, Penn State)

2027 Women’s Frozen Four Rescheduled

The dates of the 2027 Women’s Frozen Four in Duluth, Minn., have been changed. The semifinals will be Sunday, March 21, with the championship on Tuesday, March 23.

Originally, the semifinals were slated for Friday, March 19, with the final being played March 21, but the change was made so that all three games could be shown on ESPN channels.

Puck Drop: Tuesday, September 1, 2026

• Former goaltender Marty Turco (Michigan) will be inducted into the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame on Dec. 10.

• Former Providence goalie Philip Svedebäck signed with the Wheeling Nailers in the ECHL.

• Connor Leslie (Amherst College) has been named the emergency goaltender for the Washington Capitals.

• Recruiting update: The latest commitments include C Tyler Cooper to Miami (Eric, OHL); RW Nathan Slack to Yale (last played for Don Mills Flyers U16 AAA in Toronto); D Joseph Kotzian to Air Force (Elk River HS, Minn. HS). Each commitment is for 2029-30.

• Wisconsin and Western Michigan announced that they will play an exhibition game on Oct. 24 at Lawson Arena, 6 p.m. ET. The Badgers last played in Kalamazoo in 1981. UW also inked a multi-year deal with Bauer Hockey to become the Badgers’ official hockey equipment supplier.

Countdown to the 2026-27 Men's Season

… 31 days.

Hockey Quote of the Day

“Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game.”
Chico Resch (Minnesota Duluth)

This Date in Hockey History

September 1, 1883: Hall of Fame right wing/defenseman Didier Pitre was born in Valleyfield, Quebec.

September 1, 1954: New Hampshire right wing Dave Lumley was born in Toronto.

September 1, 1964: UMD defenseman Norm Maciver was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

September 1, 1971: Boston University left wing Doug Friedman was born in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

September 1, 1984: Ohio State center Rod Pelley was born in Kitimat, British Columbia.

September 1, 1987: Brown left wing Harry Zolnierczyk was born in Toronto.

September 1, 1989: Maine right wing Gustov Nyquist was born in Halmstad, Sweden.

September 1, 1993: Former Providence player Brian Burke resigned as the president and general manager of the Hartford Whalers to become the NHL’s Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations. Head coach Paul Holmgren also became the Whalers’ general manager.

September 1, 1994: Maine standout Paul Kariya, the fourth-overall pick of the 1993 NHL Draft, signed a three-year deal with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

September 1, 1999: The NHL Board of Governors approved Mario Lemieux’s application to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins. It marked the first time in major North American sports history that a team was owned by one of its former players. A year later he became the first owner to play for his own team.

We'll Leave You With This ...

New season, new teeth. 🫎 https://t.co/nzhNNVqrhC pic.twitter.com/2YxRuZHvLw
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) August 31, 2026

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