Returning Women's Hockey All-Americans, Preseason All-Conference Selections

Last week, we gave you insight on which women's college hockey teams to watch, especially for the first few weeks of the 2025-26 season.

Now we'll do the same with the players.

We'll start with taking note that four of the six players who were named first-team All-Americans at the end of the 2025-26 season, and four of the second-team selections, are all back. One big exception is the winner of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, women's hockey version of the Hobey Baker Award as best college player in the United States, Wisconsin's Casey O'Brien, is not among them. But three of her former teammates are.

Then, similar to the Preseason Rankings, Predicted Order of Finish for each conference, will have each league's preseason all-conference selections, as usually determined by the coaches. Note that coaches are not allowed to vote for his or her own players. For any conferences that didn't select an all-preseason team the returning all-confernce players are listed:

Returning All-Americans

All-Americans for women's hockey are sponsored by CCM and selected by the members of the American Hockey Coaches Association. The 2024-25 selections who are back this season:

First Team
Ève Gascon, Jr., Minnesota Duluth (Mascouche, PQ), Goalie
Caroline Harvey, Sr., Wisconsin#* (Salem, N.H.), Defense
Laila Edwards, Sr., Wisconsin, (Cleveland Heights, Ohio), Forward
Kirsten Simms, Sr., Wisconsin*, (Plymouth, Mich.), Forward

Second Team
Annelies Bergmann, Jr., Cornell, (Detroit, Mich.), Goalie
Emma Peschel, Sr., Ohio State (Edina, Minn.), Defense
Tessa Janecke, Sr., Penn State+ (Orangeville, Ill.), Forward
Abbey Murphy, Gr., Minnesota (Evergreen Park, IL), F/C

* First Team in 2024
+ Second Team in 2024
# Second Team in 2023

Preseason All-Conference

Atlantic Hockey America (AHA)

Preseason Player of the Year (Votes)
Tessa Janecke, Sr., Penn State (6)
Also receiving votes: Emma Pickering, So., RIT (1)

Preseason All-AHA Team
Forwards
Tessa Janecke, Sr., Penn State (6)
Julia Schalin, So., Mercyhurst (6)
Katelyn Roberts, Sr., Penn State (4)
Also receiving votes: Maddy Christian, Sr., Penn State; Alaina Giampietro, R-So., Robert Morris; Jackson Kinsler, Jr., Syracuse

Defensemen
Kendall Butze, Sr., Penn State (6)
Emma Pickering, So., RIT (5)
Also receiving votes: Makayla Javier, Sr., Mercyhurst

Goaltender
Katie DeSa, Sr., Penn State (5)
Also receiving votes: Maggie Hatch, R-Jr., Robert Morris

Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC)

F: Issy Wunder, Sr., Princeton
F: Elyssa Biederman, Sr., Colgate
F: Mackenzie Alexander, So., Princeton
D: Grace Dwyer, Sr., Cornell
D: Andrea Trnková, Jr., Clarkson
G: Annelies Bergmann, Jr., Cornell (unanimous)

A second-team was not announced.

Hockey East

Returning All-Conference Selections from 2024-25 season
First Team
G: Tia Chan, UConn, Gr.
F: Julia Pellerin, UConn (transfer from Boston College), Jr.
F: Reichen Kirchmair, Providence, Sr. *
F: Audrey Knapp, Providence, Jr.
*denotes unanimous selection

Second Team
G: Abby Hornung, Holy Cross, Sr.
F: Sammy Taber, Boston College, Jr.
F: Claire Murdoch, UConn, So.

Third Team
G: Hope Walinski, Providence, Gr.
D: Tuva Kandell, Northeastern, So.
D: Ashley Kokavec, Vermont, Jr.
F: Sydney Healey, Boston University, Sr.
F: Ashley Allard, UConn, Jr.

New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA)

Returning All-Conference Selections from 2024-25 season
First Team
Grace Babington, LIU, Jr.., F
Maggie Korneta, Franklin Pierce, Sr., D
Hannah Saunders, Post, Sr., G

Second Team
Isabella Chaput, Sacred Heart, Jr.., F
Bailey Feeney, Stonehill, Sr., F
Sydney Russell, Stonehill, Sr., D

Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA)

WCHA Preseason Player of the Year: Caroline Harvey, Sr., D, Wisconsin
Others receiving votes: Abbey Murphy, Minnesota

WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year: Adéla Šapovalivová, F, Wisconsin
Others receiving votes: Bella Fanale, F, Minnesota; Layla Hemp, G, Minnesota; Jenna Raunio, D, Ohio State; Hilda Svensson, F, Ohio State.

Preseason All-WCHA Team
F: Abbey Murphy, R-Sr., Minnesota
F: Kirsten Simms, Sr., Wisconsin
F: Joy Dunne, Jr., Ohio State
D: Emma Peschel, Sr., Ohio State
D: Caroline Harvey, Sr., Wisconsin
G: Ève Gascon, Jr., Minnesota Duluth

Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically by position):
Forwards: Morgan Smith, So., Bemidji State; Laila Edwards, Sr., Wisconsin; Caitlin Kraemer, So., Minnesota Duluth; Hilda Svensson, Fr., Ohio State.
Defenders: Nelli Laitinen, Sr., Minnesota; Sydney Morrow, Sr., Minnesota; Chloe Primerano, So., Minnesota; Mira Jungåker, So., Ohio State.
Goaltender: Ava McNaughton, Jr., Wisconsin.