Photo by: Jason Soria
St. Cloud State Women’s Hockey Picked Fifth in 2025-26 WCHA Preseason Coaches’ Poll
9/8/2025 2:01:00 PM | Women's Hockey
Huskies selected for a top five finish for third consecutive season
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – St. Cloud State Women's Hockey was selected to finish fifth in the 2025-26 Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the league office on Monday. The Huskies are coming off their third fifth place conference finish in a row and tied for the second most conference points in program history a season ago.
SCSU received 24 points overall in the coaches' poll and were selected to finish behind Wisconsin (49 points, seven first-place votes), Minnesota (40 points, one first-place vote) Ohio State (40 points), and Minnesota Duluth (31 points). Rounding out the poll was St. Thomas (17 points), Minnesota State (16 points) and Bemidji State (seven points).
The Huskies open the 2025-26 season on Sept. 19 and 20 at home in the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center against Lindenwood. Links to each coverage option will be available on the SCSU Women's Hockey schedule page.
WCHA RELEASE
2025-26 WCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll
Pl. Team (1st Place Votes) Points
1. Wisconsin (7) 49
T2. Minnesota (1) 40
T2. Ohio State 40
4. Minnesota Duluth 31
5. St. Cloud State 24
6. St. Thomas 17
7. Minnesota State 16
8. Bemidji State 7
*First-place votes are in parentheses (Coaches could not vote for their own team)
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
For more information on the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, follow the league online at WCHA.com and follow @WCHA_WHockey on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Women's Hockey, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
SCSU received 24 points overall in the coaches' poll and were selected to finish behind Wisconsin (49 points, seven first-place votes), Minnesota (40 points, one first-place vote) Ohio State (40 points), and Minnesota Duluth (31 points). Rounding out the poll was St. Thomas (17 points), Minnesota State (16 points) and Bemidji State (seven points).
The Huskies bring back three of its four top scorers from last season's squad that went 15-15-6 and finished inside the top-five of the WCHA standings for the third consecutive season after most recently doing so in 2015-16. SCSU beat four teams that were ranked/receiving votes – Minnesota twice (including the first ever time on the road against the Gophers), Mercyhurst twice, Minnesota State twice and St. Thomas twice and up points on every WCHA foe. The three top returning point scorers, Sofianna Sundelin (Ulvila, Finland), Alice Sauriol (Sherbrooke, Quebec) and Laura Zimmermann (Ringgenberg, Switzerland), are all rising juniors and contributed 15+ points a season ago. The Huskies also return an elite netminder duo in All-WCHA Rookie Team selection Emilia Kyrkkö (Nokia, Finland) and graduate student Jojo Chobak (Chicago, Ill.), who redshirted last season.
The Huskies open the 2025-26 season on Sept. 19 and 20 at home in the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center against Lindenwood. Links to each coverage option will be available on the SCSU Women's Hockey schedule page.
WCHA RELEASE
2025-26 WCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll
Pl. Team (1st Place Votes) Points
1. Wisconsin (7) 49
T2. Minnesota (1) 40
T2. Ohio State 40
4. Minnesota Duluth 31
5. St. Cloud State 24
6. St. Thomas 17
7. Minnesota State 16
8. Bemidji State 7
*First-place votes are in parentheses (Coaches could not vote for their own team)
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
For more information on the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, follow the league online at WCHA.com and follow @WCHA_WHockey on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Women's Hockey, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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Forward
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