Photo by: Kayden Kircher
St. Cloud State Women’s Hockey Selected Sixth in 2026-27 WCHA Preseason Poll
9/8/2026 2:01:00 PM | Women's Hockey
Huskies picked sixth after sixth place finish in 2025-26
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – St. Cloud State Women's Hockey was selected to finish sixth in the 2026-27 Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Preseason Coaches Poll, as announced by the league office on Tuesday. The Huskies are coming off a sixth place finish in head coach Mira Jalosuo's first season in 2025-26.
WCHA RELEASE
SCSU received 20 points in the poll and were selected to finish behind Ohio State (48 points, six first-place votes), Wisconsin (44 points, two first-place votes), Minnesota (35 points), Minnesota Duluth (32 points) and Minnesota State (23 points). St. Thomas (15 points) and Bemidji State (seven points) rounded out the poll.
The Huskies return its two top point producers and top five goal scorers from a young team that made strides in Jalosuo's debut season as bench boss in 2025-26. The two top returning point scorers - senior forwards Alice Sauriol (Sherbrooke, Quebec) and Sofianna Sundelin (Ulvila, Finland) - notched eight goals and 21 assists for 29 points and 16 goals and 10 assists for 26 points respectively. Sauriol's 21 assists were tied for the eighth most all-time in a single season and Sundelin's 16 goals were the most by a Husky since 2022-23.
Additionally, sophomore forward Maria Mikaelyan (Moscow, Russia) looks to build off her impressive freshman campaign which saw her tally 13 goals and six assists for 19 points while SCSU also returns three 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympians including two-time Olympian fifth-year Laura Zimmermann (Ringgenberg, Switzerland) who won a bronze medal with Team Switzerland along with junior goaltender Emilia Kyrkkö (Nokia, Finland) and junior defender Siiri Yrjölä (Vantaa, Finland) who each made their Olympic team debuts for Team Finland. SCSU welcomes nine newcomers, including eight freshmen and one transfer, to the 2026-27 team.
The Huskies will open the new season on Sept. 25-26 with a home series against UConn that will be played at Torrey Arena in the Municipal Athletic Complex (MAC) in northwest St. Cloud due to the ongoing $12.9 million construction project at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center (HBNHC). Links to each coverage option will be available on the SCSU Women's Hockey game day central or schedule page.
2026-27 WCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll
Pl. Team (First Place Votes) Points
1. Ohio State (6) 48
2. Wisconsin (2) 44
3. Minnesota 35
4. Minnesota Duluth 32
5. Minnesota State 23
6. St. Cloud State 20
7. St. Thomas 15
8. Bemidji State 7
*First-place votes in parentheses, Coaches could not vote for their own team
WCHA Preseason Player of the Year: Joy Dunne, Sr., F, Ohio State
Others Receiving Votes: Caitlin Kraemer, Jr., F, Minnesota Duluth
WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year: Adrianna Milani, F, Minnesota
Others Receiving Votes: Edit Danielsson, F, Minnesota Duluth; Payton Finnie, F, Minnesota State; Nela Lopusanova, F, Wisconsin; and Rosalie Tremblay, F, Wisconsin.
2026-27 Preseason All-WCHA
Pos. - Name, Cl., School
F - Joy Dunne, Sr., Ohio State
F - Caitlin Kraemer, Jr., Minnesota Duluth
F - Jocelyn Amos, Sr., Ohio State
D - Mira Jungåker, Jr., Ohio State
D - Chloe Primerano, Jr., Minnesota
G - Ève Gascon, Sr., Minnesota Duluth
Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically by position):
Forwards: Kelly Gorbatenko, Sr., Wisconsin; Cassie Hall, Sr., Wisconsin; and Hilda Svensson, So., Ohio State.
Defenders: Laney Potter, Sr., Wisconsin; and Lauren Zawoyski, Sr., Minnesota State.
Goaltenders: Hailey Hansen, Sr., Minnesota State; and Ava McNaughton, Sr., Wisconsin.
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.
WCHA RELEASE
SCSU received 20 points in the poll and were selected to finish behind Ohio State (48 points, six first-place votes), Wisconsin (44 points, two first-place votes), Minnesota (35 points), Minnesota Duluth (32 points) and Minnesota State (23 points). St. Thomas (15 points) and Bemidji State (seven points) rounded out the poll.
The Huskies return its two top point producers and top five goal scorers from a young team that made strides in Jalosuo's debut season as bench boss in 2025-26. The two top returning point scorers - senior forwards Alice Sauriol (Sherbrooke, Quebec) and Sofianna Sundelin (Ulvila, Finland) - notched eight goals and 21 assists for 29 points and 16 goals and 10 assists for 26 points respectively. Sauriol's 21 assists were tied for the eighth most all-time in a single season and Sundelin's 16 goals were the most by a Husky since 2022-23.
Additionally, sophomore forward Maria Mikaelyan (Moscow, Russia) looks to build off her impressive freshman campaign which saw her tally 13 goals and six assists for 19 points while SCSU also returns three 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympians including two-time Olympian fifth-year Laura Zimmermann (Ringgenberg, Switzerland) who won a bronze medal with Team Switzerland along with junior goaltender Emilia Kyrkkö (Nokia, Finland) and junior defender Siiri Yrjölä (Vantaa, Finland) who each made their Olympic team debuts for Team Finland. SCSU welcomes nine newcomers, including eight freshmen and one transfer, to the 2026-27 team.
The Huskies will open the new season on Sept. 25-26 with a home series against UConn that will be played at Torrey Arena in the Municipal Athletic Complex (MAC) in northwest St. Cloud due to the ongoing $12.9 million construction project at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center (HBNHC). Links to each coverage option will be available on the SCSU Women's Hockey game day central or schedule page.
2026-27 WCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll
Pl. Team (First Place Votes) Points
1. Ohio State (6) 48
2. Wisconsin (2) 44
3. Minnesota 35
4. Minnesota Duluth 32
5. Minnesota State 23
6. St. Cloud State 20
7. St. Thomas 15
8. Bemidji State 7
*First-place votes in parentheses, Coaches could not vote for their own team
WCHA Preseason Player of the Year: Joy Dunne, Sr., F, Ohio State
Others Receiving Votes: Caitlin Kraemer, Jr., F, Minnesota Duluth
WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year: Adrianna Milani, F, Minnesota
Others Receiving Votes: Edit Danielsson, F, Minnesota Duluth; Payton Finnie, F, Minnesota State; Nela Lopusanova, F, Wisconsin; and Rosalie Tremblay, F, Wisconsin.
2026-27 Preseason All-WCHA
Pos. - Name, Cl., School
F - Joy Dunne, Sr., Ohio State
F - Caitlin Kraemer, Jr., Minnesota Duluth
F - Jocelyn Amos, Sr., Ohio State
D - Mira Jungåker, Jr., Ohio State
D - Chloe Primerano, Jr., Minnesota
G - Ève Gascon, Sr., Minnesota Duluth
Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically by position):
Forwards: Kelly Gorbatenko, Sr., Wisconsin; Cassie Hall, Sr., Wisconsin; and Hilda Svensson, So., Ohio State.
Defenders: Laney Potter, Sr., Wisconsin; and Lauren Zawoyski, Sr., Minnesota State.
Goaltenders: Hailey Hansen, Sr., Minnesota State; and Ava McNaughton, Sr., Wisconsin.
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.
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