In part 1, we went through the first five predictions our team has for the 2026-27 NCAA season. Here, we have five more, covering a few more topics in the five Division I conferences. So, if you think we missed anything, you’re in luck! There’s plenty more predicting and hoping in the paragraphs that follow. Jump on in.
Storyline to watch for in your conference
Amelia (NEWHA): Anna Caumo is returning to Franklin Pierce for her senior season after playing for Team Italy at the Olympics last year! With her selection, Caumo became Franklin Pierce’s first-ever Olympic women’s hockey player. She took last year off from collegiate hockey for the Games, where she tallied a pair of assists. I’m excited to see what she brings to this table from a year of international top-tier competition.
Kacey (AHA): Can Emma Pickering help lead RIT to their first winning season in over 10 years? The Tigers came close the last two seasons, finishing 16-18-0 last year, but haven’t gotten past the .500 mark. Despite this, the last two seasons were the most successful RIT has had since their AHA title in 2015. Core players like Pickering, Addie Alvarez and Linda Rulle, who have revitalized the program, are entering their senior years. Spearheading RIT’s best season in a decade would be a great note to end their collegiate careers on.
Giselle (WCHA): I want to see what Mira Jalosuo and her coaching staff at St. Cloud can pull off. Can they finish with even a slightly better record than last season? I want to see how Olympians like Emilia Kyrkkö and Laura Zimmermann take a huge step in their games. I am curious how the defense adjusts after losing captain and top defender Grace Wolfe to graduation. Last season, the Huskies were nationally ranked but fell off a few weeks into the season. I don’t know if they’ll return to being ranked, but I’d like to see a team that has improved. They’re only one season removed from having won 10 games; they can do it again!
LJ (ECAC): I’m interested in the state of goaltending around the conference. Felicia Frank seemingly came out of nowhere and had an outstanding season in 2025-26, while Annelies Bergmann seemed to fall out of the conversation on account of a rough year with Cornell. Is Frank for real? Can Bergmann bounce back? Who else gets their breakout season?
Emma (HEA): Do the now-sophomores continue to lead the way on their respective teams? Last season, we saw freshmen throughout HEA make a huge difference, including Ava Thomas for Boston College and Stryker Zablocki for Northeastern. I’m curious if any of them will suffer from the sophomore slump or will continue to dominate the scoresheet moving forward. A lot of them have the power to dictate where their teams end up, especially with the talent that graduated last spring.
Biggest transfer-portal addition in your conference
Amelia: Franklin Pierce’s Bo Dean headed to Long Island University this offseason. A big loss for the reigning NEWHA champions will be a great addition for LIU. Last season, Dean was second on the Ravens’ roster in points with 27 (15 goals, 12 assists) and scored the game winner in the conference championship. Additionally, she was named to NEWHA’s All-Rookie Team as a freshman and has only gotten stronger since.
Kacey: It’s between Lucy DeCoteau (transferring from Saint Anselm to Mercyhurst) and Hailey Anderson (transferring from Franklin Pierce to Delaware). However, Anderson is more impactful relative to Delaware’s roster. While it’s hard to compare stats from different conferences, her 9 goals and 13 assists are more than any player on Delaware had last year.
Giselle: I kept going back and forth, but for a stacked Minnesota team, I think Julia Schalin is a huge get. The Gophers lost players to graduation and transfers, and they lost some commits, too, after Brad Frost was let go as head coach. But getting a decorated player like Schalin is incredible. A Finnish national team regular, Schalin has won two bronze medals at the IIHF Women’s World Championships. She made her debut at the 2026 Olympics and appeared in the first stop of the Women’s Euro Hockey Tour. Schalin has also been great at the collegiate level. In her two years with Mercyhurst, she recorded 63 points and 40 assists. This Gophers squad has a lot of talented players, and many that can score. Having Schalin set them up is going to be fantastic to watch.
LJ: I like Sydney Lamb going to Clarkson from St. Cloud (sorry, Giselle!). As a freshman, the defender and former Team USA U18 player tallied 15 points (6 goals, 9 assists) and 29 blocks in 34 games. Lamb landed sixth in points and goals and third in blocks for the Huskies and was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team. She seems like a player with a high upside and a lot of room to grow. I’m curious to see what she can do on a Clarkson team that loves to lead with high offense.
Emma: Someone I talked about over the summer as an interesting pickup for Vermont was Linnea Misner. The now-sophomore defender had 19 points in 36 games for Robert Morris last year. I’m interested to see how she performs in conference, mainly considering that she has yet to face any teams from HEA in her young career. On the offensive side, I’m also excited to see how former RPI forward Charlotte Wensley does in Maine. The rising junior had 15 points for the Engineers, including a team-high 8 goals in 33 games. I think she will do very well on the Black Bears, especially with the other offensive names around her.
One prediction for a team not in your conference
Amelia: I think Holy Cross will make another deep run in Hockey East. I’m hoping for a national tournament appearance, but regardless, this was such a fun storyline to watch and follow last season. I’m excited to see what they bring to the table this year!
Kacey: St. Lawrence will have a bounce-back season and make the final four of the ECAC tournament. They have a strong class of recruits coming in, headlined by Kendall Doiron and Maja Helge, that can be immediately impactful.
Giselle: Robert Morris will take a big step this season and improve their points and standings from last season. They have a great coaching staff, some returning players that are standout leaders such as captain Alaina Giampietro, Maggie Hatch, and one of the most talented forwards on the team in Jessica MacKinnon. MacKinnon had an incredible first season with the Colonials, and I expect to see at least a repeat of last season from her!
LJ: Merrimack won’t finish last again in Hockey East. Last year was pretty rough for the Warriors, so the only way from here is up, right? With a bunch of transfers and new players coming in, plus a whole new coaching staff, I think they can absolutely improve in the standings.
Emma: Harvard will jump into the top-five for the ECAC — which I know LJ said already, so I’ll just echo her here! With Ainsley Tuffy back in net for her third season, plus a solid offensive group overall, I think the Crimson have all the makings of a great team moving forward.
Way-too-early prediction for who finishes first in your conference
Amelia: Assumption are looking for their first NCAA tournament appearance. This feels like the year for them to do it after a meteoric rise through the NEWHA ranks in just three years since joining the conference. They ranked 13th nationally last season in goals, with 105, and are returning the vast majority of that firepower. Additionally, the Greyhounds’ heavy veteran presence should serve as an asset across all facets as they look to power through their conference competition.
Kacey: The conference is Penn State’s to lose. Even with losing some major players and Mercyhurst coming close in the AHA finals last year, it’s hard to bet against Penn State’s roster and overall infrastructure.
Giselle: It’s going to be Wisconsin, but by only two points. A very close margin. We need drama this season!
LJ: My bet’s still on Quinnipiac. As I wrote previously, I think the combination of offensive firepower from Kahlen Lamarche and outstanding goaltending from Felicia Frank can take them very far, especially if the rest of the pieces can fall into place around them. Of last season’s top teams, Quinnipiac have the best chance of staying there.
Emma: Look. Look. I know Northeastern don’t have a dedicated home rink. I know they’re practicing 35 minutes away from campus every day. And I know they’re playing an extremely travel-heavy first semester this season. However, this team is set up for success in a multitude of ways.
Reigning conference Player of the Year Stryker Zablocki is back for her sophomore season — not to mention the other offensive power the team has up and down the lineup. And they have Lisa Jönsson back for her third year between the pipes. The Huskies saw a large turnover this offseason, to be sure, but they also know exactly what it takes to be at the top of the conference, even with no rink of their own. This team only got better once Matthews Arena closed in December. I think they’re going to continue at that caliber moving into 2026-27, as long as they stick together as a unit.
One dream prediction for Division I
Amelia: A non-WCHA team wins the title — or at least solid representation from other conferences in the Frozen Four!
Kacey: Two AHA teams make the NCAA tournament!
Giselle: Jessica MacKinnon wins a league-wide accolade, not just an AHA one (though more AHA ones would be cool, too)!
LJ: A non-WCHA team competes for the national championship. Or, honestly, I’ll take anyone other than Ohio State! (Wisconsin can stay, though; I’m still a Badger at heart.) Also, a goalie is in serious contention for the Patty Kazmaier Award, at least as a top-10 finalist.
Emma: Everyone already said my dream, which is a new national title game matchup. So, instead, let’s go a little different. This season, the NCAA sets a new attendance record for women’s hockey. I predict it happening at either the outdoor game between Wisconsin and Ohio State at Lambeau Field or the Beanpot final at TD Garden in January.
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