The NCAA's top teams have reloaded through recruiting classes and the transfer portal. While Ohio State remains the reigning NCAA national champions, they are losing a huge cohort to the PWHL. Wisconsin and Minnesota on the the other hand are seeing an influx of talent, while Colgate and Clarkson remain the teams to beat in the east. Here's THN's offseason NCAA women's hockey power rankings.
1. Wisconsin - Back are Kirsten Simms, Laila Edwards, Casey O'Brien, Lacey Eden, Caroline Harvey, and Ava McNaughton. Wisconsin has a plethora of firepower that will yet again make them a hard team to stop. Yes, they lost Maddi Wheeler, Anna Wilgren, Britta Curl, and Chayla Edwards, among others, but the growth from within, whether it's Cassie Hall, Laney Potter, or Ava Murphy, or incoming recruits like Emma Venusio, Maggie Scannel, and Finley McCarthey should make up for their losses nicely.
2. Minnesota - There's reason to believe this is the year Minnesota pushes aside Ohio State or Wisconsin from their recent dominance. Starting with their returning players, the punch of Abbey Murphy, Josefin Bouveng, Ella Huber, and Peyton Hemp are all returning, and it's fair to assume Emma Kreisz and Ava Lindsay are set for another step forward. Minnesota also boasts Nelli Laitinen who is one of the best defenders in NCAA hockey. Add in transfers Natalie Mlynkova and Krista Parkkonen, as well as incoming phenom Chloe Primerano, and a stellar recruiting class featuring Ayla Puppe, Kendra Distad, Gracie Graham, Hannah Clark and others, and Minnesota looks like they're set to ice the most skilled roster we've seen from the Golden Gophers in since they lost Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle, Abigail Boreen, Catie Skaja, and Savannah Norcross to the PWHL.
3. Ohio State - Of course Ohio State dipped heavily back into the transfer portal to grab Sara Swiderski, Brooke Disher, Maddi Wheeler, and Emily Zumwinkle, and they're bringing in elite recruits Mira Jungaker, and Josie St. Martin. But even with that incoming cohort, Ohio State will have a hard time replacing the veteran depth they'll lose this season including captain Jennifer Gardiner, national team stars Cayla Barnes and Hannah Bilka, starting goalie Raygan Kirk, defenders Stephanie Markowski, Hadley Hartmetz, and Lauren Bernard, Olivia Mobley who transferred out, and veteran Kesley King. They'll need massive internal growth from players like Joy Dunne and Jocelyn Amos, and they gained Maddi Wheeler from Ohio State, but it's a lot of loss to cover. If any team can do it, it's Ohio State, but they may also see a small dip in performance at times. Their biggest offseason addition may have been netminder Hailey MacLeod who will mitigate the loss of Kirk.
4. Colgate - Yes, Colgate is losing Danielle Serdachny, Dara Grieg, Allyson Simpson, and Sydney Bard to the PWHL. This however, is a team with plenty of rising depth and some cagey incoming recruits and transfers. Colgate still has Kristyna Kaltounkova, who is perhaps the best goal scorer in the nation, and they have young stars including Elyssa Biederman, Emalee Pais, and Madeline Palumbo who can all take another step. On the blueline, youngsters Sydney Morrow and Avery Pickering will continue their rise, while the team also boasts the best tandem in net in the NCAA in Hannah Murphy and Kayle Osborne. Colgate also bet on Alexis Petford in the transfer portal, bringing over the best player in NEWHA the past two seasons. If Petford can make the jump to a stronger conference, she could be a difference maker.
5. Clarkson - The biggest problem at Clarkson remains finding scoring...from their forwards. Nicole Gosling and Haley Winn topped the team's scoring charts last year from the blueline and likely will again this season. That's particularly true with the loss of Dominique Petrie, Brooke McQuigge, and Darcie Lappan up front. They also are losing Alexie Guay and Sara Swiderski from the blueline. Between Winn, Gosling, and reigning NCAA Goaltender of the Year Michelle Pasiechnyk in net, the foundation is there. Clarkson also has Anne Cherkowski returning up front, but they'll need to find secondary scoring.
Programs To Watch: Minnesota-Duluth, Cornell, Penn State
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