The Bemidji State University Women’s Hockey team was voted to finish eighth in the 2025-26 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Preseason Coaches’ Poll announced by the league Monday afternoon. The Beavers garnered seven points in the poll.

Defending National Champion Wisconsin was selected to win the 2025-26 regular season title by the league’s head coaches.

Wisconsin, the 2025 NCAA, WCHA Final Faceoff, and WCHA Regular Season champion, received seven first-place votes and totaled 49 points in the preseason poll. Ohio State, last year’s NCAA runner-up, and Minnesota, who was an NCAA Frozen Four participant last season, tied for second place in the poll, each receiving 40 points. The Gophers received the remaining first-place vote. Minnesota Duluth finished fourth in the poll with 31 points after advancing to its fifth-straight NCAA Regional Round last season. St. Cloud State placed fifth with 24, followed by St. Thomas (17), Minnesota State (16), and Bemidji State (7).

Wisconsin’s Caroline Harvey was tabbed the WCHA’s Preseason Player of the Year.The Badgers’ Adéla Šapovalivová was the choice of coaches as the WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year with four of the eight votes.

The preseason ALL-WCHA team, selected by the league’s head coaches, features six top returners from last season. The three forwards selected to the team were all named Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Top 10 Finalists last season, with Minnesota’s Abbey Murphy, Ohio State’s Joy Dunne, and Wisconsin’s Kirsten Simms.

On defense, Wisconsin’s Harvey is joined by Ohio State’s Emma Peschel. Rounding out the team in net is Minnesota Duluth’s Ève Gascon, who was last season’s WCHA Goaltender of the Year.

Bemidji State sophomore forward Morgan Smith is one of four other forwards to receive votes in the poll.

The Beavers will play Minneosta in an exhibition game on September 20th in Brainerd, before they kick-off the 2025-26 WCHA season when they host defending National Champion Wisconsin Sept. 26-27 at Sanford Center.