The Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) begins the 2025–26 women’s hockey season with familiar contenders and a league-wide sense of opportunity. Defending champion St. Norbert, perennial power Adrian and surging Concordia Wisconsin headline the top of the coaches' preseason poll after a season that saw NCHA programs earn national recognition. With All-American talent returning, experienced goaltenders in net, and a growing collection of offensive stars, the race for the Slaats Cup promises to be one of the most competitive in recent memory.
Here are five things to know heading into the new campaign.
1) Tight Race at the Top
The 2025-26 NCHA Women's Coaches' Preseason Poll signals a balanced field. Adrian edged St. Norbert by a single point for the top spot, earning five first-place votes to the Green Knights’ four. Concordia Wisconsin rounds out the top three, followed closely by Aurora and Lake Forest.
The Green Knights will rely on Tristan Wicklund, who is the top returning scorer. A season ago, she scored the game-winning overtime goal in the Slaats Cup Championship game. They will have to replace their top three scorers due to graduation. Keira Markell is returning for her sophomore year between the pipes. The Bulldogs, who finished second in regular season and lost in the Slaap Cup title game, bring back their top two scorers. Annie Gilbert will solidify the defensive unit after allowing 1.05 goals per game a year ago. They will have to fill other gaps after a very deep and talented class graduated in the spring. Concordia Wisconsin continues its ascent under head coach Steve Fabiilli, combining defensive structure with speed in transition. They too, like Adrian, will have to replace a starting goalkeeper.
The league’s middle tier—teams like Lake Forest, Aurora and Marian—have prepared all offseason to make a run up the standings. Every weekend series is a potential swing in the standings. The result is a league where every point will matter, and the difference between home-ice advantage and the final playoff spot could come down to a single overtime result.
2) Opening Weekend: Early Non-Conference Tests
The 2025–26 NCHA women’s hockey season begins with a full slate of non-conference matchups that will set the tone for November. Several teams open against nationally ranked opponents, offering an immediate test of depth and readiness.
Adrian travels to Augsburg for a pair of games in Minneapolis. The Auggies enter the year ranked No. 2 nationally, making this one of the toughest opening assignments in Division III. The Bulldogs, ranked No. 9, will look to measure themselves against a proven contender right out of the gate. St Norbert, ranked No. 6, opens at home against No. 5 Gustavus Adolphus in De Pere. The Green Knights are coming off a breakout season and will get an immediate chance to prove their top-10 ranking is justified against one of the nation’s most consistent powers.
Concordia Wisconsin hosts St. Mary's for a two-game series in Mequon. The Falcons finished third in the NCHA last season and will use the series to establish their defensive rhythm before league play begins. Aurora faces Hamline (receiving national votes) in St. Paul, while Lake Forest travels to UW-Superior. These series offer early opportunities for the NCHA to build strength-of-schedule wins that could factor into regional rankings later in the season.
Elsewhere, MSOE visits Bethel, Marian hosts Beloit, and Lawrence opens at home against St. Scholastica, providing valuable early-season minutes for developing rosters. Dubuque, in its third year of competition, visits St. Catherine in an important matchup.
Across the league, this first weekend is more than just a tune-up—it’s an early barometer of how the NCHA stacks up against the national field. With two top-10 teams opening against ranked opponents, the league has an immediate chance to reinforce its standing as one of Division III’s premier women’s hockey conferences.
3) All-Americans and Impact Players Return
The NCHA’s national presence continues to grow, reflected by the representation last year in the CCM/AHCA All-American Teams.
Adrian’s Riley Johnson earned Second Team honors after finishing among the national leaders in points per game, goals per game, assists per game and power-play goals. She returns to lead the league's only team in Michigan. The Bulldogs also had Maya Roy and Kathryn Truban earn Second Team honors. Both have since graduated. St. Norbert had Courtnie Hogan earn Second Team honors after leading the Green Knights offseason last year. While some players have moved on, it opens the doors for others to rise into the spotlight.
4.) Goaltending Will Define the Race
In the NCHA, the margin for error is minimal—and last season’s goalie numbers prove it.
Adrian posted a league-best goals-against average of just 0.82 in conference play (15 GA in 18 GP) and a team save percentage of .942. Overall, four teams allowed fewer than two goals per game during the 2024-25 campaign and those same teams posted a .934 save percentage or better. Those teams (Adrian, Aurora, Concordia Wisconsin and St. Norbert) all finished in the top-5 of the league standings.
What this show is: whichever team emerges with the most consistent, calm net-minder will have a huge head start in the title chase. With high-scoring teams (like Adrian) and tough defenses, goaltending becomes the fulcrum. And with several teams returning veteran goalies and others introducing promising newcomers, expect the platform to be set for net-front showdowns all season.
5) Key Matchups to Watch
The schedule offers no easy nights.
- Lake Forest vs. Aurora (November 6-7) — A series to begin the season that will defenitely have seeding implications in Feburary.
- Trine at St. Norbert (December 5-6) — Can the visitng Thunder knock off the defending champions and send a message that they deserve to be in the conversation for the Kronschnabel Cup?
- Concordia Wisconsin vs. St. Norbert (January 16-17) — A critical home-and-home matchup for the Falcons against the defending champions.
- Concordia Wisconsin vs. Aurora (January 23-24) — A test in the second half of the season for the Spartans, who are looking to establish themselves as consistent contenders.
- Adrian vs. St. Norbert (January 30-31) — A rematch of last year’s Slaats Cup final; both programs feature elite top lines and strong special teams.
- Adrian at Concordia Wisconsin (February 6-7) — This matchup will play a huge part in the Slaats Cup seedings. The series last year ended in a 1-0 decision and a 3-2 overtime contest.
By February, the margin for error will be razor thin. Expect the standings to remain fluid until the final weekend of the regular season.