It’s officially the winter break of the women’s college hockey season, and we’re halfway to the 2026 Women’s Frozen Four in University Park, PA.
We're looking back at the fall semester to see which teams who have exceeded their preseason expectations and who will have their work cut out in the spring semester. We’ve revisited the preseason USCHO rankings as a baseline for which teams were generally considered contenders before the season and compared those to their current NPI rankings to determine each grade.
Penn State: A+
Preseason USCHO No. 8 | Current NPI No. 4
Penn State entered this season with its highest USCHO preseason ranking in program history at No. 8. Headlined by AHA Player of the Year Tessa Janecke and Goaltender of the Year Katie DeSa, the Nittany Lions had high expectations coming into 2025-26.
And they have been on fire so far, boasting a 17-1-0 record this semester, putting them No. 4 in the NPI. The lone loss came in Game 1 of a road series at No. 7 Northeastern. Penn State trails only No. 1 Wisconsin in goals (89), and it leads the nation with 1.11 goals against per game. The only knock against the Nittany Lions in the NPI is their strength of schedule, which is ranked 34th-hardest, but they have been dominating their weaker opponents so far.
Cornell: B-
Preseason USCHO No. 17 | Current NPI No. 12
On paper, Cornell looked like the best team in the ECAC in the preseason, but with only 11 rostered forwards, offensive scoring depth was a concern.
And goalscoring has been the downfall for the Big Red so far this season, sitting at 55 goals in 16 games, but the defense has helped out, holding opponents to just 1.81 goals per game. Cornell started the season on a seven-game winning streak but has limped into the break, going 3-5-1 since, including back-to-back home losses to No. 9 Quinnipiac and No. 11 Princeton.
The key for Cornell in the second half of the season will be stealing games against those stronger opponents — teams like Penn State, which it plays twice in the next month.
Colgate: C+
Preseason USCHO No. 5 | Current NPI No. 16
Voted to place second in the ECAC preseason coaches' poll, Colgate hoped to contend for the conference title this season. But the Raiders have had a slow start, going 9-10-1 overall, and 5-5-1 at home. A series sweep of No. 14 Boston University early in the season doesn’t look as strong now as it did back in October, but a series split with No. 4 Cornell and a win over No. 9 Quinnipiac show that this team has the talent to compete against the best.
The Raiders have been competitive in most of their losses — seven games were decided by one or two goals. If some pucks start to bounce their way, they could string together some wins and be right back in the mix.
Boston University: D
Preseason USCHO No. 11 | Current NPI No. 31
After winning the Hockey East tournament last season, the Terriers lost a close game to No. 9 Clarkson in the NCAA regional semifinals. They lost a key blueline piece in Tamara Giaquinto over the summer, but gained a possible replacement in Colgate transfer Ella Belfry Jr., so the expectations for 2025-26 were still high.
But so far, overall team play has not been up to par for the Terriers, as opponents are outscoring them 50-34. Perhaps the only bright spot for BU is its schedule. The Terriers have played the ninth-hardest so far, and it will be a little easier in the spring semester, giving them a chance to turn the season around with a few key wins.
UConn: A
Preseason USCHO No. 12 | Current NPI No. 5
UConn is coming off back-to-back Hockey East regular season titles, but missed out on the NCAA tournament last season. This year, they are hoping to get back to the national tournament, and if their fall semester is any indication, they are well on their way.
Opening at No. 12 in the preseason USCHO rankings, UConn has rolled to a 13-3-2 start with a relatively difficult schedule (16th SOS), putting them at No. 5 in the NPI at the halfway point. Team defense and goaltending are the strongest points of this Huskies squad, allowing just 1.72 goals against per game. In 17 starts, goaltender Tia Chan leads the nation with a whopping .949 SV%. The only thing holding the Huskies back from an A+ grade is goalscoring. Most of their wins have been by one or two goals, but if they can start scoring in flurries, this team could be dangerous come March.
