The 2025-26 women’s college hockey season might be the most interesting in New England in years. Part of that is because teams not named Northeastern are winning Hockey East again.
But there’s much more to it. UConn has emerged as a real power. Tara Watchorn has completely revived Boston University. Providence is sneaky good, Yale (and maybe even Brown) is catching Quinnipiac in the ECAC, and, despite their newfound mortality, Northeastern is still Northeastern.
The hierarchy in New England hasn’t been this blurry in a long time.
Here’s our preseason power rankings.
1. UConn | 2024-25: 22-12-2
Head coach: Chris MacKenzie
Though the Huskies lost to Northeastern in the Hockey East semifinals last season, they still felt like the top team in both the conference and the region. UConn won its second straight regular-season title and boasted one of the best defenses in the country. This season, the Huskies return most of their best players, including sophomore Claire Murdoch, the reigning Hockey East Rookie of the Year, and goalie Tia Chan (graduate student), who led the conference in save percentage last season (.945). Plus, they added Boston College’s Julia Pellerin, the league’s leading goal-scorer (20, to go along with 14 assists) in 2024-25. It’s a great team that might’ve gotten even better, and accordingly, UConn should be the favorite in Hockey East again.
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2. Boston University | 2024-25: 24-12-2
Head coach: Tara Watchorn
The Terriers’ 2024-25 season was remarkable, as a program coming off three consecutive losing seasons finished with 24 victories and won Hockey East for the first time in a decade. They gave ECAC powerhouse Clarkson a real run at NCAAs, too. BU graduated a ton of contributors, but plenty still remain, including Sydney Healey and fellow senior forwards Lilli and Luisa Welcke. There are some question marks in the defensive core, but the late acquisition of graduate goalie Michelle Pasiechnyk, who won National Goalie of the Year in 2023-24 before briefly retiring from hockey, could prove invaluable. It will be Year 3 of the Tara Watchorn era. Talk to anyone around the program, and they’ll tell you BU is here to stay.
3. Northeastern | 2024-25: 22-14-1
Head coach: Dave Flint
For the simple reason that it’s Northeastern. Fact: The Huskies weren’t all that special last season, finishing fifth in the Hockey East regular-season standings. Also fact: It didn’t matter, as NU still made the conference title game — its ninth in a row — and came within an overtime goal of winning it. So it goes. Flint has built a wagon, and the Huskies surely will be in the mix again this year. Star forward Skylar Irving and captain Taze Thompson are gone, but forwards Eloise Caron (11 goals, 16 assists) and Lilly Shannon (16 and 8), defender Tuva Kandell (4-16-20) and goalie Lisa Jönsson (.938 save percentage) are back. Incoming freshmen Stryker Zablocki and Alessia Baechler, the latter of whom has already played in three world championships for Switzerland, are exciting, too.
4. Providence College | 2024-25: 20-12-3
Head coach: Matt Kelly
Here’s something that wasn’t talked about enough: Providence probably was the best team in Hockey East at the end of last season. The Friars went 13-3 in the spring semester, sweeping UConn and Northeastern in the process. They promptly lost to the latter at home in the Hockey East quarterfinals but looked capable of winning the tournament. This season, PC returns Audrey Knapp (19 goals, 16 assists), Reichen Kirchmair (19 goals, 18 assists, HE Player of the Year) and goalie Hope Walinski (.922 save percentage). But the team also graduated plenty of contributors, including captain Hannah Johnson. A freshman class headlined by Molly Farace will need to contribute. It’s hard to rank the Friars. They’re returning their best players but not the depth behind them.
5. Quinnipiac | 2024-25: 22-12-4
Head coach: Cassandra Turner
The premier New England program in the ECAC nowadays, the Bobcats fell in the league quarterfinal for the second straight year in 2024-25, then graduated their entire leadership group and their leading goal scorer. Top point-getter Kahlen Lamarche is back, though, as are several depth pieces that could grow into larger roles. BU transfer Alex Law — one of, if not the fastest skater in the country — is an intriguing addition, and the first-years, led by USA Under-18 international Ella Johnson, look plenty capable. Quinnipiac easily could be higher on this list. Between BU, Northeastern, Providence College and the Bobcats, we’re splitting hairs.
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6. Yale | 2024-25: 16-13-3
Head coach: Mark Bolding
The Bulldogs had a nice year in 2024-25, finishing sixth in the ECAC before losing a tight quarterfinal series to St. Lawrence. They played well against top competition all year, and they’re returning nearly all of their forwards this season, including seniors Carina DiAntonio (13 goals and 21 assists) and Jordan Ray (8-20-28). Yale did graduate captain Anna Bargman (Boxford, Mass.) — who was drafted by the PWHL’s New York Sirens — and a couple key defenders, but the Bulldogs are set up well to build on another good season.
7. Boston College | 2024-25: 21-13-2
Head coach: Katie Crowley
The Eagles were ravaged by the portal and graduation — losing Pellerin, defender Molly Jordan (eight goals, 16 assists), and captains Abby Newhook (Boston Fleet draftee) and Gaby Roy. Sammy Taber (Tewksbury, Mass.), who finished second in Hockey East in points last season with 36, returns, as does goalie Grace Campbell. Sophomore forward Sage Babey (Merrimack transfer) is an intriguing addition, as are freshmen Maxim Tremblay and Alaina Dunn (Walpole, Mass.; Dexter Southfield). BC’s a premier program that was good again last season, but there are more questions than answers as we head into a new season.
8. Brown | 2024-25: 14-13-3
Head coach: Melanie Ruzzi
The Bears could be primed for a jump this season. Consider this: They finished eighth in the ECAC last season, but against teams above them in the standings, they took seven games to overtime, including wins over Clarkson and St. Lawrence, two NCAA tournament teams. Brown also returns seven of its eight leading scorers from last season, including Monique Lyons (Bedford, Mass.) and Ava DeCoste (Plymouth, Mass.). The Bears’ core was already competitive, and now they’ll have another offseason under their belt. Brown hasn’t won the ECAC, or the Ivy, since 2000.
9. Sacred Heart | 2024-25: 21-15-3
Head coach: Thomas O'Malley
An NCAA tournament team for the first time in program history last season, the Pioneers are returning 28 players, including five of their six leading scorers. They lost to Minnesota-Duluth, 6-1, in the first round of NCAA regionals, but it was an obvious step forward for a program that hadn’t been all that impressive since the pandemic. SHU will be a favorite again in the NEWHA, and its non-conference schedule is headlined by the Nutmeg Classic, where it will face Yale, then either Quinnipiac or UConn, in late November.
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10. Vermont | 2024-25: 9-25-2
Head coach: Jim Plumer
Similar to Brown, the Catamounts finished (well) under .500 last season but were consistently competitive against their league’s top competition. UVM beat Northeastern (twice), BC and BU in the spring, before taking the Terriers to overtime in the Hockey East quarterfinal. The Cats were a dangerous team last year, and with most of their core returning, they’re positioned well to be the best of the rest in Hockey East.
