The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) released its 2025-26 coaches’ poll on the morning of Sept. 14, ranking the Bowling Green hockey team fifth in the conference. BGSU was projected fifth in the 2024-25 conference poll, finishing fourth and winning the Mason Cup quarterfinal.
Voted on by CCHA coaches (who could not vote for their own team), the poll tabbed St. Thomas (72) the first-place team, only one overall point ahead of Minnesota State (71), behind the Mavericks.
The Tommies enter their final season in the conference before the switch to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, also debuting the brand-new Lee and Penny Anderson Arena in downtown St. Paul, Minn.
Minnesota State grabbed four first-place votes, the most of any CCHA team. The Mavericks won both the MacNaughton Cup (regular season championship) and the Mason Cup (tournament championship) in 2024-25, losing to the National Championship Western Michigan team in the NCAA Regional round.
Michigan Tech (59), Augustana (59), and Bowling Green (58) all finished within one overall point of each other, MTU taking two first-place votes and Augustana and BG taking none. All three teams finished in the top five in 2024-45′, Augustana second, Bowling Green fourth, and Michigan Tech fifth.
The bottom of the poll includes Bemidji State (54), Lake Superior State (38), Ferris State and Northern Michigan (24). All four finished in the bottom four last season, Ferris State inside the bottom four in each of the last four seasons (since CCHA reinstitution). NMU and LSSU have been in the bottom half for three of the last four seasons, and Bemidji State for two of the last four seasons.
The coaches’ poll also voted on preseason player of the year and rookie of the year. Preseason Player of the Year was given to senior Lucas Wahlin of St. Thomas, a 17-goal, 24-assist center who earned All-CCHA First Team in 2024-25. He was in the top three in the CCHA in goals, assists and points in 2024-25.
St. Thomas also received a Preseason Co-Rookie of the Year, center Nathan Pilling, who scored 67 points in 67 games last season with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL.
The other co-selection was Falcon freshan forward Dominik Rymon, who scored 30 goals and 36 assists in 65 games with the Everett Silvertips of the WHL.
The Preseason All-CCHA team included unanimous choices of Wahlin and Minnesota State defenseman Evan Murr. Michigan Tech earned two players on the list, forwards Isaac Gordon and Stiven Sardarian, Bemidji State’s Isa Parekh to join Murr as defensemen, and 2024-25′ CCHA Goaltender of the Year and Mike Richter Award finalist Alex Tracy as the goalie.
Hockey season in the CCHA kicks off with Michigan Tech at Minnesota and Bemidji State at Alaska Anchorage on Friday. Oct. 3, times to be announced. The first conference games are Bowling Green at Lake Superior State and Ferris State at Michigan Tech on Friday, Oct. 24, at 7:00 p.m.
