Bloomington, Minn. - The Minnesota State women's hockey team has been slotted fifth in the 2026-27 Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Preseason Coaches' Poll. 

The Mavericks are coming off a 2025-26 season where they finished 17-19-2, including a 9-17-2 record in WCHA conference play. The 17-win campaign set a new program record for wins in a season, and the Mavericks are looking to build off that this year. 

Freshman forward Payton Finnie (Lethbridge, Alta.) received votes for the WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year. While both senior goalie Hailey Hansen (Blaine, Minn.) and senior defender Lauren Zawoyski (Edina, Minn.) received votes for the Preseason All-WCHA team. 

Minnesota State begins the season at home on Friday, Sept 25 at 11:00 a.m. against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). 

2026-27 WCHA Preseason Coaches Poll 

1.  Ohio State (6) 48 

2. Wisconsin (2) 44 

3. Minnesota 35 

4. Minnesota Duluth 32 

5. Minnesota State 23 

6. St. Cloud State 20 

7. St. Thomas 15 

8. Bemidji State 7

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