Ohio State Voted First in WCHA Preseason Poll
9/8/2026 3:00:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced its preseason poll and awards Tuesday and the Ohio State women's hockey team earned the top honors.
The Buckeyes were picked to finish first in a poll of the conference coaches. The team received six first-place votes and 48 points overall.
Senior forward Joy Dunne was voted as the league's Preseason Player of the Year. Dunne was the Buckeyes' leading goal scorer last season, recording 27 goals in 31 games played. She also finished the year second on the team in points despite missing 10 games for national team commitments. An Olympic gold medalist for Team USA, Dunne has made an All-WCHA team all three seasons as a Buckeye, earning the rookie team spot in 2024, the second team nod in 2025 and a first team distinction in 2026. Dunne leads active NCAA players with 80 career goals entering the 2026-27 season.
Dunne is joined on the Preseason All-WCHA Team by senior forward Jocelyn Amos and junior defender Mira Jungåker The Buckeyes led the way with three players on the team, with Minnesota Duluth placing two players and Minnesota one.
Amos finished the 2025-26 season third on the team in points (48) and second in goals (22). The center was second in the country with 539 wins at the faceoff dot and helped the team to the best faceoff win percentage in the country (.601) last season. Amos is a two-time All-WCHA honoree, earning a place on the second team in 2026 and the third team in 2025.
Jungåker is the most veteran player on the Buckeye blue line this season. A 2026 Olympian for Sweden, Jungåker has skated in 48 career games for the Buckeyes on defense and was named Third Team All-WCHA in 2026. The Jönköping, Sweden native helped Ohio State to the second-best scoring defense in the conference, allowing just 1.61 goals per game.
Ohio State starts its season Sept. 24-25 at Penn State. The Buckeyes remain on the road to play at St. Thomas Oct. 2-3 before playing their first home games against Wisconsin Oct. 9-10 at the OSU Ice Rink. Tickets for Ohio State home games can be purchased here: go.osu.edu/DPa3.
2026-27 WCHA Preseason Coaches Poll
Place School (First Place Votes) Points
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
WCHA Preseason Player of the Year: Joy Dunne, Sr., F, Ohio State
Others Receiving Votes: Caitlin Kraemer, Jr., F, Minnesota Duluth
WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year: Adrianna Milani, F, Minnesota
Others Receiving Votes: Edit Danielsson, F, Minnesota Duluth; Payton Finnie, F, Minnesota State; Nela Lopusanova, F, Wisconsin; and Rosalie Tremblay, F, Wisconsin.
2026-27 Preseason All-WCHA
The Buckeyes were picked to finish first in a poll of the conference coaches. The team received six first-place votes and 48 points overall.
Senior forward Joy Dunne was voted as the league's Preseason Player of the Year. Dunne was the Buckeyes' leading goal scorer last season, recording 27 goals in 31 games played. She also finished the year second on the team in points despite missing 10 games for national team commitments. An Olympic gold medalist for Team USA, Dunne has made an All-WCHA team all three seasons as a Buckeye, earning the rookie team spot in 2024, the second team nod in 2025 and a first team distinction in 2026. Dunne leads active NCAA players with 80 career goals entering the 2026-27 season.
Dunne is joined on the Preseason All-WCHA Team by senior forward Jocelyn Amos and junior defender Mira Jungåker The Buckeyes led the way with three players on the team, with Minnesota Duluth placing two players and Minnesota one.
Amos finished the 2025-26 season third on the team in points (48) and second in goals (22). The center was second in the country with 539 wins at the faceoff dot and helped the team to the best faceoff win percentage in the country (.601) last season. Amos is a two-time All-WCHA honoree, earning a place on the second team in 2026 and the third team in 2025.
Jungåker is the most veteran player on the Buckeye blue line this season. A 2026 Olympian for Sweden, Jungåker has skated in 48 career games for the Buckeyes on defense and was named Third Team All-WCHA in 2026. The Jönköping, Sweden native helped Ohio State to the second-best scoring defense in the conference, allowing just 1.61 goals per game.
Ohio State starts its season Sept. 24-25 at Penn State. The Buckeyes remain on the road to play at St. Thomas Oct. 2-3 before playing their first home games against Wisconsin Oct. 9-10 at the OSU Ice Rink. Tickets for Ohio State home games can be purchased here: go.osu.edu/DPa3.
2026-27 WCHA Preseason Coaches Poll
Place School (First Place Votes) Points
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
WCHA Preseason Player of the Year: Joy Dunne, Sr., F, Ohio State
Others Receiving Votes: Caitlin Kraemer, Jr., F, Minnesota Duluth
WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year: Adrianna Milani, F, Minnesota
Others Receiving Votes: Edit Danielsson, F, Minnesota Duluth; Payton Finnie, F, Minnesota State; Nela Lopusanova, F, Wisconsin; and Rosalie Tremblay, F, Wisconsin.
2026-27 Preseason All-WCHA
| Pos. | Name | School | Cl. | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | Joy Dunne | Ohio State | Sr. | O'Fallon, Mo. |
| F | Caitlin Kraemer | Minnesota Duluth | Jr. | Waterloo, Ontario |
| F | Jocelyn Amos | Ohio State | Sr. | Ailsa Craig, Ontario |
| D | Mira Jungåker | Ohio State | Jr. | Jönköping, Sweden |
| D | Chloe Primerano | Minnesota | Jr. | North Vancouver, British Columbia |
| G | Ève Gascon | Minnesota Duluth | Sr. | Mascouche, Quebec |
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