By Anthony Winker

Photo by Ella Stufft | The Daily Cardinal

In the recent past, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) has ruled the NCAA women's hockey landscape. The league owns the most recent five championships and 22 of the 25 overall. However, this season is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing in recent years.

Some mainstays on the top programs have moved on. The rise of the transfer portal has seen more roster movement than ever, including some within the WCHA. Three teams have new coaches. 

All that being said, some things stay the same. The NCAA defending champion, Ohio State, is back and ready to defend their title. Wisconsin and Minnesota both return loads of talent. Plus, the depth of the league is looking to make their mark as well. What's in store for the upcoming season? 

Read on for a preview of each WCHA team, listed in reverse order of predicted finish. 

8) Bemidji State Beavers 

Last Year: 4-30-2 (3-24-1, 8th WCHA) 

Key Losses: F Taylor Nelson (5+7), F Gabbie Smith (5+7), Kayla Santl (6+4), D Khloe Lund (2+5), F Calli Forsberg (1+0), F McKayla Zilisch (0+3, Wisconsin), G Abbie Thompson (0-14-1/.867/5.49, Long Island)

Transfer Additions: F Isa Goettl (1 GP, Minnesota), G Josie Bothun (10-10-1/.911/2.32, Penn State), Meredith Killian (2+3, Union) 

For the last two seasons, Bemidji State has found themselves at the basement of the WCHA at the end of the year. This past season, they notched just four wins all season and that was enough to make a change. 

Out is old head coach Jim Scanlon, gone after 10 seasons with the Beavers, and in is Amber Fryklund. The former associate head coach was around during some of the Beavers glory days of the mid-2010's that saw back-to-back 20-win seasons and trips to the WCHA Final Face Off. However, it's going to be a long road to get back to that point. 

Four of the top five scorers will need to be replaced following the graduations of Taylor Nelson, Gabbie Smith, Kayla Santl and Khloe Lund. The addition of transfer forward Isa Goettl (1 GP), an undersized forward, but one who dominated the Minnesota high school circuit with Andover, will help. Still, on paper this looks like a team that will really struggle to score goals.

The defensive side of the puck looks alright. Top defensive pair Makenna Deering (1+5 in 36 GP) and Riley Reeves (1+5 in 35 GP), who was just a freshman last season, returns. And transfer goaltender Josie Bothun out of Penn State gives the Beavers a number one goaltender with a pedigree they haven't had in seasons. The former USCHO Rookie of the Year in 2021 missed the second half of last year with injury, but at her ceiling, Bothun was a top goalie in the nation for the Nittany Lions. 

Additionally, Fryklund's first freshman class brings in some talent, highlighted by a duo from Proctor-Hermantown, Hannah Graves (10+15 in 31 GP for Proctor/Hermantown) and Izy Fairchild (25+24 in 31 GP for Proctor/Hermantown), who will look to restock the cabinets. Regardless, any success that the Beavers have this season will be predicated on their ability to score enough goals. It is reasonable to expect that last year's leading goal scorer, Hailey Armstrong (9+1 in 36 GP), will take a step forward in her sophomore campaign. But, where the rest of those goals will come from remains to be seen. 

A fun aside: the Beavers will be taking part in Hockey Day Minnesota, an annual celebration of the sport of hockey in the state, taking on the Minnesota Golden Gophers on January 25 at Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minn.  

Undoubtedly, the Beavers will take some lumps this season, but almost anything would be an improvement from last season. 

7) St. Thomas Tommies 

Last Year: 10-26-1 (4-23-1, 7th WCHA) 

Key Losses: F Breija Parent (3+8, St. Cloud State), D Isabel Lippai (0+1), G Olivia King (5-12-1/.873/3.78), F Abby Promersberger (6+2, St. Cloud State)

Transfer Additions: Sadie Lindsay (2+3, Minnesota) 

The Tommies are in a strange place as a program currently, mostly due to situations out of their control. Currently, they share a high school arena with nearby St. Thomas Academy while they await the new, state-of-the-art Lee and Penny Anderson Arena's completion. That's hit some legal troubles. 

As for the team itself, it'll be quite a bit different to last year's squad. The team fielded a roster of 29, a large number, last season, and that number is down to 25 this season. Nine players from last year hit the portal, there was one graduation and a six-player freshman class was brought in. 

All that being said, the Tommies are in pretty good shape for the future. Top scorers Ella Boerger (11+13 in 37 GP) and Rylee Bartz (10+13 in 37 GP) are back after each put together fantastic freshman campaigns, and both are looking to build on those seasons. And they're not the only ones. In fact, all six of St. Thomas' leading scorers are back. Transfer forward Sadie Lindsay (2+3 in 35 GP) from Minnesota will also help immensely on the front end. How the rest of the forward group will look will be a point of intrigue for the Tommies entering the fall. Of the nine transfers, seven were forwards. 

The incoming freshman class boasts a lot of talent as well. Head coach Joel Johnson's recruits for the upcoming season come with loads of excitement. St. Thomas raided the Minnesota high school circuit in this cycle and came out with six super talented players. The headliners, as far as skaters are concerned at least, is Hill-Murray's F Chloe Boreen (32+28 in 31 GP)and Duluth Marshall's F Ilsa Lindamann (57+29 in 27 GP) who put up massive individual seasons last year. They should not only help the forward depth, but potentially add instant impact scoring as well.

On the back end, there was no such turnover. The Tommies return virtually their entire top seven. Isabel Lippai graduated, but everybody else is back, including Switzerland's Nicole Vallario (5+10 in 37 GP), third on the team in scoring last season. In the crease, Olivia King has moved one, but Calla Frank is back for her fifth season. However, don't count out 2023 US U18 Worlds goaltender Dani Strom (21-8-0/.943/1.41 in 30 GP at Maple Grove HS), who comes in as a highly-rated goalie prospect. Strom should compete for playing time, if not be the starter, right away. 

The arrow is certainly pointing up for St. Thomas. They may not be competitors for the conference this season, but they certainly are loading up on talent and may be a force in the coming seasons.

6) St. Cloud State Huskies 

Last Year: 17-17-2 (12-14-2, 5th)

Key Losses: F Klara Hymlarova (8+16), F Katie Kauffman (6+16), Addi Scribner (2+4), Taylor Lind (6+8), CC Bowlby (6+10), Maddy Peterson (1+4), Devyn Millwater (1+3, British Columbia)

Transfer Additions: F Ally Qualley (5+7, Merrimack), Breija Parent (3+8, St. Thomas), Abby Promersberger (6+2, St. Thomas)

Last year's St. Cloud State squad was a lot of fun. They handed Ohio State one of two conference losses all season. They were ranked in the top 10 in the country for most of the season. Unfortunately, they narrowly missed out on the NCAA Tournament. Now, the team is facing many questions about the upcoming season. 

The team was loaded with experience which may have been a positive then, but now, not so much . . . since most of it has graduated. Star forward/defense hybrid Klara Hymlarova has graduated. Katie Kauffman and CC Bowlby, who each finished in the top-4 on the team in scoring, also are moving on. This presents a problem for the Huskies, who already only had one double-digit goal scorer on the team last year as it was (Emma Gentry, 12). Luckily for the Huskies, at least Gentry (12+6 in 31 GP) will be back for her graduate season. 

But, the goal-scoring issue is further compounded by the fact that reinforcements aren't exactly flying in. The team snagged three players out of the portal – Ally Qualley, Breija Parent and Abby Promersberger – but none of those players are the type of forward who can drive offensive play themselves which is something the Huskies desperately need. The freshman class features just three players with only one, Myah Krueger (25+24 in 44 GP for MN Ice Cougars AAA), being a forward. 

As far as the other two in the freshman class go, head coach Brian Idalski seems to have the overseas market on lock in the WCHA, as both other players come from Finland. This includes goaltender Emilia Kyrkko (2-3-0/2.78/.909 in 6 GP for Team Kuortane), who put up great numbers in the Finnish Naisten Liiga. 

Kyrkko likely will not see too much action this season with both Sanni Ahola ​​and JoJo Chobak, St. Cloud State's fantastic goalie tandem from last season, back. The Huskies will be extremely reliant on them again this year, perhaps even more so than last year, when taking into account the amount of scoring that needs to be replaced. 

It certainly seems like regression is coming on both sides of the puck for St. Cloud State. Just how much remains to be seen. There are enough question marks where I debated having St. Thomas sixth and sliding St. Cloud State down to seventh. However, Idalski is a good coach and the structured game that the Huskies play plus the return of Ahola and Chobak should keep them out of the bottom two of the conference. 

5) Minnesota State Mavericks 

Last Year: 13-25-0 (6-22-0, 6th)

Key Losses: F Kennedy Bobyck (6+11), D Charlotte Akervik (5+8), Lauren Barbro (6-5-0/.904/2.62, Penn State)

Transfer Additions: Jessie McPherson (10-8-5/.912/2.32, Vermont)

Two seasons ago, Minnesota State finished the season close to .500 with much of their core intact and looking to continue that progression last season. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, they instead had one of their more disappointing seasons, finishing with just six wins in the WCHA. Despite that, they gave the Golden Gophers a scare in the WCHA Playoffs, nearly pulling an upset that would've shaken up the playoff picture. 

That's where the Mavericks think they can get to: a team capable of finishing in the top four of the conference and playing the top teams tough. Thanks to the extra year afforded to athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they almost get a redo of sorts this year. 

Despite the retirement of head coach John Harrington, the roster remains virtually untouched for new bench boss Shari Dickerman. Dickerman has been on staff for the Mavericks since 2009, and served as acting head coach for a stretch last season while Harrington dealt with some medical issues. Now in her first full season as head coach, her task is bringing a veteran group to places they haven't been since 2004: the top half of the conference. 

The graduations of Kennedy Bobyck and Charlotte Akervik hurt, but that's about it in terms of departures. Leading scorer Sydney Langseth (15+17 in 38 GP)highlights a quartet of  Mavericks returning for their fifth seasons that also includes 20-goal scorer Jamie Nelson (20+10 in 38 GP), and depth forwards Madison Mashuga (3+8 in 26 GP)and Mackenzie Bourgerie (4+4 in 27 GP). 

The four fifth years running it back will be supplemented by a trio of talented freshmen from the Minnesota high school circuit: Bella Shipley (29+29 in 31 GP for Maple Grove HS), Lauren Goldsworthy (14+29 in 28 GP for Minnetonka HS) and Audrey Garton (21+14 in 25 GP for Academy of Holy Angels). 

The transfer portal saw an exchange of goaltenders – Lauren Barbro is out, Jesse McPherson, the former Vermont Catamount, is in. That was it though, a rarity for a team with a brand new head coach, showing the respect the group has for Dickerman, a big thing for a team entering a new era. 

Regardless, this only works if there is internal improvement from some other veterans, such as Alexis Paddington (4+9 in 34 GP), who had her career-worst in points in her junior campaign. Relying on internal improvements is always a risky proposition, but one that Minnesota State is comfortable with right now as they look to establish a new identity under Dickerman. 

4) Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs 

Last Year: 21-14-4 (15-11-2, 4th), lost Regional Final vs Ohio State 

Kay Losses: F Reece Hunt (18+16), F Mannon McMahon (14+17), D Paula Bergstrom (0+4), F Katie Davis (2+2, Northeastern), F Dani Brunette (2+0, Maine), G Hailey MacLeod (11-5-2/1.42/.948, Ohio State), Quinn Dunkle (0+1, Undecided)

Transfer Additions: F Olivia Mobley (9+18, Ohio State), G Tindra Holm (23-9-0/.940/1.94), F Nina Steigauf (16+16, Quinnipiac)

This offseason has been hard on Minnesota Duluth, to say the least. The unexpected departure of successful head coach, Maura Crowell, to Dartmouth left the team in a tight spot. Continuing with the theme in the WCHA of hiring internally this offseason, the Bulldogs settled on associate head coach Laura Schuler deep into the summer. Schuler, who was the head coach of Team Canada from 2015-18, and her roster are in an interesting position. 

Last year, Minnesota Duluth was essentially St. Cloud State, but better. Elite goaltending and just enough goal-scoring. And, just like the Huskies, both of those aspects are taking big hits. Mannon McMahon and Reece Hunt, UMD's top two scorers, are gone. So is one part of the two-headed monster in net, Hailey MacLeod, who is off to Ohio State. 

However, unlike the Huskies, Minnesota Duluth addressed some of those needs with offseason moves. Transfer forwards Olivia Mobley and Nina Steigauf combined to score 25 goals last season for top programs Ohio State and Quinnipiac respectively. They'll add some of the punch that the lineup is losing on the offensive side. Former Long Island goaltender Tindra Holm, who dominated NEWHA for the Sharks, comes in to help out breakout star freshman Eve Gascon (10-9-2/1.63/.946 in 16 GP)between the pipes to form another formidable tandem. 

Plus, the Bulldogs got some good news on the COVID year returnee front also. Number one defenseman Nina Jobst-Smith (4+8 in 39 GP)is back for her fifth year along with third and fourth leading scorers Olivia Wallin (6+18 in 39 GP)and Clara Van Wieren (13+11 in 39 GP). 

Improvements from some underclassmen like Mary Kate O'Brien (7+7 in 39 GP)and Grace Sadura (3+4 in 39 GP) and the continued success of veterans such as Hanna Baskin (5+13 in 37 GP)are necessary to fully make up for the losses from last year's team, but the Bulldogs are poised for home ice in the WCHA Playoffs and to make a return to the NCAA Tournament yet again.

3) Ohio State Buckeyes 

Last Year: 35-4-0 (26-2-0, 1st), won National Championship

Big Losses: F Hannah Bilka (22+26), F Jenn Gardiner (18+27), D Cayla Barnes (11+25), D Hadley Hartmetz (9+24), F Olivia Mobley (9+18, Minnesota Duluth), D Stephanie Markowski (3+24), F Lauren Bernard (8+15), F Kelsey King (6+10), F Delaney Fleming (1+1, Cornell), G Raygan Kirk (22-2-0/1.05/.945)

Transfer Additions: D Brooke Disher (3+8, Boston), D Sara Swiderski (2+8, Clarkson),  Emily Zumwinkle (0+3, Minnesota), F Maddi Wheeler (10+14, Wisconsin), G Hailey MacLeod (11-5-2/1.42/.948, Minnesota Duluth)

The defending champions and queens of the transfer portal slot in at number three on my list. This might be a controversial opinion to some, but if you were to fill two buckets, one with the additions and one with the subtractions, the one with the subtractions would certainly outweigh the ones with the additions. 

That's no knock on the Buckeyes at all – if anything, more of an indication on how good last year's team was. Losing two senior national team members in Hannah Bilka and Cayla Barnes will hurt any team. Yet, on top of that, the Buckeyes also graduated Jenn Gardiner, Lauren Bernard, Hadley Hartmetz, Stephanie Markowski and Raygan Kirk, plus they lost Olivia Mobley to the transfer portal. 

Nadine Muzerall certainly didn't ignore the transfer portal – she snagged former Wisconsin forward Maddi Wheeler and the top goalie in Hailey MacLeod out of Minnesota Duluth – but the Bilka/Barnes-level additions from last year weren't in the cards this go-around for Ohio State. The result is a team that probably got a little worse this year, which usually isn't so bad when you were as good as the Buckeyes were last year, but becomes slightly more problematic when the teams around you got better. 

This just means the homegrown players for the Buckeyes will have to be the stars of the show this season – and they're certainly capable of that. WCHA Freshman of the Year Joy Dunne (24+18 in 39 GP), who scored the lone goal in last season's NCAA championship game, is back for her sophomore season and has shown no reason why she can't take a Kirsten Simms-level sophomore jump. Jocelyn Amos (15+15 in 29 GP) and Makenna Webster (12+14 in 31 GP) both return as well. Goal-scoring will, once again, not be a problem for the Buckeyes. 

Their biggest question marks will certainly be on how the back end holds up against the top teams in the country. The goaltending, with MacLeod and returnee Amanda Thiele (13-2-3/1.60/.905), will be fine. But, Barnes, Hartmetz and Markowski were the top three defenders on the title team last year. Having Emma Peschel (7+16 in 36 GP) back helps, but she is the only top-four returnee. Muzerall tried to address this in the portal, bringing in transfers Brooke Disher and Sara Swiderski, but neither of them are on any of the old guard's level. 

However, how much of an instant impact the freshman class makes could exacerbate or eliminate all of these concerns with the Buckeyes this year. Mira Jungaker (2+1 in 14 GP at national level for Sweden), a three-year member of Sweden's senior national team, has the best chance to help out immediately, and Ohio State might need her to.

This Ohio State team will undoubtedly be really good once again. Yet, whether or not they are good enough to defend their title again will depend on the back end's ability to keep them in games against the Minnesota's and the Wisconsin's of the world. If they can't, the five-year pattern of alternation between the Badgers and Buckeyes may continue for a sixth. 

2) Minnesota Golden Gophers

Last Year: 27-10-2 (19-7-2, 3rd), lost Regional Final vs Clarkson 

Key Losses: D Madeline Wethington (5+18), D Taylor Stewart (2+6), G Lucy Morgan (15-3-0/1.65/.931), D Solveig Neunzert (1+5), F Sadie Lindsay (2+3, St. Thomas), D Emily Zumwinkle (0+3, Ohio State) 

Transfer Additions: D Sydney Morrow (13+26, Colgate), D Krista Parkkonen (5+14, Vermont), F Natalie Mlynkova (17+13, Vermont)

This is one of the most important seasons for Minnesota in recent years. It's hard to fathom that the Golden Gophers haven't reached the pinnacle of women's college hockey since 2016. Yet, here the state of hockey is, looking to snap a title drought so long, their archrivals to the east have won it three times since then. 

Golden Gophers fans might be thinking, “Well, if the Skaja-Heise-Zumwinkle team couldn't do it, can anyone?” The answer is yes, at some point, Minnesota will win a title again. And yes, this team could do it. 

The losses are minimal. Madeline Wethington is the biggest departure. Lucy Morgan hurts too, but that just gives the net back to Skylar Vetter (12-7-2/2.26/.921), who has been fantastic throughout her Golden Gophers career, so that's not necessarily a bad thing. 

The additions on the other hand? Well, the Golden Gophers landed arguably the most sought-after player in the portal in Colgate's Sydney Morrow. She adequately replaces Wethington and then some, producing over a point per game on the back end last year for the Raiders. It will be interesting to see if Vermont duo D Krista Parkkonen and F Natalie Mlynkova can keep contributing points in the WCHA, but at the very least, it adds valuable depth to the team. 

All this to not even mention the players that the Golden Gophers have coming back. Leading scorer Abbey Murphy (33+29 in 39 GP) might have had 50 goals if not for the nation-leading 188 minutes she spent in the penalty box. It is imperative for the Gophers that she cuts that number down because when she's out on the ice, there aren't many more dangerous goal scorers in the world. Her linemates from last season, Ella Huber (18+24 in 39 GP) and Josefin Bouveng (19+31 in 39 GP), one of the biggest surprises of last year, also return. The sky's the limit for what that trio can accomplish in another year together. 

And, as always, Minnesota brings in an impressive freshman class. Minnetonka, Minn. native F Kendra Distad (21+27 in 28 GP for Minnetonka HS), a member of the US U18 squad in 2023, and D Gracie Graham (19+40 in 29 GP for RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna), who did the same for Canada, both figure to make instant impacts this season. 

Minnesota will be really good again. The question still remains: Is the forward group finally deep enough to get them over the hump in the NCAA Tournament? They've always had the superstars, but the supplemental pieces need to be great, and great when it counts, for the Golden Gophers to finally snap their drought. 

1) Wisconsin Badgers 

Last Year: 35-6-0 (23-5-0, 2nd), lost National Championship vs Ohio State 

Key Losses: F Britta Curl (22+40), D Anna Wilgren (2+22), D Chayla Edwards (1+18), F Maddi Wheeler (10+14, Ohio State), G Jane Gervais (15-3-0/1.55/.921, Vermont), D Sophie Helgeson (3+1, RPI) 

Transfer Additions: F McKayla Zilisch (0+3, Bemidji State), G Quinn Kuntz (1 GP, Ohio State)  

For as much success as the Badgers have had recently, it may come as a surprise that they have not won the WCHA regular season title outright since the 2020-2021 season. In fact, they've finished in third place in two out of those three seasons since. 

So, why is this year the year that they snap that drought? Well, let's put it this way. It isn't often that a team puts two players in the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to women's college hockey's best player, Top-3 finalists. It's even less often that a team returns both of those players. 

Yet, with Casey O'Brien (23+50 in 41 GP) and Kirsten Simms (33+42 in 39 GP) both coming back this season, the Badgers will be doing just that. Both players had a compelling case for a trophy that went to Cornell's Izzy Daniel last year, and both will surely open as one of the favorites to grab the award in 2025. For Simms especially, last year was something to behold. The numbers she was putting up were numbers not seen by an underclassman since Hilary Knight made Madison home. Her 79 points represented a 43-point increase from her still very impressive freshman campaign. 

On top of that, the third member of UW's dominant top line, Laila Edwards (21+35 in 41 GP), is back following an offseason in which she lit the international world on fire. Shoutouts from Travis Kelce, an MVP award at her first senior national tournament and being named Bob Allen USA Hockey Women's Player of the Year Award were just a small part of her college offseason, and she heads into the fall riding high. 

Oh yeah, and we haven't even mentioned superstar defender Caroline Harvey (5+30 in 32 GP, +54)yet, who may very well be the best defender in the entire world . . . college or not. She finished the season in the top-10 for the Patty Kazmaier Award despite missing a month of the season with an injury.

All this to say the Badgers offense that led the nation in goal-scoring last season (5.0 GPG) should have no issues scoring goals again. Losing their captain and leader the last two seasons in Britta Curl will sting, but the goal-scoring was a surplus last year and the Badgers should be fine. 

Even so, they may have the capabilities to replace that production either way. Getting healthy seasons from Bella Vasseur and Claire Enright, both of whom missed the entirety of last season due to injury, will help. So will the additions of highly touted freshman Hannah Halverson (28+29 in 31 GP for Edina HS), Maggie Scannel (53+26 in 54 GP for Shattuck-St. Mary's), and Finley McCarthy (2x USA U18 Medalist). 

The biggest positive from all this might just be the bodies. For many stretches of the season last year, the Badgers could not ice a full lineup and were forced to use Katie Kotlowski (4+7 in 37 GP)and Sophie Helgeson as forwards due to having only 10 healthy forwards for a not insignificant amount of the season. That shouldn't be an issue this season, as the team is carrying 14 forwards, seven defenseman and three goalies. 

If you had to pick something, the defense is a slight question mark. Harvey and Vivian Jungels (5+14 in 41 GP), Wisconsin's top pair, are back and both just juniors. Beyond that though, there are some questions. The Badgers will be counting on young players to play meaningful minutes. Laney Potter (4+12 in 41 GP) and Ava Murphy (2+9 in 37 GP) will both need to take continued steps forward as their roles evolve, likely into top-4 minutes this year since Anna Wilgren and Chayla Edwards have graduated. Also, can Emma Venusio, a highly-rated freshman, grab a top-four spot and contribute right away? 

But, by far the biggest question facing the Badgers is as follows: Can Ava McNaughton (20-3-0/1.45/.936)take the next step? Her tandem partner for the entire season, Jane Gervais, departed for Vermont. McNaughton proved she could handle herself well in the playoffs when she had the full-time job, but can she do that over a full season? And, what happens if she gets hurt? The only real insurance behind her is Quinn Kuntz, a fifth-year transfer from Ohio State whose total games played in those five seasons you can count on two hands. The ceiling of Wisconsin's season likely sits in the hands of the sophomore goaltender. 

This team has everything it takes to go get national title number eight. Good health will undoubtedly need to be their biggest ally in that quest.