Penn State women’s hockey has been ranked No. 4 in the USCHO’s first poll of the 2026-27 season, released on Monday.

The Nittany Lions are coming off their fourth consecutive Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA) conference title and fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, culminating in a memorable Frozen Four run that ended in heartbreaking fashion against the eventual national champions, Wisconsin, in overtime.

They check in behind the usual culprits. Wisconsin will start the season on top, while non-conference opponents Ohio State and Minnesota are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.

Only one other AHA team cracked the top 15, as Mercyhurst rounded out the pack at No. 15.

Penn State will host No. 2 Ohio State in a two-game series to begin the regular season at 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 24.

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Michael Zeno

Michael is a junior from Eastampton, NJ, majoring in international politics. He's a diehard Knicks, Yankees, Rangers, and Giants fan. When he's not watching old OBJ highlights, he likes to bowl and play pickup basketball. He'll forever believe that Michael Penix Jr. was short. You can contact him at @MichaelZeno24 on Twitter or zenomanknows@gmail.com

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