BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Wisconsin was the pick among the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's (WCHA) head coaches to win the 2024-25 WCHA regular season title.
Wisconsin, the 2023 WCHA Final Faceoff champion and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) runner-up, received five first-place votes and totaled 46 points in preseason polling among the WCHA's eight head coaches.
Defending NCAA champion Ohio State was picked to finish second. The Buckeyes, who have played in the last three national championship games and won two titles, compiled two first-place votes and collected 43 points.
The poll results showed an expected tight race as the WCHA has won a total of 21 national championships, heading into its 26th season of competition.
Minnesota finished third in the voting with 40 points while Minnesota Duluth finished fourth with 31 points.
The top four teams in the poll qualified for the NCAA Tournament last year. Ohio State defeated Wisconsin 1-0 in the national title game while UMD reached the regional final. Minnesota also earned an appearance.
St. Cloud State was picked to finish fifth with 25 points while St. Thomas was sixth with 17 points. Minnesota State was seventh with 15 points while Bemidji State rounded out this year's poll in eighth with seven points.
Kirsten Simms, the Wisconsin All-American forward who led the nation in scoring last season with 75 points and was named the WCHA Player of the Year last season, was tabbed the WCHA Preseason Player of the Year, with three votes. Minnesota forward Abbey Murphy, who had 33 goals and 62 points last season, and Wisconsin All-American defender Caroline Harvey each received two votes among coaches. Wisconsin forward Casey O’Brien also received a vote.
Minnesota defender Chloe Primerano was the choice of coaches as the WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year as she received six votes. Minnesota Duluth forward Caitlin Kraemer and Ohio State defender Mira Jungåker also received a vote from the coaches.
The preseason All-WCHA Team features Simms, Murphy, and Ohio State’s Joy Dunne at forward. Harvey, a former Olympian, and Minnesota’s Nelli Laitinen were selected on defense. Minnesota Duluth's Ève Gascon rounds out the team at goaltender.
The WCHA opens its 26th season with a new Commissioner (Michelle McAteer) and new head coaches at Bemidji State (Amber Fryklund), Minnesota State (Shari Dickerman) and Minnesota Duluth (Laura Schuler).
The battle for the Julianne Bye Cup (the regular season champion) begins with the league’s first games when Minnesota Duluth travels to Ohio State Sept. 21-22 and, in non-conference play St. Cloud State visits Lindenwood.
The schedule also has 112 conference games, including a rematch of the 2023 and 2024 NCAA championship games. Wisconsin and Ohio State will square off against each other in Columbus, Ohio on Nov. 15 and 16. The two teams will then meet later in the season in Madison, Wisconsin. On Jan. 2 and at Wrigley Field in Chicago Jan. 4. Other highlights on the schedule include the Icebreaker Tournament, hosted by Ohio State (Oct. 25-26) in Columbus and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game between Minnesota and Bemidji State on Jan. 1 in Lakeville, Minnesota. The WCHA Final Faceoff to determine the league playoff champion will be March 7-8 at Amsoil Arena in Duluth, Minnesota.
2024-25 WCHA Coaches Poll
(Coaches could not vote for their own team. First-place votes are in parentheses)
1. Wisconsin (5) 46 points
2. Ohio State (2) 43
3. Minnesota (1) 40
4. Minnesota Duluth 31
5. St. Cloud State 25
6. St. Thomas 17
7. Minnesota State 15
8. Bemidji State 7
WCHA Preseason Player of the Year: Kirsten Simms, Jr., D, Wisconsin (3 votes)
Others receiving votes: Caroline Harvey, Jr., Wisconsin (2); Abbey Murphy, Sr., Minnesota (2); Casey O’Brien, Wisconsin (1).
WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year: Chloe Primerano, Minnesota defender (6 votes)
Others receiving votes: Mira Jungåker, Ohio State defender (1), Caitlin Kraemer, Minnesota Duluth forward (1)
Preseason All-WCHA Team
F: Kirsten Simms, Jr., Wisconsin
F: Abbey Murphy, Sr., Minnesota
F: Joy Dunne, So., Ohio State
D: Nelli Laitinen, Jr., Minnesota
D: Caroline Harvey, Jr., Wisconsin
G: Ève Gascon, So., Minnesota Duluth
Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically by position):
Forwards – Casey O’Brien, 5th-Yr, Wisconsin; Laila Edwards, Jr., Wisconsin; Natalie Mlynkova, 5th-Yr, Minnesota
Defense – Mira Jungåker, Fr., Ohio State; Nicole Vallario, Sr., St. Thomas; Chloe Primerano, Fr., Minnesota.
Goaltender - Amanda Thiele, Gr. Ohio State, Ava McNaughton, So., Wisconsin; Sanni Ahola, 5th-Yr, St. Cloud State.