The Aurora University men's hockey team will enter the 2025-2026 season being picked to finish second in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NHCA) preseason poll while receiving 85 points and two first-place votes in the voting.
The 2024-2025 season for the AU men's hockey team set new standards for wins in a season with a 24-5-1 overall record, while winning the first NCHA Peters Cup title, made the first NCAA Tournament appearance and won the first playoff game in program history.
AU is picked just behind St. Norbert College who was picked by league coaches to place first in the upcoming Northern Collegiate Hockey Association regular season, according to the results of the coaches' preseason poll announced today by the league office. SNC received 96 points and seven first-place votes.
The NCHA's regular season standings determine the teams that qualify for the eight-team Harris Cup Playoffs, while the tournament champion receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.
The Spartan men's hockey team opens the 2025-2026 season on Friday, October 31 when they travel to the Key City Classic hosted by University of Dubuque. AU takes on Augsburg University at 3:00 p.m. in Dubuque, Iowa.
2025-2026 NCHA Men's Hockey Coaches' Preseason Poll
|
School |
Points |
| 1 |
St. Norbert College |
96 (7) |
| 2 |
Aurora University |
85 (2) |
| 3 |
Adrian College |
81 (1) |
| 4 |
Trine University |
77 |
| 5 |
MSOE |
56 |
| 6 |
Concordia Wisconsin |
47 |
| 7 |
Lawrence University |
31 |
| 7 |
Marian University |
31 |
| 9 |
Lake Forest College |
24 |
| 10 |
University of Dubuque |
22 |
() - First-place votes
