EXCELSIOR, Minn. – The Trine University men's hockey team will begin the 2025-26 season ranked seventh in the nation according to the preseason USCHO.com Coaches Poll.
The Thunder earned 173 points in the poll, behind fellow Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) member Aurora University who was selected sixth with 212 points. They are directly ahead of Hamilton University. Also representing the NCHA was St. Norbert College who was tabbed in fifth with 217 points and Adrian College who sits in tenth with 119 points. The defending national champions from Hobart College were the unanimous number one with 300 points.
Last season saw Trine make their first appearance in the NCAA Division III Men's Hockey Championship tournament where they scored their first win with a 4-1 victory over visiting Oswego State University of New York, who open the season 12th in the poll, in the first round. The Thunder took the now three-time defending national champion Statesmen to overtime before exiting the playoffs with a 3-2 loss.
In addition to the postseason success, the final record of 21-7-2 was the most wins and fewest losses in program history.
Trine was ranked in the national poll every week of the 2025-26 season except for last year's preseason edition. Including this poll, they have now been in the top ten for 15 straight editions. They were seventh in the poll last year for nine of the 17 polls.
The Thunder will look to build on last year's success when they travel to face SUNY Canton on Friday, October 31. That game is set to start at 7 p.m.
