ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University men's hockey team will begin the 2026-27 season recognized by both national polls that cover NCAA Division III hockey. They were featured 14th in the USCHO.com preseason poll and received votes according to DIII Hockey News.
The Thunder receive votes tallying 31 points in the first USCHO.com rankings of the year. Trine sits just behind Bowdoin College and just ahead of Babson College. Three other members of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) were also featured in the rankings. Aurora University led the pack at third, St. Norbert College came in at fourth, and Adrian College was tabbed in eighth.
Trine barely missed out on a ranking in the DIII Hockey News poll, receiving 27 points as the top total in the "Others Receiving Votes" Category. Saint John's (Minn.) University came in at 15th with 28 points. The same three NCHA teams were also featured in the poll, with Aurora and Adrian holding the same spots. The voters in the DIII Hockney News poll ranked St. Norbert two spots lower at sixth.
The Thunder are set to open the season when they host Bethel (Minn.) University on Friday, November 6. That game is part of a men's and women's doubleheader with the Trine women set to play at 5 p.m. and the men scheduled for 8 p.m.
