WINTHROP, Mass. – Sept. 16, 2021 – Defending regular season champion Penn State tops the College Hockey America preseason coaches’ poll released today by the CHA. 
 
The Nittany Lions garnered four of four possible first-place votes in balloting among CHA head coaches (coaches could not vote for their own teams) for 20 points, three more than No. 2 Syracuse, which tallied 17 points and received the remaining first-place vote.
 
Mercyhurst finished third with 14 points, followed by Lindenwood with 11 and RIT with eight to round out the poll.
 
Jeff Kampersal’s Penn State squad captured its first CHA regular season crown in 2020-21 with a 16-2-2 mark (16-3-2 overall) and opens this year’s campaign with a two-game non-conference home series against St. Lawrence, Sept. 23-24.
 
CHA Preseason Player of the Year
Penn State sophomore Kiara Zanon, the 2020-21 CHA Player and Rookie of the Year, is the coaches’ choice for CHA Preseason Player of the Year. The Fairport, N.Y., native led the CHA – and all NCAA freshmen – in scoring a season ago with 30 points on 10 goals and 20 assists to garner national Rookie of the Year honors. Zanon was also the only freshman among the 10 finalists for the 2020-21 Patty Kazmaier Award. Penn State goaltender Josie Bothun and Syracuse defenseman Jessica DiGirolamo also received votes in the balloting.
 
CHA Preseason Co-Rookies of the Year
Forwards Sarah Marchand of Syracuse and Vanessa Upson of Mercyhurst share CHA Preseason Rookie of the Year honors this season. Marchand, who comes to Syracuse from Belle River, Ont., notched 30 points on 13 goals and 17 assists for the Southwest Wildcats in Ontario’s Provincial Women’s Hockey League in 2019-20. Upson, a Stoney Creek, Ont., native tallied 38 points (11g-27a) for the PWHL’s Stoney Creek Sabres in 2019-20. Penn State forward Mya Vaslet also received a vote in the balloting.
 
Preseason All-CHA Team
Zanon was joined by Syracuse’s Abby Moloughney and Penn State teammate Natalie Heising on the forward line of the Preseason All-CHA team. Moloughney finished third in the league in scoring a season ago with 21 points on eight goals and 13 assists. Heising finished a point behind Moloughney with 20 points on seven goals and 13 helpers. Mercyhurst’s Sara Boucher and Alexa Vasko, Lindenwood’s Sierra Burt and Syracuse’s Lauren Bellefontaine also received votes.
 
Syracuse’s Jessica DiGirolamo and Penn State’s Izzy Heminger are the choice for defensemen on this year’s team. DiGirolamo was voted the CHA Best Defenseman last season, leading all conference blueliners in scoring with 16 points on nine goals and seven assists while blocking 33 shots for the Orange. Heminger potted a pair of goals and handed out 10 assists and blocked 27 shots for the Nittany Lions in 2020-21. Penn State’s Lyndie Lobdell and Mercyhurst’s K.K. Thiessen also received votes.
 
Penn State’s Josie Bothun and Syracuse’s Allison Small share the goaltender spot to round out the preseason team. Bothun captured the 2020-21 CHA Goaltending Championship as a freshman a year ago with a 1.36 GAA in conference play. Small finished second in league with a 1.82 GAA for the Orange. Mercyhurst’s Ena Nystrøm also received a vote in the balloting.

2021-22 CHA Preseason Coaches’ Poll
Rk. Team (1st Votes)       Points
1.   Penn State (4)               20     
2.   Syracuse (1)                 17
3.   Mercyhurst                   14
4.   Lindenwood                  11
5.   RIT                              8
Coaches could not vote for their own teams. Based on a 5-4-3-2 scale.
 
CHA Coaches’ Preseason Player of the Year (Votes)
Kiara Zanon, So., F, Penn State (3)
Others Receiving Votes: Josie Bothun, So., G, Penn State; Jessica DiGirolamo, Gr., D, Syracuse 
 
CHA Coaches’ Preseason Co-Rookies of the Year (Votes)
Sarah Marchand, Fr., F, Syracuse (2)
Vanessa Upson, Fr., F, Mercyhurst (2)
Others Receiving Votes: Mya Vaslet, Fr., F, Penn State 
 
Coaches’ Preseason All-CHA Team (Votes)
Coaches could not vote for their own players
 
Forwards
Kiara Zanon, So., Penn State (4)
Abby Moloughney, Sr., Syracuse (3)
Natalie Heising, Sr., Penn State (3)
Others Receiving Votes: Sara Boucher, So., Mercyhurst; Lauren Bellefontaine, Sr., Syracuse; Sierra Burt, Gr., Lindenwood; Alexa Vasko, Gr., Mercyhurst 
 
Defensemen
Jessica DiGirolamo, Gr., Syracuse (4)
Izzy Heminger, Sr., Penn State (3)
Others Receiving Votes: Lyndie Lobdell, So., Penn State; K.K. Thiessen, Gr., Mercyhurst
 
Goaltender (tie)
Josie Bothun, So., Penn State (2)
Allison Small, Gr., Syracuse (2)
Others Receiving Votes: Ena Nystrøm, Jr., Mercyhurst
 
About College Hockey America 
College Hockey America is marking its 20th season of competition in 2021-22. The five-team NCAA Division I conference consists of Lindenwood University (Lions), Mercyhurst University (Lakers), Pennsylvania State University (Nittany Lions), Rochester Institute of Technology (Tigers) and Syracuse University (Orange). For more information, visit chawomenshockey.com.