BOSTON - Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) opens the 2025-26 campaign with a two-game non-conference slate on Friday, Sept. 19.
This is the second women's season for AHA following the merger between College Hockey America (CHA) and the Atlantic Hockey Association.
In 2025-26, the AHA women's league added Delaware in its inaugural season to increase the pool of competition to seven teams. Alongside the newest AHA program, Lindenwood, Mercyhurst, Penn State, RIT, Robert Morris and Syracuse will compete in AHA's standings this season.
'25-26 Puck Drop
A pair of AHA teams hit the ice on Friday, Sept. 19, marking the beginning of AHA hockey this season. Lindenwood will head to Herb Brooks National Hockey Center to take on the WCHA's St. Cloud State in a two-game series, with puck drop slated for 6 p.m. CT. This is the second consecutive season that the Lions open their season against the Huskies.
Mercyhurst opens the season against Minnesota Duluth in the comforts of its home venue, Mercyhurst Ice Center. The Lakers also challenge a WCHA opponent from the North Star State when Minnesota Duluth makes the trip to Erie, Pa., for two games with the first contest beginning at 6 p.m. ET.
Saturday, Sept. 20, features Syracuse and Robert Morris playing in exhibitions. The Orange begin their regular season on Thursday, Sept. 25, also against Minnesota Duluth at Tennity Ice Pavilion in Syracuse, N.Y. Robert Morris squares off in a two-game tilt with NEWHA's Assumption at Clearview Arena in Moon Township, Pa., with the first contest on Friday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. ET.
The defending AHA champions, Penn State, will begin their season with a couple of NCAA Tournament rematch games against ECAC Hockey's St. Lawrence, starting on Friday, Sept. 26, at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pa.
RIT drops the puck on its 50th season in program history during a series with NEWHA's Post that is set to start on Friday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. ET at Gene Polisseni Center in Rochester, N.Y.
Blue Hens Hatch
AHA added its seventh team to the women's league in Delaware ahead of the 2025-26 season. The new program was initially announced on Dec. 1, 2023, by the Blue Hens and is one of 22 varsity sports sponsored by their athletic department. Delaware drops the puck on its inaugural season at the Division I level under head coach Allison Coomey, who was named the first bench boss in program history on March 26, 2024, and is no stranger to this conference. Coomey most recently spent seven seasons at Penn State. After serving as an assistant coach for three seasons, Coomey was promoted to associate head coach of the Nittany Lions in 2020-21. Before Penn State, Coomey spent nine seasons at Boston University. There, she helped the Terriers qualify for the NCAA Tournament on six different occasions, which included two NCAA Championship appearances in 2011 and 2013.
The Blue Hens drop the puck on their first-ever Division I game on Friday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. ET when LIU travels to Fred Rust Ice Arena in Newark, Del. for a weekend series. Delaware will have its first conference showdown when Coomey's former program heads to the Blue Hens' nest for a series on Friday, Oct. 10 (6 p.m. ET) and Saturday, Oct. 11 (2 p.m. ET).
“We are thrilled to officially welcome Delaware into Atlantic Hockey America as they drop the puck for the first time this month,” said commissioner Michelle Morgan. “Coach Allison Coomey and her staff have done an outstanding job since day one of joining the program, and their commitment to building a winning culture gives us confidence that Delaware will be a strong addition to our conference.”
Nittany Lions First in Preseason AHA Coaches' Poll
Penn State is once again first in the Preseason AHA Coaches' Poll for the fifth consecutive season, receiving six first-place votes, dating back to the 2021-22 College Hockey America (CHA) poll.
Reigning and four-time AHA Coach of the Year, Jeff Kampersal, enters his ninth season as the Nittany Lions' bench boss after accumulating a single-season program record 31 wins, including an AHA high of 19 conference victories. The Nittany Lions captured both the conference regular season and tournament titles for a third consecutive year.
The Penn State presence on the Preseason All-AHA Team is strong, as it had two forwards in seniors Tessa Janecke and Katelyn Roberts, senior defenseman Kendall Butze and senior goaltender Katie DeSa.
Janecke Named Preseason AHA Player of the Year
For a second straight year, Janecke has been named Preseason AHA Player of the Year after leading the Nittany Lions with 53 points (24G-29A) and skating in all 38 games in 2024-25. The Orangeville, Ill. native was named AHA's Meghan Agosta Player of the Year and Vicki Bendus Forward of the Year. The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award top 10 finalist will captain the program for a second consecutive season. Janecke led the nation in faceoff wins (617) and finished in the top 10 in goals and points.
Numbers to Know
3 - Three AHA Players Brianna Brooks, Lyndie Lobdell of Penn State and Vanessa Upson of Mercyhurst were selected in the 2025 PWHL Draft.
7 - As of the 2025-26 season, the AHA women's league consists of seven programs with the addition of Delaware.
8 - Lindenwood rosters players from eight different countries (the United States, Canada, France, Hungary, Spain, Sweden, Slovakia and Norway).
10 - Mercyhurst's Mike Sisti has collected 590 career wins and is 10 away from the 600 marker.
23 - Kampersal enters 2025-26 only 23 wins away from 500 all-time.
XXV - Syracuse head coach Britni Smith has been named as an assistant coach for Hockey Canada for the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
32 - Mercyhurst's Julia Schalin, the reigning AHA Rookie of the Year, tallied 32 points (14G-18A) in 37 games last season.
50 - 2025-26 marks the 50th season of RIT women's hockey.
153 - Janecke is the all-time points leader at Penn State with 153 (63G-90A) in 114 games.
106,304 - The capacity of West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium on Penn State's campus. The nation's second-largest football stadium will host a hockey double header, including AHA action between Robert Morris and Penn State on Jan. 31, 2026.
Watch AHA home games on FloHockey this season.
About Atlantic Hockey America
Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) embarks on its second season in 2025-26 following the merger between the Atlantic Hockey Association and College Hockey America. The conference fields 10 men's teams (Bentley University, Canisius University, The College of Holy Cross, Mercyhurst University, Niagara University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Robert Morris University, Sacred Heart University, the United States Air Force Academy and the United States Military Academy), and seven women's teams (University of Delaware, Lindenwood University, Mercyhurst University, Penn State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Robert Morris University and Syracuse University). For more information, visit atlantichockeyamerica.com.
Connect with AHA on X (@Atlantic_Hockey), Instagram (@atlantichockeyamerica) and Facebook (Atlantic Hockey America).