MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY STARTS 2026 IN NO. 1 SPOT IN AMERICAN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION RANKING #10
Beavers Back in Top Spot for First Time Since February 26, 2025
UNION LAKE, Mich. – (January 14, 2026) – As the calendar flips over to 2026, Minot State University (15-1-2) takes over the top spot of 2025-2026 ACHA Men’s Division I Ranking #10. The Beavers last held the top spot in 2024-2025 Ranking #16, when it ended the regular season as the No. 1 seed heading into the 2025 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships. The Beavers finished out 2025 with an overtime shootout road loss to in-state rival University of Jamestown 4-3 at Wilson Arena. The Jimmies saw both of its two goal leads evaporate (2-0 and 3-1) as Joey Moffatt and Jay Buchholz tallied power play goals to tie the game 3-3 and send it to overtime. After a scoreless 3-on-3 overtime period, the game moved to a shootout, where Carson Brown and Brad Fortin scored for the Jimmies on Will Dyke while Brandon Weare stuffed Sheldin Howard and Buchholz for the win. Fortin also had a pair of goals in regulation while Weare finished with 46 saves and counterpart Dyke made 32 saves. On Friday night at home for its first game of 2026, the Beavers blanked in-state rival University of Mary 4-0 at All Seasons Arena. After a scoreless first period, defenseman Matthew Yakubowski put the Beavers ahead 1-0 just 2:09 into the second period. Despite 45 shots on goal through two periods, the score remained 1-0 as Beavers goaltender Dyke stopped all 21 shots sent his way while counterpart Caleb Cross had 25 saves. The Beavers finally pulled away in the third period on goals by Buchholz, Moffatt, and Logan Rands as Dyke finished with a 27 save shutout victory, while Cross took the loss despite 34 saves.
No. 2 Ohio University (20-3-0) drops from the top spot despite sweeping University of Cincinnati (7-1, 9-1) at Bird Arena in Athens, Ohio. Leading the Bobcats’ attack over the Bearcats was Hollander Thompson (four goals, two assists), Laker Aldridge (goal, four assists), Mathieu Ovaert (goal, four assists), Jack Glen (two goals, two assists), Barron Stibbe (three goal hat trick), Drake Albers (goal, two assists), Will Cohen (goal, two assists), Noah Holt (three assists), and Kevin Kasper (three assists).
No. 3 University of Nevada-Las Vegas (17-3-0) finished out 2025 with a home sweep over University of Oregon (9-1, 10-1) and then started 2026 with a hard-fought home sweep over Niagara University (14-4-0), dropping the Purple Eagles down a spot to No. 4 in the aftermath. Against the Ducks, the Rebels’ assault was led by Charles Masek (two goals, five assists), Jaxsen Wyatt (goal, five assists), and Mason Kelly (two goals, two assists). The Rebels peppered Ducks goaltenders with 168 shots on goal as Thomas Cafarelli finished with 72 saves on Saturday and teammate Finn Willson stopped 77 shots on Sunday. On Friday night against Niagara University, the Rebels jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one period before the Purple Eagles notched a pair of goals in the second period to tie it 2-2 after forty minutes. Masek restored the lead with a power play goal before Aiden Kalin got his ninth goal of the season to tie it 3-3 with 7:59 remaining. A tripping penalty put the vaunted Rebels power play on the ice with 4:50 remaining and Deven Nagra lit the lamp to put the Rebels up 4-3. Goaltender Douglas Wakelyn did the rest finishing with 20 saves for the victory, while Jacob Dubinsky stopped 26 shots in defeat. Saturday night, the Rebels broke open a 1-1 game with three goals in the second period, including a pair of power play goals by Bryce Johnson, to go up 4-1 after forty minutes. The Purple Eagles got within a pair of goals twice in the third period, but Johnson put the final nail in the coffin with his 9th goal of the season for the three-goal hat trick and 6-3 final as the buzzer sounded. Wakelyn finished with 25 saves while Dubinsky turned aside 26 shots in defeat. The Rebels power play unit finished 5 for 10 on the weekend while holding the Purple Eagles scoreless with the man advantage (0 for 7).
Rounding out the Top 5 is Drury University (18-1-0), which was idle. The Panthers will be back in action this weekend as they host No. 6 Maryville University at Brightspeed Ice Park in Springfield, Mo. on Saturday and Sunday.
Moving into the polls this week is No. 17 Midland University, No. 20 University of Kentucky, No. 23 West Chester University, and No. 25 Davenport University. The No. 20 Wildcats are making their first appearance in the polls in their inaugural season at the Men’s Division I level.
Dropping out of the Top 25 are Cleary University, Stony Brook University, University of Pittsburgh, and Arizona State University.
The Great Lakes 6 Hockey Conference leads the way with six (of 7) of its member teams ranked, while Midwest College Hockey has four (of 7) of its member teams ranked, Western Collegiate Hockey League has six (of 11) of its member teams ranked, Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference has one (of 6) of its member teams ranked, College Hockey Mid-America has one (of 7) of its member teams ranked, Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League has one (of 10) of its member teams ranked, and Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association has one (of 11) of its member teams ranked.
Over the past 22 seasons, 13 different schools have won the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championship: Lindenwood (4), Minot State (3), Adrian (3), Central Oklahoma (2), Illinois (2), Arizona State, Davenport, Delaware, Nevada-Las Vegas, Oakland, Ohio, Penn State, and Rhode Island.
Now in its 35th season of action, there have been a total of 15 schools that have won the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championship:
- Penn State University (5 times)
- Lindenwood University (4)
- Ohio University (4)
- Adrian College (3)
- Minot State University (3)
- North Dakota State University (2)
- University Central Oklahoma (2)
- University of Illinois (2)
- Arizona State University
- Davenport University
- Iowa State University
- Oakland University
- University of Delaware
- University of Nevada-Las Vegas
- University of Rhode Island
A total of 81 teams will compete in Men’s Division I this season, including former Men’s Division II members Central Michigan University, North Carolina State University, University of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and University of North Carolina, along with former Men’s Division III members Hope College, the reigning ACHA Men’s Division III National Champions, and University of Michigan-Flint. The Concordia University Ann Arbor program, which made the announcement to relocate to Siena Heights University back in April, folded in July before getting to play a game as the Saints.
The computer ranking will for the twelfth time determine the 24 teams that qualify for the 2026 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships, which will include the following six auto bids:
- (CHMA) College Hockey Mid-America
- (ECHA) Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association
- (GLCHL) Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League
- (MCH) Midwest College Hockey
- (WCHL) Western Collegiate Hockey League
- (WHAC) Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference
The eleventh ranking of the regular season will be released on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.
The 2026 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships presented by FloHockey will be hosted March 12-17 for the fourth time at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Mo. This will be the third year of the 24-team format.
| 2025-2026 ACHA Men’s Division I Ranking #10 | |||||
| Rank | School Name | M1 Record | Previous | Trend | Conference |
| 1 | Minot State | 15-1-2 | 2 | ↑1 | MCH |
| 2 | Ohio | 20-3-0 | 1 | ↓1 | INDEP |
| 3 | Nevada-Las Vegas | 17-3-0 | 4 | ↑1 | WCHL |
| 4 | Niagara | 14-4-0 | 3 | ↓1 | INDEP |
| 5 | Drury | 18-1-0 | 5 | ― | INDEP |
| 6 | Maryville | 10-6-0 | 9 | ↑3 | INDEP |
| 7 | Adrian | 16-3-2 | 7 | ― | GL6 |
| 8 | Jamestown | 15-9-0 | 6 | ↓2 | MCH |
| 9 | Liberty | 14-6-0 | 8 | ↓1 | INDEP |
| 10 | Mary | 15-8-1 | 10 | ― | MCH |
| 11 | Calvin | 9-4-2 | 11 | ― | GL6 |
| 12 | Grand Canyon | 13-4-0 | 12 | ― | WCHL |
| 13 | Utah | 8-8-1 | 13 | ― | WCHL |
| 14 | Purdue Northwest | 12-9-1 | 16 | ↑2 | GL6 |
| 15 | Hope | 16-5-0 | 15 | ― | GL6 |
| 16 | Arizona | 7-7-2 | 14 | ↓2 | WCHL |
| 17 | Midland | 7-11-4 | NR | ↑9 | MCH |
| 18 | Grand Valley State | 12-7-2 | 17 | ↓1 | GL6 |
| 19 | Missouri State | 9-6-5 | 18 | ↓1 | WCHL |
| 20 | Kentucky | 18-1-1 | NR | ↑6 | ACCHL |
| 21 | Indiana Tech | 10-5-5 | 24 | ↑3 | WHAC |
| 22 | Colorado State | 9-5-4 | 25 | ↑3 | WCHL |
| 23 | West Chester | 14-7-0 | NR | ↑3 | ECHA |
| 24 | Indiana Pennsylvania | 18-3-3 | 21 | ↓3 | CHMA |
| 25 | Davenport | 13-12-4 | NR | ↑1 | GL6 |
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About American Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) was founded in 1991 and is the national association for Non-NCAA Collegiate Hockey throughout the United States. Our organization of more than 560 colleges and university-affiliated teams representing 48 states provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes the sport of Hockey nationwide. With approximately 16,000 players and coaches as well as countless volunteers and game officials, the ACHA has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade and continues to be a viable option for college-bound student-athletes to continue playing competitive hockey nationwide. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, the ACHA’s primary mission is to support the growth of Collegiate Hockey while emphasizing academic performance, personal development, and opportunities for regional, national, and international competition. The ACHA identifies standards which serve to unite and regulate teams at the collegiate level and entered its 35th season in September 2025. For more information, visit achahockey.org.
