OHIO UNIVERSITY, DEFENDING AMERICAN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION MEN’S DIVISION I NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, ATOP RANKING #4 AFTER SPLITTING WITH NO. 3 ADRIAN COLLEGE
Bobcats Winning Streak Ends at Fourteen Games with Loss to Bulldogs on Friday
UNION LAKE, Mich. – (October 28, 2026) – Ohio University (9-1-0), the defending Men’s Division I National Champions of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, received 26 of 31 first-place votes to remain atop the 2026-2027 ACHA Men’s Division I Ranking #4. The Bobcats suffered their first loss of the season on Friday night after falling to No. 3 Adrian College (8-2-0) 4-3 at Arrington Ice Arena. Luc Reeve, eighth goal of the season, and Barron Stibbe, seventh goal of the season, scored goals 4:25 apart to put the Bobcats up 2-0 after one period. Hunter Allen got one back for the Bulldogs just 1:48 into the second period but a power play tally by Mathieu Ovaert restored the Bobcats two goal lead at 3-1. Just 0:20 later, Matteo Turrin turned the jets on and swooped in for a dazzling goal to make it 3-2 after two periods. In the third period, Luke Marley tied it on the power play before captain Dylan Gajewski redirected a point shot from Keegan Decaluwe for the game-winning goal. The Bobcats pulled goaltender Matt Zazon for the last 1:40 of regulation but could not get the equalizer past Peyton Trzaska, who finished with 39 saves. Saturday night in the rematch at Bird Arena in Athens, Ohio, Nolan Abraham and Alex Thomas scored in the first 6:10 of the game to put the Bobcats up 2-0 after one period. Breyden Zupsansky’s power play goal just 1:29 into the second period pushed the Bobcats lead to 3-0 after two periods of play. Just 0:51 into the third period, Will Cohen tallied his sixth goal of the season for the final margin of victory, 4-0. Bobcat goaltender Garrett Alderman stopped all 39 shots he faced for the shutout victory while Trzaska made 45 saves in a losing cause.
No. 2 University of Nevada-Las Vegas (8-0-0), which received the other five first-place votes, swept a pair of conference road games over University of Central Oklahoma (6-2, 7-3) at Arctic Edge Ice Arena (OK) in Edmond, Okla. Easton Edwards (four goals, assist), Bryce Johnson (four assists), Dillon Kuntz (two goals, assist), Luke Baker (goal, two assists), Dylan Gordon (goal, two assists), and Luke Backel (three assists) paced the Rebels offense. Bronchos goaltenders faced 111 shots on the weekend with Hunter Farrer making 52 saves on Friday night and Kaden King turning aside 46 shots on Saturday afternoon.
No. 4 Minot State University (8-0-2) swept a pair of road games at Sidner Ice Arena with No. 24 Midland University. Friday night, the Beavers led by a goal on three different occasions only to have the Warriors tie it up each time, the last time at 3-3 on a shorthanded goal by Noah Joyce with 9:57 remaining in the third period. Once again, the Beavers responded to take the lead on Logan Cyca’s first goal of the season just 1:23 later. The Beavers defense shut down the Warriors the rest of the way only allowing five shots on goal in the period for the 4-3 win. Elijah Marchese took the loss despite making 35 saves. Saturday night, it was the Warriors who twice led by a goal only to have the Beavers tie it both times until Walker Jerome put the Beavers up 3-2 in the third period at the 4:49 mark with a power play goal. Leo Milan tied it 3-3 with his first goal of the season on the power play at the 7:09 mark sending the game into overtime. In the first minute of overtime, Trenton Curtis netted his second goal of the game and fourth of the season to guide the Beavers to a 4-3 victory.
Moving into the Top 5 this week was No. 5 Drury University (8-1-0) which swept Liberty University on the road at the LaHaye Ice Center in Lynchburg, Va. Friday night, each team scored a pair of goals in the first 4:04 of action and were tied 2-2 after one period. Zachary Nichols potted his fifth goal of the season just past the midway point of the second period to put the Flames up 3-2. However, Jamison St. Clair tied it only 1:15 later before Joe Davidson put the Panther up 4-3 after two periods with a power play goal. Anmol Garcha scored both goals in the third period for the three-goal hat trick as the Panthers prevailed 6-3. Brett Sweet made 28 saves for the win while Flames goaltender Austin Caley took the loss by making 26 saves. Saturday night, after trading goals in both the first and second periods, Jeff Patola scored his first goal of the season while Garcha notched his fourth goal of the weekend to put the Panthers up 4-2 at the 6:02 mark of the third period. David Utkin’s first goal of the season cut the lead to 4-3 with only 1:33 remaining in the game, but the Flames were unable to get the equalizer. Sweet made 30 more saves while counterpart Caley finished with 20 saves.
Moving into the polls this week is No. 25 University of Pittsburgh while Stony Brook University drops out.
The Great Lakes 6 Hockey Conference (GL6) leads the way with five (of 7) of its member teams ranked, while Midwest College Hockey (MCH) has three (of 5) of its member teams ranked, Western Collegiate Hockey League (WCHL) has five (of 10) of its member teams ranked, Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (ACCHL) has two (of 6) of its member teams ranked, College Hockey Mid-America (CHMA) has two (of 7) of its member teams ranked, South East Conference Hockey League (SECHL) has one (of 6) of its member teams ranked, Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League (GLCHL) has one (of 8) of its member teams ranked, and Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association (ECHA) has one (of 11) of its member teams ranked.
Over the past 23 seasons, 13 different schools have won the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championship: Lindenwood (4), Adrian (3), Minot State (3), Central Oklahoma (2), Illinois (2), Ohio (2) Arizona State, Davenport, Delaware, Nevada-Las Vegas, Oakland, Penn State, and Rhode Island.
Now in its 36th season of action, there have been a total of 15 schools that have won the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championship:
- Ohio University (5 times – 2026, 2004, 1997, 1996, 1995)
- Penn State University (5 – 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1998)
- Lindenwood University (4 – 2022, 2016, 2010, 2009)
- Adrian College (3 – 2024, 2021, 2018)
- Minot State University (3 – 2023, 2019, 2013)
- University Central Oklahoma (2 – 2017, 2015)
- University of Illinois (2 – 2008, 2005)
- North Dakota State University (2 – 1994, 1993)
- University of Nevada-Las Vegas (2025)
- Arizona State University (2014)
- University of Delaware (2012)
- Davenport University (2011)
- Oakland University (2007)
- University of Rhode Island (2006)
- Iowa State University (1992)
A total of 81 teams will compete in Men’s Division I this season, including former Men’s Division II members Farmingdale State College and Sacred Heart University. The University at Buffalo program will compete in Men’s Division II this season while the Men’s Division I team at George Mason University team has folded.
The computer ranking, which will not commence until November 4, will for the thirteenth time determine the 24 teams that qualify for the 2027 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships, which will include the following nine (9) auto bids:
- (ACCHL) Atlantic Coast College Hockey League
- (CHMA) College Hockey Mid-America
- (ECHA) Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association
- (GL6) Great Lakes Six Hockey Conference
- (GLCHL) Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League
- (MCH) Midwest College Hockey
- (NECHL) Northeast Collegiate Hockey League
- (WCHL) Western Collegiate Hockey League
- (WHAC) Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference
The fifth ranking of the regular season will be released on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
The 2027 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships presented by FloHockey will be hosted March 11-16 for the fifth time at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Mo. This will be the fourth year of the 24-team format.
| 2026-2027 ACHA Men’s Division I Ranking #4 | |||||||
| Rank | School Name | 1st Votes | M1 Record | Pts | Previous | Conference | Trend |
| 1 | Ohio | 26 | 9-1-0 | 672 | 1 | INDEP | ― |
| 2 | Nevada-Las Vegas | 5 | 8-0-0 | 644 | 2 | WCHL | ― |
| 3 | Adrian | 8-2-0 | 622 | 3 | GL6 | ― | |
| 4 | Minot State | 8-0-2 | 590 | 4 | INDEP | ― | |
| 5 | Drury | 8-1-0 | 569 | 7 | INDEP | ↑2 | |
| 6 | Liberty | 7-3-0 | 522 | 5 | INDEP | ↓1 | |
| 7 | Niagara | 6-2-1 | 483 | 6 | ACCHL | ↓1 | |
| 8 | Jamestown | 5-2-1 | 480 | 9 | MCH | ↑1 | |
| 9 | Calvin | 6-1-0 | 463 | 8 | GL6 | ↓1 | |
| 10 | Mary | 6-2-0 | 444 | 10 | MCH | ― | |
| 11 | Utah | 6-1-0 | 407 | 11 | WCHL | ― | |
| 12 | Purdue Northwest | 7-1-0 | 356 | 13 | GL6 | ↑1 | |
| 13 | Maryville | 4-3-0 | 338 | 12 | INDEP | ↓1 | |
| 14 | West Chester | 9-1-0 | 303 | 16 T | ECHA | ↑2 | |
| 15 | Davenport | 10-1-2 | 277 | 16 T | GL6 | ↑1 | |
| 16 | Northwood | 8-3-1 | 276 | 15 | GLCHL | ↓1 | |
| 17 | Grand Canyon | 3-4-0 | 255 | 14 | WCHL | ↓3 | |
| 18 | Hope | 5-4-1 | 196 | 18 | GL6 | ― | |
| 19 T | Indiana Pennsylvania | 7-4-0 | 135 | 19 | CHMA | ― | |
| 19 T | Kentucky | 10-2-0 | 135 | 23 | SECHL | ↑4 | |
| 21 | John Carroll | 9-3-0 | 129 | 22 | CHMA | ↑1 | |
| 22 | Missouri State | 6-5-0 | 101 | 20 | WCHL | ↓2 | |
| 23 | Arizona | 2-3-2 | 93 | 21 | WCHL | ↓2 | |
| 24 | Midland | 4-3-1 | 52 | 24 | MCH | ― | |
| 25 | Pittsburgh | 5-4-1 | 26 | NR | ACCHL | ↑1 | |
Others receiving votes: Drexel, Colorado State, Illinois State, Indiana Tech, Stony Brook, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Syracuse.
# # #
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 36th season in September 2026. For more information, visit achahockey.org.
