W1 RANKINGS HEADING INTO CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
TROY, Mich. – (February 17, 2026) – The top 5 teams heading into conference play are No. 1 Liberty University (26-0-1-0), No. 2 is Midland University (25-3-1-3), No. 3 McKendree University (18-7-0-1), No. 4 Minot State University (15-5-1-7), and No. 5 ranked Maryville University (14-10-1-0). All five of these teams are members of the Women’s Midwest College Hockey league (WMCH). Their conference tournament is hosted by Midland University. The tournament will start Thursday, February 19th, and wrap up with the Championship game on Saturday, February 21st.
The Central Collegiate Women’s Hockey Association (CCWHA) will also have their conference tournament this weekend. Teams in this conference in the top 12 are No. 6 University of Michigan-Dearborn (26-2-1-0), No. 7 Adrian College (18-10-2-2), and No. 12 Miami (13-7-1-1). Their conference tournament is hosted by University of Michigan Dearborn. The tournament will start Thursday, February 19th, and wrap up Sunday, February 22nd with the Championship game.
The Western Women’s Collegiate Hockey League (WWCHL) will have their conference tournament this weekend as well. Their conference tournament is hosted by the University of Colorado. The tournament will start Friday, February 20th, and conclude with the Championship game on Sunday, February 22nd.
The Women’s Midwest College Hockey League has six (of 8) member teams ranked, while the Central Collegiate Women’s Hockey Association has six (of 12) of its member teams ranked, and the Western Women’s Collegiate Hockey League has zero (of 6).
The computer ranking will determine the 10 teams that qualify for the 2026 ACHA Women’s Division 1 National Championships, which will include the following three automatic bids:
- (CCWHA) Central Collegiate Women’s Hockey Association
- (WWCHL) Western Women’s Collegiate Hockey League
- (WMCHL) Women’s Midwest College Hockey League
A total of 34 teams are competing in Women’s Division 1 this season, including one new full member team, Eastern Michigan University, and two probationary members, University of Washington, and University of New Mexico.
The ACHA uses two computer rankings, Ranking A (Wins with goal differential of 6) and Ranking B (Wins with maximum goal differential of 1) to come up with an average of the two rankings, which determines the ranking spots for teams.
There has been a total of 12 schools that have won the ACHA Women’s Division 1 National Championship:
- St. Cloud State
- Wisconsin (2 Times)
- Michigan State (2)
- Robert Morris (2)
- Lindenwood (4)
- Northeastern
- Minnesota
- Miami (3)
- Liberty (7)
- Adrian
The 2026 ACHA National Championships presented by FloHockey will be played March 12-24, 2026 at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, MO. All five divisions, with more than 1,500 players from 72 teams — Men’s Division 1, 2, and 3, and Women’s Divisions 1 and 2 — will converge upon the Maryland Heights area to compete in more than 100 games. The ACHA Women’s Division I National Championships presented by FloHockey will have twelve teams competing beginning on March 18th and conclude with the Championship game on March 22nd.
