The United Collegiate Hockey Conference is pleased to announce its 2026-27 Men's Preseason Coaches' Poll. The UCHC Preseason Poll is voted on by all nine league coaches with defending league champion Utica University selected as the top team in the conference at the start of the year.
Utica, who advanced to the 2025 NCAA Division III National Championship game, has won all nine regular season UCHC Championships since the conference began play in 2017-18. The Pioneers are attempting to win their seventh UCHC title, having also won in 2017-18, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2025-26. The Pioneers finished with a 20-8-1 record in 2025-26, including a 13-2-1 mark in UCHC play, while advancing to the NCAA Quarterfinals. Utica begins the 2026-27 season ranked No. 6 nationally in the USCHO.com preseason poll.
SUNY Geneseo is right behind Utica with 58 total points and two first place votes in the 2026-27 UCHC Preseason poll. The Knights, who won the 2025 UCHC Championship and advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four that season, finished 18-8-1 in 2025-26 and begin 2026-27 ranked 11th in the USCHO.com Division III Men’s Hockey preseason national poll.
Nazareth University is selected by the coaches to finish third in the UCHC preseason poll, with 44 points. The Golden Flyers advanced to the UCHC Semifinals last season and return 22 players. The Golden Flyers finished 16-8-3 overall in 2025-26. Chatham University is selected by the coaches to finish fourth in the UCHC preseason poll, with 38 points. Chatham advanced to the UCHC Semifinals last season, having finished 20-6-1, while ranked in the USCHO.com national poll throughout the season.
St. John Fisher University is selected to finish fifth in the 2026-27 UCHC Preseason poll with 35 points after a promising first season at the NCAA Division III level, finishing with 12 wins. Albertus Magnus College, who won 16 games and advanced to the first round of the 2025-26 UCHC Championship Tournament is right behind St. John Fisher in sixth with 33 points, while SUNY Brockport, who also advanced to the first round of the 2025-26 UCHC Championship Tournament, is picked to finish seventh with 29 points.
Elmira College, the 2021 UCHC Champion and Manhattanville University round out the 2026-27 UCHC Coaches’ poll. Elmira advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals in 2023-24, while Manhattanville appeared in the UCHC Semifinals in 2024-25.
Next week, the UCHC will unveil its 2026-27 Players to Watch. Exhibition action continues this weekend before the regular season formally begins on Friday, Oct. 30. Conference play starts on Nov. 13-14
2026-27 UCHC Men's Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Utica University – 63 Points (7 First Place Vote)
2. SUNY Geneseo – 58 Points (2 First Place Votes)
3. Nazareth University – 44 Points
4. Chatham University – 38 Points
5. St. John Fisher University – 35 Points
6. Albertus Magnus College – 33 Points
7. SUNY Brockport – 29 Points
8. Elmira College – 16 Points
9. Manhattanville University – 8 Points