Hood College women’s ice hockey was selected fourth in the Middle Atlantic Conference preseason poll for the 2026-27 season. The MAC coaches released the poll Oct. 14, 2026, with Wilkes identified as the favorite after winning back-to-back conference championships.
Hood College Women’s Ice Hockey Finishes Fourth in Poll
Hood College women’s ice hockey finished the 2025-26 MAC regular season with 31 points and a 10-9-2 conference record. The Blazers posted a 14-9-2 overall record and finished outside the conference tournament field.
Wilkes finished atop the 2025-26 conference standings, while Arcadia, Lebanon Valley and Alvernia completed the tournament field. Stevenson, Neumann and King’s finished behind Hood in the conference standings.
Emily Cross Returns for Hood College
Hood College returns defender Emily Cross, who received Honorable Mention recognition as a first-year player during the 2025-26 season. Cross will enter the 2026-27 season as a sophomore.
Hood College is scheduled to open the season Oct. 30, 2026. MAC conference play is scheduled to begin Nov. 6, 2026, with the top four teams in the standings qualifying for the conference tournament.
MAC Tournament Dates
The MAC semifinals are scheduled for Feb. 27, 2027, followed by the championship on March 6, 2027. Hood College will need to finish among the top four teams in the conference standings to qualify for the tournament.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Hood College women’s ice hockey has a clear preseason target after receiving the No. 4 spot in the MAC poll. The Blazers finished outside the tournament field last season, making the opening conference games important in the race for one of the league’s four postseason berths.
Emily Cross gives Hood a returning defender who earned conference recognition in 2025-26. The Oct. 30 season opener and Nov. 6 start of MAC play mark the first scheduled checkpoints of the new campaign.
Source: Original report
