Penn State tops the CHA preseason coaches poll released Wednesday.
The Nittany Lions garnered four of four possible first-place votes in balloting among CHA head coaches (coaches could not vote for their own teams) for 20 points, four more than 2021-22 CHA champion Syracuse, which tallied 16 points and received the remaining first-place vote.
2022-23 CHA Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Penn State (4) 20
2. Syracuse (1) 16
3. Mercyhurst 15
4. Lindenwood 10
5. RIT 8
CHA Preseason Player of the Year
Mercyhurst sophomore Vanessa Upson, the 2021-22 CHA Rookie of the Year, is the coaches’ choice for CHA preseason player of the year. She had a spectacular rookie season as she not only led the CHA in points in conference play with 22 on 12 goals and 10 assists, but also finished the 2021-22 season as the nation’s freshman leader in points and goals scored with 39 and 19, respectively, and was also tied for first in assists with 20 over the course of her rookie campaign. Upson cemented her name in the CHA record books for efforts in her freshman season, as she is tied for eighth place on CHA’s all-time freshman goals list.
CHA Preseason Rookie of the Year
Forward Tessa Janecke of Penn State is the CHA preseason rookie of the year. She posted 122 points on 46 goals and 76 assists for the North American Hockey Academy last season. She won a silver medal at the 2022 U18 Women’s World Championship and was named one of Team USA’s three best players of the tournament. Janecke also competed for the United States as part of the 2022 Collegiate Select Team roster over the summer.
Preseason All-CHA Team
The Preseason All-CHA team includes Mercyhurst’s Vanessa Upson, Penn State’s Kiara Zanon and Syracuse’s Lauren Bellefontaine at forward, Penn State’s Mallory Uihlein, Syracuse’s Mae Batherson and Mercyhurst’s Sydney Pedersen on defense, and Penn State’s Josie Bothun and Mercyhurst’s Ena Nystrøm sharing the goaltender spot.
