ADRIAN, Mich. – The Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) announced its 2025-26 Preseason Coaches' Poll on Thursday afternoon, with the Adrian College NCAA men's hockey team projected to finish third in the conference. The Bulldogs earned 81 voting points and one first-place vote in the poll.

Adrian is coming off a strong 2024-25 campaign in which the team posted an 18-10-1 overall record and went 10-7-1 in NCHA play. The Bulldogs secured the No. 4 seed in the Harris Cup Playoffs, where they defeated No. 5 MSOE in the quarterfinals and recorded a shutout victory over No. 2 Aurora on the road in the semifinals. Adrian's run ended with a loss to No. 1 St. Norbert in the championship game, finishing as the first team out of NCAA Tournament selection according to the NPI rankings.

The Bulldogs enter the 2025-26 campaign ranked No. 10 nationally in both the USCHO.com and DIIIHockeyNews preseason polls.

St. Norbert headlines the NCHA preseason rankings with 96 points and seven first-place votes, followed by Aurora in second with 85 points and two first-place votes. Trine ranks fourth, trailed by MSOE and Concordia Wisconsin. Lawrence and Marian are tied for seventh, while Lake Forest and the University of Dubuque round out the poll.

Adrian opens the 2025-26 regular season on the road at No. 2 Utica University on October 31 and November 1, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. and 2 p.m.