Bennie hockey ranked No. 15 after 3-2 start to 2026-27 season

The CSB hockey team has been playing hard and producing wins in the first couple weeks of their 2026-27 season. The Bennies split the first two games of the season with No. 14 UW-Eau Claire at home, winning their home opener 3-1. The Bennies then continued playing at home, this time against the Lake Forest Foresters. They opened the two-game series with a 4-1 victory and proceeded to come back the next day to complete the sweep with a 2-0 victory.  

Senior Shae Stinnett said she is feeling good about how the Bennies have opened their season. 

“The season has been off to a great start so far. Our team has grown and learned so much since the first day of practice, and I couldn’t be prouder of every single player,” Stinnett said via email. “In our first five games, we’ve done a great job competing hard for all 60 minutes, supporting one another and continuing to improve each time we step on the ice. We’ve really focused on playing as a team, staying disciplined and finding ways to generate offense while being responsible defensively.” 

This year, the Bennies have also cracked the top 15 rankings nationally, only the second time in program history. Stinnett said she is confident in her team’s determination this year and is happy to see the Bennies hard work pay off. 

“Being ranked No. 15 in both the USCHO Division III Poll and the DIII Hockey News Poll is a tremendous accomplishment for our program and a testament to the hard work put in by everyone on the team,” Stinnett said. 

The Bennies’ next game came against No. 1 ranked UW-River Falls in River Falls. Although they came up short on the road, the Bennies will look to bounce back in their upcoming series with Concordia-Moorhead as the start of conference play.  

“We have a challenging but exciting stretch of games coming up. In the MIAC, every weekend presents a new test because the level of competition is so high across the conference,” Stinnet said. “Any MIAC matchup is always fun because you know you’re going to face a hardworking, talented team and every game matters. Right now, our attention is on our next game against Concordia. We’re excited for the opportunity to compete and showcase the work we’ve put in throughout the season.” 

CSB hockey has been sharing the love offensively so far this season. 10 players have scored at least one goal for the Bennies and sophomore Helena Siska and Stinnett share the current title of goal leader with two each. First-year forward Pyper Andrews and sophomore forward Bailey Vesper sit at the top of the team for assists with three a piece.  

Goaltending this year has also been on point. Sophomore Lexi Badali leads the team in minutes this year and has a 2.40 goals against average at this point in the season. In her first career start for the Bennies, first-year Claire Hills earned a 10 save shutout against Lake Forest to sweep the series.  

The team’s success comes from a multitude of different factors, but Stinnett said that the dedication didn’t just start in the regular season but also the offseason. 

“Our team put in a lot of work during the offseason and throughout preseason training to prepare for this season,” Stinnett said. “We focused on strength and conditioning, skill development and building a strong team culture both on and off the ice. We spent a lot of time getting to know one another, establishing team goals, and creating the standards we want to uphold throughout the year.” 

It wasn’t all physical preparation but also their mental preparation that has helped them push through some of the obstacles this season has provided thus far.  

“One thing that has been especially beneficial this season is working with our mindset coach, Jess from Max Out Mindset. She has helped our team develop the mental side of the game by teaching us how to stay present, build confidence, and handle adversity in high-pressure situations,” Stinnett said.  

The Bennies next game will be at Concordia-Moorhead for their MIAC opener on Nov. 20.