ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — A season defined by firsts for the College of Saint Benedict hockey team has added one more historic milestone: a place in the national rankings.

After capturing the program's first-ever Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoff championship and earning its first NCAA DIII Tournament berth, the Bennies carried their breakthrough campaign into the national spotlight. Their postseason run included the program's first two playoff victories before a tightly contested 2–1 loss to No. 3 Amherst Mammoths at Orr Rink in Amherst, Massachusetts, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Now, the historic season has been punctuated with another first: Saint Benedict's debut in the national rankings. The latest USCHO poll places the Bennies tied for No. 15 with UW-Eau Claire Blugolds—marking the first time in program history the team has been nationally ranked. To view the poll, click here.

The Bennies close the year with a 16-8-4 record, tying together one of the most successful seasons the program has ever seen. Under head coach Lindsay Macy—who now holds a program-best 53 career wins in just four seasons—Saint Benedict set a new single-season record with 16 victories, surpassing the previous mark of 14 set in 1999–2000 and 2002–03. The team entered the MIAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed after finishing tied for third in the conference with a 9-6-3 record, before making its championship run.

This senior class leaves behind a lasting legacy, finishing its four-year career with a program-record 53 wins while helping usher in a new era of success. Along the way, the Bennies also set a program record by playing 28 games this season.

Individually, several players earned conference recognition. Sophomore Merrill Delich (Andover, Minn.) garnered All-MIAC honors, while Helena Siska (Naperville, Ill.), Shae Stinnett (North Oaks, Minn.), and Lexi Badali (St. John, Ind.) were named honorable mention All-MIAC. Badali and Stinnett also earned spots on the MIAC All-Playoff Team.

The season was also marked by key individual milestones. Senior Presley Kraemer (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) skated in a program-record 104 career games, while Mia Lopez (Plymouth, Minn.) reached the 100-game mark. Meanwhile, senior Jamies Bimberg (Chanhassen, Minn.) became the program's first-ever MIAC Elite 22 honoree.

From a record-setting win total to a conference championship, an NCAA Tournament appearance, and now a national ranking, the 2025–26 Bennies have firmly established themselves as one of the most accomplished teams in program history.