It was an odd year for the WIAC as no team from the conference made the NCAA tournament.
But that isn’t likely to be the case this year.
UW-Eau Claire is the reigning champ in the league and closed out last season on a winning streak that was punctuated with a 6-2 win over rival UW-Stevens Point.
The Blugolds will certainly have a chance to repeat but the Pointers will have a say in who wins the title as they bring back several of their top players.
UW-River Falls and UW-Superior will also be in the discussion for the conference crown.
UW-Stout and Northland are coming off tough years but are never an easy out and are capable of winning on any given night.
For Northland, it has added inspiration as Jake Lamberty returns from his bout with cancer and is ready to play hockey again.
It should be an interesting year to say the least as WIAC teams get set to drop the puck.
UW-Eau Claire (18-11-1, 10-6 WIAC)
The Blugolds got hot at just the right time last season, winning their final seven games on their way to the WIAC crown. They never gave up more than two goals in a game during the impressive stretch.
They return several of their top offensive threats, including Ty Readman, who led the Bluegolds with 10 goals and 10 assists.
Quinn Green is also coming off a big year in which he scored nine goals and tallied five assists.
Willy Stauber is poised to be a key contributor. He dished out seven assists last season to go along with his three goals.
Colin Stein came through with a goal and five assists for a team that scored 79 goals in all.
UW-Eau Claire also brings in several key newcomers, including Kyler Grundy, Jack Johnston and Aaron Swanson.
Filling the void at goalie will be the big thing for the Blugolds. Colin Ahren is the lone returnee at that position, though he has yet to play a game at the collegiate level. Rookies Max Gutjahr and Josh Langford will also be in the competition for the goaltender position.
UW-Stevens Point (21-6-1, 11-2 WIAC)
The Pointers are hoping to not only contend for a WIAC title, but they’ll look to be in the discussion for the national championship as well
Stevens Point still won 21 games last year and brings back one of the top scoring threats in D-III hockey in Jordan Fader, who scored 15 goals and tallied 17 assists.
Noah Finstrom also returns after coming through with seven goals and 10 assists a year ago. Fletcher Anderson is also back in the fold for the Pointers. He tallied seven goals and nine assists, giving the Pointers three of their top five players back in terms of points.
Brett Humberstone and Brady Smith also return and will be key contributors on the ofensive end of the ice.
Humberstone dished out 14 assists to go along with two goals and Smith finished last season with six goals and eight assists.
The defense should also be in good shape, especially with the return of Ryan Wagner. He started 20 games last year and gave up 41 goals while making 439 saves on his way to fashioning a 16-4 record.
UW-Superior (15-12-2, 6-6-1 WIAC)
Rick McKenna is headed into his seventh season at the helm of the Yellowjackets, who are one shy of their 800th in program history.
Among the 16 returnees on the roster is Myles Hektor, who started 17 games in goal last season, allowing 44 goals and racking up 519 saves. He fashioned a 10-8 record.
Offensively, UW-Superior has lost its top four players in terms of points. But it does return one of its top goal scorers in Reed Stark, who finished second on the team in goals (10) and also dished out nine assists.
Zach Bannister is also back. He tied for third on the team in goals (9) and tallied seven assists.
C.J. Walker finished last season with five goals and nine assists and Charles Martin tallied eight assists to go along with his two goals. Bradley Stonnell is also back after coming through with two goals and five assists.
Keep an eye on newcomers Dylan Meilun, Anthony Di Paulo, Tristan Therrien and Chris Ishmael. If those guys make an impact right away, UW-Superior should be in line for another winning season.
UW-River Falls (13-13-1, 9-6-1 WIAC)
Seventeen players are back for a Falcons team that should once again be in the hunt for a WIAC title.
Noah Ganske is included in that group of returning players. The standout defenseman spent part of his summer at the Edmonton Oilers’ development camp. He was the only NCAA Division III athlete to get an invite. That experience should help Ganske be even better this season after leading the way in scoring with eight goals and 11 assists last season.
Dylan Skinner is also back to anchor the defense. He’s a two-time All-WIAC pick as a goaltender and started 20 games last season. Skinner gave up 47 goals, racked up 456 saves and owned a 10-10 record.
Vilho Saariluoma is ready for a big comeback year after missing most of last season with a broken hand. He was the Newcomer of the Year in the WIAC two seasons ago. Even with the injury, he still managed to score four goals and dish out 10 assists last season.
UW-Stout (8-19, 6-9 WIAC)
The majority of the team is back as 21 returning players are on the roster, and that’s good news for the Blue Devils as they take aim at a turnaround season.
Dylan Rallis leads the way after scoring nine goals and dishing out eight assists last season, good enough for second in scoring. He was a first-team All-WIAC pick.
The Blue Devils have depth at goal and that is huge. Tyler Masternak was an all-league pick last season, allowing 33 goals and making 269 saves. Brennan Kitchen was an honorable mention pick in goal during the 2019-20 season and saw action in nine games last year, giving up 24 goals and making 173 saves.
Two of UW-Stout’s best playmakers return in Caleb Serre and Matt Dalhseide. The two combined for 26 assists, including 14 from Serre.
Peyton Hart and Cole Beckstead should be consistent contributors as well. Hart scored seven assists last season to go along with six assists and Beckstead tallied six goals and seven assists.
Northland (4-20-3, 1-13-1 WIAC)
The Lumberjacks won 12 games three years ago but have just eight wins over the last three seasons.
But there is reason for optimism for the Lumberjacks as they get set for another year in the WIAC. The group of returnees include senior Ty Brown, who ranked third on the team in scoring last season with four goals and four assists.
Luke Hartge also returns and will be one of the Lumberjacks’ top playmakers after tallying seven assists last season.
Parker Severson tallied three goals and three assists a year ago and Cam Coutre came through with four goals and an assist.
Jake Lamberty and James Curran are returning players as well while Chris Curr returns in goal. He started 14 games last season and made 446 saves.
