Dunne Leads No. 1 Ohio State to 11-1 Start in 2026-27 Season

Joy Dunne is leading the No. 1 ranked Ohio State women’s hockey team to a dominant start in the 2026-27 season.

The senior forward from O’Fallon, Missouri, has recorded eight goals and eight assists in the first 12 games of the campaign. Ohio State has won 11 of those 12 contests, securing the top spot in the Western College Hockey Association.

Dunne is entering her final year as a player who led the Buckeyes to the national championship game in three of her four seasons. She captured the national title in 2024. Her individual accolades include the 2026 Ohio State Athlete of the Year award and a place among the finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, which recognizes the top Division I women’s ice hockey player. She also won an Olympic gold medal in 2026.

Head coach Nadine Muzerall described Dunne as a complete player who combines physical strength with strategic vision. Muzerall noted that Dunne is not just a specimen of power but also a skilled passer. "It’s obvious [that] Joy is power," Muzerall said on Oct. 6. "I think people just think [of] power and physicality and strength: of course, she’s a specimen, but it’s also, she still has really good vision and makes really good plays."

Dunne has played in 102 career games for Ohio State, scoring 80 goals and providing 75 assists. She enters the current season as the leader among active NCAA Division I players in career goals. The WCHA named her the preseason player of the year. She missed two games earlier in the fall while representing Team USA on the national team.

The 2026 Best of OSU special edition of The Lantern named Dunne the best female athlete based on 308 votes from Ohio State students and community members. This recognition follows her earlier decision to commit to Ohio State despite initially wanting to distance herself from the program. Her two older sisters, Jessica and Jincy, had already played for the Buckeyes. Dunne said she tried to avoid following in their footsteps but found herself drawn back by the culture and the city.

"I tried to not come to Ohio State because, being the youngest of six, I was like, ‘I want to do my own thing, [be] my own person,’ and all this stuff," Dunne said on Oct. 7. "But everything kept drawing me back."

Dunne said she hopes to be remembered for her character and community service as much as her statistical achievements. She values the relationships she built with teammates and other athletes. "I love hockey and all it’s brought, but I think when I look back on a lot of the stuff, I look back on the people," she said. "How we grew together, how we developed together and I hope what’s taken away, from when I’m done, is not the hockey player, but the person of wanting to help the community and be friends with my teammates and be friends with other athletes and serve in our community."

Ohio State will resume its schedule on Nov. 13 and Nov. 14. The Buckeyes will host Minnesota Duluth at the OSU Ice Rink. Games are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.