Hockey Team Ranked In Preseason Polls
October 3, 2000 | Men's Ice Hockey
The Terrier hockey team, which opens its 2000-2001 season this Friday night (October 6th) with a 7:00 p.m. home game against the University of Toronto, has received high marks in both the national and Hockey East pre-season polls.
In the national pre-season polls that were released October 3, the Terriers were ranked seventh in both the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine and U.S. College Hockey Online polls.
In the USA Today poll, which includes voted from coaches and journalists representing each of the four Division 1 hockey conferences as well as officers of the American Hockey Coaches Association, the Terriers finished with 159 points. In last year's final balloting, the Terriers finished sixth.
The defending national champion North Dakota Fighting Sioux earned 12 of the 18 first-place votes and 262 points. Michigan, which finished seventh in last years' poll, received four first's and 240 points for second place. Wisconsin, with two first-place votes and 214 points, finished in third. A year ago, the Badgers were fifth in the final poll.
The rest of this year's top 10 has Michigan State, fourth with 195 points; Boston College, fifth with 193; New Hampshire, sixth, 174; BOSTON UNIVERSITY, seventh, 159; St. Lawrence, eighth, 148; the University of Maine, ninth, 110; and St. Cloud, 10th, 103.
In the U.S. College Hockey Online poll, the Terriers earned 582 points for their seventh-place finish. It left them just 10 points shy of sixth-place St. Lawrence, which earned 592 points.
Again, North Dakota is the overwhelming number one pick with 24-of-40 first-place votes and 765 points. Michigan is second with seven first's and 715 points. The Wolverines are followed, in order, by Wisconsin, six first's and 685 points; Boston College, three first's and 674 points; Michigan State, 617 points; St. Lawrence, 592; BOSTON UNIVERSITY, 582; Maine, 521; New Hampshire, 483; and Cornell, 380, to round out the top 10.
The U.S. College Hockey Online poll consists of 40 voters, including 27 coaches from the Division 1 conference and 13 beat writers from across the country.
In one of the closest pre-season polls ever conducted of the nine Hockey East coaches, the Terriers were picked to finish second behind Boston College. The Eagles, who finished third in last year's final standings, captured three first-place votes and 72 points. In the meantime, the Terriers, who are the defending Hockey East regular-season champions, garnered two first-place votes and 69 points.
The University of Maine, with three first-place votes, was only one point behind the Terriers in third place. New Hampshire rounded out the top four, as the Wildcats had one first-place vote and 60 points.
Northeastern was picked to finish fifth with 38 points, just one-point ahead of sixth-place Providence. Next, in order, came UMass-Amherst, 26 points; UMass-Lowell, 20; and Merrimack, 15.
In last year's pre-season poll, BC was picked number one with 79 points, 11 ahead of runnerup New Hampshire. Maine was picked for third followed, in order, by Providence, B.U., Northeastern, UMass-Amherst, UMass-Lowell, and Merrimack.
The final standings had B.U. win its sixth regular-season title in the past seven years with a 15-3-6 record and 36 points. New Hampshire was second with a 13-5-6 mark and 32 points, just one point ahead of Boston College, which was 15-8-1. Then, in order, came Maine, 13-7-4, 30; Providence, 10-13-1, 21; Northeastern, 8-11-5, 21; Merrimack, 6-12-6, 18; UMass-Amherst, 5-15-4, 14; and UMass-Lowell, 5-16-3, 13.
