Hockey East Media Day Signals Season's Near
September 22, 2014 | Men's Ice Hockey
Sept. 22, 2014
BOSTON - A sure sign that college hockey season is here, the annual Hockey East media day took place on Monday at TD Garden and included the release of the league's preseason coaches' poll. Boston University was picked sixth in the poll after being chosen third in the media poll, which was unveiled on Sunday.
Providence was tabbed the preseason favorite in both polls, as the upstart Friars, who made the NCAA tournament last season for the first time in 13 years earned seven of the 12 first-place votes by the coaches.
The Terriers were predicted to improve on last year's ninth-place standing and also received a pair of first-place nods by the media, which had 36 members fill out ballots this year.
Head coach David Quinn and the Terriers will look to build off a 2013-14 season that resulted in seven wins against ranked squads, including triumphs over four teams that qualified for the NCAA tournament.
Ten of BU's top 11 point-scorers from last season are back and a heralded freshman group that is expected to make a sizeable impact on both ends of the ice bolsters the roster.
In all, 12 BU players who played 30 games or more last season return for the 2014-15 campaign. That group does not include junior defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, who missed the final two months of his sophomore year due to a shoulder injury. He enters the fall as team captain after earning the role following a vote by his teammates. Senior forwards Cason Hohmann and Evan Rodrigues will serve as assistant captains.
Before the season opener at Massachusetts on Oct. 10, the Terriers will host St. Thomas of New Brunswick for an exhibition on Oct. 4 at 4 p.m.
2014-15 Hockey East Preseason Coaches' Poll
Team (FPV) Points
1. Providence (7) 127
2. Boston College (3) 120
3. Notre Dame 94
4. Northeastern (1) 90
5. New Hampshire 86
6. Boston University 83
7. UMass Lowell (1) 79
8. Vermont 75
9. Maine 74
10. Merrimack 37
11. Massachusetts 33
12. Connecticut 26
2014-15 Hockey East Preseason Media Poll
Team (FPV) Points
1. Providence (26) 414
2. Boston College (8) 399
3. Boston University (2) 309
4. Northeastern 305
5. UMass Lowell 267
6. Maine 256
7. Notre Dame 231
Vermont 231
9. New Hampshire 171
10. Merrimack 97
11. Massachusetts 80
12. Connecticut 48
