Michigan State University Athletics
CCHA Preseason Polls Put MSU Eighth, Ninth
9/30/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Sept. 30, 2009
East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State has been selected ninth by the head coaches and eighth by the league's media in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's annual preseason polls. In two close races, Michigan received enough points from the conference's 12 head coaches and 66 media members to be named the preseason favorite in both surveys. The polls were announced in conjunction with the CCHA's pre-season media conference call with all 12 head coaches, held this season in lieu of a media day in Detroit.
MSU garnered 46 points in the survey of conference coaches, and 332 points in the media poll, which included one first-place vote.
The Spartans are coming off a tie for tenth place in the 2008-09 season, and feature 18 freshmen and sophomores on this year's 28-man roster. Michigan State opens this weekend with the annual Green and White game on Sunday (7 p.m.) and an exhibition on Monday against Western Ontario (7 p.m.). The season officially begins next weekend, when MSU hosts ECAC entry Clarkson University on Oct. 9-10.
In the coaches poll, the Wolverines took five of a possible 11 first-place votes, five seconds, and one third-place vote. Notre Dame received four first-place votes as well as four seconds and three thirds. Miami took third, receiving two first-place votes, while Ohio State came in fourth. Northern Michigan captured the lone remaining first-place vote and finished fifth in the coaches poll.
The media also voted in favor of Michigan, with the Irish coming in a close second and Miami rounding out the top three just five points farther back. The Wolverines picked up 24 of a possible 66 first-place votes while the RedHawks and Irish received 20 first-place votes each. The Buckeyes and Wildcats finished fourth and fifth in the media poll as well.
The Wolverines, coming off of second-place finishes in both the CCHA regular-season and conference tournament, have 19 returning letterwinners and six of its top 10 scorers from 2008-09 in Red Berenson's 26th season as head coach.
The media members ranked the 12 CCHA teams in projected order of finish for the regular season. Points were awarded on a 12-11-10-9, etc., basis. League coaches ranked the CCHA teams, excluding their own school, in the order they predicted the regular season will end.
Coaches Poll
1. Michigan (5) 114
2. Notre Dame(4) 111
3. Miami (2) 104
4. Ohio State 90
5. Northern Michigan (1) 85
6. Nebraska-Omaha 63
7. Alaska 61
8. Ferris State 50
9. Michigan State 46
10. Lake Superior State 29
11. Western Michigan 28
12. Bowling Green 11
Media Poll
1. Michigan (24) 731
2. Notre Dame (20) 712
3. Miami (20) 707
4. Ohio State (1) 547
5. Northern Michigan 502
6. Alaska 386
7. Nebraska-Omaha 377
8. Michigan State (1) 332
9. Ferris State 314
10. Western Michigan 256
11. Lake Superior 189
12. Bowling Green 95
