Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Third, Fourth in Preseason Polls
9/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Sept. 29, 2010
East Lansing, Mich. - The 2010-11 CCHA Pre-Season poll was announced on Wednesday, Sept. 29, and Michigan State was picked fourth by the conference coaches and third by the league's media.
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The Spartans return 19 players from a 19-13-5 team a season ago, including Second Team All-CCHA selection Drew Palmisano. Michigan State finished the 2009-10 CCHA season in second place. MSU's improvement of eight spots in the league standings from the previous season tied the all-time best jump from one year to another in conference history (Ferris State was ninth in the 2002-03 season, then captured the league title a season later.) Michigan State finished in a tie for 10th in 2008-09, but was the 11th seed in the playoffs due to losing the tiebreaker.
A year ago, Michigan State was picked eighth and ninth in the pre-season polls by the media and coaches, respectively. Michigan State was the CCHA team in 2009-10 which finished the most spots ahead of its preseason projection.
For the third time in four years, the coaches and media disagree over who should own the No. 1 position in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's annual preseason polls. The conference's 11 head coaches ranked defending playoff champion Michigan first, while 75 media members named defending regular-season champion Miami as the preseason favorite.
In the coaches poll, the Wolverines captured eight of a possible 10 first-place votes and two seconds, while Miami took the three remaining first-place votes as well as seven seconds to come in just five points behind the favorite. Alaska took third with Michigan State finishing five points back at fourth.
The media voted in favor of the RedHawks, giving them 57 first-place votes to Michigan's 17. The Spartans garnered a single first place ranking and nine seconds to place third, with Alaska finishing fourth with two seconds and 22 thirds. Both the coaches and the media ranked Notre Dame at No. 5.
The Wolverines, who became the lowest-seeded team in league history to win the CCHA tournament after finishing the regular season in seventh place, return 19 letterwinners including senior goaltenders Bryan Hogan and Shawn Hunwick. Michigan brings back nine of its top ten scorers, most notably the one-two punch of CCHA Preseason All-Conference First-Team selections Carl Hagelin and Louie Caporusso, who combined for 93 points last season.
The RedHawks are coming off back-to-back appearances in the Frozen Four and return 17 letterwinners, including 2010 RBC CCHA Player of the Year Cody Reichard in goal and CCHA Preseason All-Conference First Team selection Andy Miele on offense. They also return all seven defensemen from a squad that won 29 games last season, most notably 2010 CCHA Defensive Defenseman of the year Will Weber and CCHA Preseason All-Conference First-Team member Chris Wideman.
The Nanooks bring back 18 players back from the team that finished fifth in the CCHA standings last season and will be led offensively by 2010 CCM CCHA Rookie of the Year Andy Taranto, who had 42 points. Michigan State will build off a second-place regular-season finish led by sophomore captain Torey Krug, while senior forward Calle Ridderwall, who notched 31 and 27 points in his sophomore and junior campaigns, returns to lead Notre Dame.
A total of 75 media members ranked the 11 CCHA teams in projected order of finish for the regular season. Points were awarded on an 11-10-9-8, 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 (8) 108
2. Miami (3) 103
3. Alaska 81
4. Michigan State 76
5. Notre Dame 75
6. Northern Michigan 65
7. Ferris State 64
8. Ohio State 56
9. Lake Superior 35
10. Western Michigan 29
11. Bowling Green 23
Media Poll
1. Miami (57) 877
2. Michigan (17) 825
3. Michigan State (1) 651
4. Alaska 618
5. Notre Dame 567
6. Ferris State 546
7. Northern Michigan 536
8. Ohio State 428
9. Lake Superior 312
10. Western Michigan 225
11. Bowling Green 190
