Headlines: Men's Hockey Picked Third in Preseason HE Poll
by Brian Favat on Sep 30, 2009 11:21 PM EDT
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PrintBrian: We briefly interrupt Florida State week for some ice hockey news. The Eagles men's hockey team was picked to finish third in Hockey East in this year's preseason coaches poll. A school that will remain nameless took the top spot with 84 total votes and 6 first place votes. Boston College and UMass-Lowell split the remaining first place votes with two each:
2009-10 Hockey East Men's Preseason Poll
| Rank | Team (First-Place Votes) | Pts. |
| 1. | Boston University (6) | 84 |
| 2. | UMass-Lowell (2) | 79 |
| 3. | Boston College (2) | 76 |
| 4. | New Hampshire | 59 |
| 5. | Vermont | 59 |
| 6. | Northeastern | 57 |
| 7. | Massachusetts | 47 |
| 8. | Maine | 32 |
| 9. | Providence | 24 |
| 10. | Merrimack | 23 |
Is this significant? Well, perhaps a little. This is actually the first season since 2002-2003 that the Eagles weren't picked first in the Hockey East coaches' preseason poll (that year they were #3 in the preseason poll). The Eagles stranglehold of Hockey East's top spot in the preseason poll lasted for 6 consecutive years from 2003-2004 to 2008-2009.
Hockey East Men's Preseason Polls, 2002-2003 to 2009-2010
| Team | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 |
| Boston College | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Boston University | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Maine | 8 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Massachusetts | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 8 |
| Merrimack | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| New Hampshire |
4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Northeastern | 6 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 6 |
| Providence | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| UMass-Lowell | 2 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Vermont | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
(Poor Merrimack ... never gets any respect!)
The Eagles 11-11-5 record and sixth-place finish in the Hockey East regular standings last season might have something to do with the cooled expectations for this year's hockey team. The season starts October 18 at Vermont. We'll have our analysis of the schedule up in the next two weeks. Go Eagles!
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I understand the "BU is #1 til they are knocked off"
But really, after looking at what they lost can they really be considered #1 still? I find it hard to believe personally.
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After looking at what BC lost from a sixth-place team last year — and acknowledging that Muse might miss like a third of this one — we don’t know why the Eagles are so high either. Not bustin’ balls or anything, we honestly just don’t get it.
Lowell hockey > *
by The Ice is Life on Sep 30, 2009 11:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I'll give you a hint
Recruiting: 4 incoming freshman drafted in the 1st two rounds.
http://bceagles.cstv.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/062709aac.html
Not to mention 14 of our players last year were underclassman. Yeah, there not likely to get any better at all are they?
My BC Blog - Towers on the Heights
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just FYI and so you know, there’s a difference between improving, which BC will undoubtedly do, and improving to the point you go from a dismal sixth to first.
The Ice is Life - A Lowell hockey blog that's winning awards*
*All winners decided by us, obviously
by The Ice is Life on Oct 1, 2009 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions
So where do you think Lowell will finish?
I find it pretty hard to believe people think they will finish second. Afterall they finished 5th!!!! last year. Afterall there’s a difference between improving, which BC Lowell will undoubtedly do, and improving to the point you go from fifth to first.
Anyway, I am not going to hide my feelings. I believe, BC has more talent on their team than any one in the league. Its only a matter of coaching and I’m not worried there. I am expecting some good things out of this club this year. Yes that includes improving to the point you go from a dismal sixth to first
My BC Blog - Towers on the Heights
RaycomSports.com Blog Nation - BC Blog
No.1. They’ve got the juice to bully anyone in Hockey East any night. Ask Jerry York how tough it was to even play good hockey against Lowell last year. The River Hawks’ ability to outwork opponents and draw penalties got them results (apart from the month of December).
Lowell was top-three in goals for and against, power play and penalty kill last year. The only other team do so that was BU. And unlike BU, Lowell loses three players who contributed something like only 17 goals.
Lowell will stand astride the league like a colossus this year.
The Ice is Life - A Lowell hockey blog that's winning awards*
*All winners decided by us, obviously
by The Ice is Life on Oct 2, 2009 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions
"A Dismal Sixth Place"?
6th place, as in the average spot in the Hockey East preseason poll for Lowell going back to 2002-2003?
Lowell finished 5th last year, one spot ahead of BC. I know finishing in the top half of the league table is an accomplishment in other parts of Hockey East, but don’t let a meaningless preseason poll get to your head. Lowell returns a lot of talent, but to think that BC should be much lower than they are in this poll is kinda crazy. The HE preseason poll is also consistent with the national polls.
Obviously a sixth-place finish for Lowell doesn’t mean the same thing as a sixth-place finish for BC, and you know that.
The Ice is Life - A Lowell hockey blog that's winning awards*
*All winners decided by us, obviously
by The Ice is Life on Oct 1, 2009 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Point being ...
And I’m trying to say this with as little cockiness as possible, BC has dominated Hockey East this past decade. To expect BC to be much lower than 3rd in a conference preseason poll is unfounded.
I would think York has built up enough street cred in the Hockey East coaching community for them not to underrate his team in the preseason. Muse might be out, but you don’t think someone else will step up? Don’t forget Muse pretty much came out of nowhere and exploded onto the HE scene for the Eagles two years ago.
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