GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- The University of North Dakota men's hockey team is ranked first nationally in the 13th annual USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine preseason poll, which was released today by USA Hockey.
UND received 14 of 36 first-place votes and 467 points in the poll, while second-ranked Michigan State, the defending national champion, received 14 first-place votes and 436 points. Boston College is ranked third in the poll.
Other teams receiving first-place votes included fourth-ranked Minnesota (three first-place votes), fifth-ranked Miami (two first-place votes) and sixth-ranked New Hampshire (one first-place vote).
This marks the third time (also 2000-01 and 1997-98) that UND has been ranked the preseason No. 1 team in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine preseason poll.
UND is coming off its third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Frozen Four, the longest string of current consecutive appearances in the nation. This season the Fighting Sioux return 19 players from last season, when UND posted a 24-14-5 overall record and 13-10-5 mark (third) in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
North Dakota will open the 2007-08 season with an exhibition game against Manitoba at 6:07 p.m. on Sunday at Ralph Engelstad Arena. The Sioux will open their regular season on Oct. 13 at Ralph Engelstad Arena against second-ranked Michigan State in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game.
Five WCHA teams are ranked in the poll, more than any other conference. The Central Collegiate Hockey Association has four teams ranked, followed by Hockey East and ECAC Hockey with three each.
The USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll is conducted each week during the season in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association. The poll includes input from coaches and journalists representing each of the six NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the American Hockey Coaches Association and USA Hockey Magazine, the most widely distributed hockey magazine in the world.
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine
Men's College Hockey Poll - #1 (Preseason)
Rk Team, Votes (1sts) Last rank 2006-07 record
1. North Dakota, 467 (14) 3 24-15-5
2. Michigan State, 436 (14) 1 26-13-3
3 Boston College, 416 2 29-19-1
4. Minnesota, 409 (3) 5 31-10-3
5. Miami (Ohio), 357 (2) 11 24-14-4
6. New Hampshire, 346 (1) 9 26-11-12
7. Clarkson, 289 8 25-9-5
8. Notre Dame, 261 4 32-7-3
9. Boston University, 213 13 20-10-9
10. Michigan, 208 10 26-14-1
11. Colorado College, 143 NR 18-17-4
12. Denver, 134 15 21-15-4
13. Maine, 111 6 23-15-2
14. Wisconsin, 108 NR 19-18-4
15. Quinnipiac NR 20-18-1
Others receiving votes: St. Lawrence 47; St. Cloud State 39; RIT 8; Massachusetts 8; Air Force 7; Colgate 6; Dartmouth 6; Minnesota Duluth 4; Michigan Tech 3; Vermont 2; Harvard 1.
