College Hockey:
Boston College favored in Hockey East coaches’ poll, media poll

USCHO Staff Report • Sept. 25, 2012

Hockey East announced the 2012-13 men’s preseason coaches’ poll on Tuesday.

Boston College is favored for the fifth consecutive season with 90 points and nine first-place votes.

Massachusetts-Lowell is second and Boston University sits third. New Hampshire is fourth and received the other first-place vote.

School (First-place votes)	Total points
1. Boston College (9)	90
2. Massachusetts-Lowell	74
3. Boston University	73
4. New Hampshire (1)	63
5. Maine	56
6 (tie). Northeastern	44
6 (tie). Providence	44
8. Merrimack	38
9. Massachusetts	35
10. Vermont	23

In addition, the Hockey East media also picked BC to win the conference and also named a preseason All-Hockey East Team.

School (First-place votes)	Total points
1. Boston College (21)	243
2. Massachusetts-Lowell (3)	219
3. Boston University	189
4. New Hampshire	166
5. Providence	141
6. Maine (1)	137
7. Merrimack	96
8. Northeastern	87
9. Massachusetts	70
10. Vermont	27

Name	School	Position	Class
Joey Diamond	Maine	F	Sr.
Johnny Gaudreau	Boston College	F	So.
Matt Nieto	Boston University	F	Jr.
Scott Wilson	Massachusetts-Lowell	F	So.
Garrett Noonan	Boston University	D	Jr.
Chad Ruhwedel	Massachusetts-Lowell	D	Jr.
Parker Milner	Boston College	G	Sr.

The following is a self-policing forum for discussing views on this story. Comments that are derogatory, make personal attacks, are abusive, or contain profanity or racism will be removed at our discretion. USCHO.com is not responsible for comments posted by users. Please report any inappropriate or offensive comments by clicking the “Flag” link next to that comment in order to alert the moderator.

Please also keep “woofing,” taunting, and otherwise unsportsmanlike behavior to a minimum. Your posts will more than likely be deleted, and worse yet, you reflect badly on yourself, your favorite team and your conference.

Joseph Crowley
Go BU!
bronxbomberz41
who is the one mega-homer who gave Maine a first place vote? I won’t say they can’t do it, but based on how last year played out, and the upcoming year…come on.
edit: just noticed UNH got a first place vote in the coaches poll. ALSO ridiculous. They played well down the stretch last year but are still young in goal and the juniors and seniors have a lot to prove after a disappointing season last year.
- Ray Hepler
  I’m with you on the media poll! But on the coaches poll, I don’t think you can vote your own team as #1, therefore Jerry had to pick someone else. Apparently he voted for UHN.
- Afterfurtherreview
  York couldn’t vote for his own team, but not sure why he didn’t vote UML.
  - bronxbomberz41
    UNH could have beat them in the last two games of their series last year. UNH had a lead late in both, and lost one in the final seconds and one in overtime. York did say that they should have lost both games and got lucky the UNH defense lapsed. Maybe he saw something there.
    - Afterfurtherreview
      I totally agree with you, I was at both of them. I also think Jerry couldn’t get himself to vote for BU and he and Umile are pretty good buddies.
      UNH proved, even last year, they can play with anybody, they just never quite got over the hump. 10 losses by 1 goal says a lot about that.
  - DogHouseFan
    because every year they say UML is going to have a great year and they choke as often as UNH in the Tourney. Give it up already.. Good luck if your a UML fan, cause your heading down the River.
    - Afterfurtherreview
      Well, I am far from a UML fan, actually a UNH fan that is why I was replying to others on why UNH received a first place vote, but I guess you missed that. If you read a little further down and the fact that I was at the 2 tough UNH losses to BC, you might have figured that out. UML is going to have a great year every year? Since when? 5 wins 2 years ago to 24 last year with a ton of Freshman and Sophomores? My only point there was that I would have picked UML over UNH in a pre-season poll. And, we all actually posted without bashing other teams, which I guess is not possible for you to see either.
      Enjoy your usual middle to bottom of the pack finish in the Dog House, typical NU fan!
    - msoucy21
      So how did UML — with 24 wins and a second round NCAA appearance — choke last year? With Carr, Wilson, Wetmore, and other young talent returning, I somehow doubt their fans are just “giving up”.
- http://www.facebook.com/colin.thompson.5439 Colin Thompson
  bronxbomberz41 I strongly believe that UNH is going to be very good this season. UNH will finish in the top 4 in Hockey East and get a Home Playoff Series/ Home Hockey East Quarterfinal Series this season.
  - bronxbomberz41
    Top 4? I can definitely see that. They will be a tough out. But they struggled to score all of last year. Its almost as if the second half last year they reversed their traditional strength and weakness. Before they scored a lot and gave up a lot of goals, but last year they couldn’t score, and in the second half their defense (led by the goalie) stepped up big time
  - Joseph Crowley
    By the looks of it and considering Hockey East history, everyone this year, except for Vermont, will be a tough out in the quarter finals and just about any team could get the fourth seed or join Vermont on the outside looking in on the HE Playoffs. BC and Lowell should have home ice, Maine seems pretty stable and no one knows what to expect from BU and UNH after their seasons last year. BU had a very bad off-ice season last year and UNH had a very bad start to their on-ice season.
    Interesting to see that the media gives more hope to Providence’s season, given the lone wolf press vote for Maine #1.
WhereIsNorthDakota?
I thought North Dakota would have made the Hockey East poll since they wanted BC and BU to join the NCHC.
How come North Dakota wasnt approached by Hockey East to be twelvth team since they wanted to play with Notre Dame, BC and BU?
And Miami could have been the Thirteen team.
The NCHC screwed it up. Thanks Faison and Gwozdecky.
- Joseph Crowley
  Notre Dame will not be in any Hockey East polls this hockey season, try the CCHA poll story when it comes out. Connecticut will not be in any Hockey East polls this season, either, try AHA.
  North Dakota and Miami are not coming to Hockey East and there is no NCHC polling going on this season at all.
  Thanks for contributing.
Matt
Its too bad they had to go outside of New England for more Hockey East Schools when there are so many quality teams in the region like UConn, Quinnipiac, Harvard, Yale, etc. Notre Dame over in Indiana fits right in!!
- Jake
  Not be pick on you, but your comment is a little misinformed. Yale and Harvard are Ivy League first, and ECAC second teams that will never move to Hockey East. Because the Ivies have 6 teams playing D1 hockey, they are required to stick together by Ivy League bylaws. The two leagues didn’t mesh in athletic philosophy in the ECAC twenty-five plus years ago, and mesh even less now. And, if you failed to notice, UConn just joined HEA as the 12 team. Notre Dame is a great addition with an already strong association with BC, UConn, and Providence in other sports, and a strong northeast following. Additionally, the CCHA blogs throughout the summer indicated many fans of Miami, Ohio site the Red Hawks choice of NCHA over Hockey East as a huge mistake, both in affiliation and geography. Recent events prove that ND does not ever intend to join the Big Ten, the most logical conference geographically. The Irish have become an elite hockey program, and far more competitive than the teams you have mentioned. If you are a Hockey East fan, you should be excited ND is here.

Possibly related: