CCHA Coaches, Media Differ on NMU

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) announces the annual preseason polls. The conference’s 11 head coaches selected defending playoff champion Michigan first, while 75 media members named defending regular-season champion Miami as the preseason favorite.

The Northern Michigan University hockey team was selected sixth in the coaches and seventh in the media poll. Michigan captured eight of a possible 10 first-place votes and two second-place nods, while Miami secured the three remaining first-place votes and seven second-place votes. The RedHawks were five points behind the Wolverines. Alaska was third while the Spartans of Michigan State were fourth.

Members of the media selected Miami as they registered 57 first-place votes to Michigan’s 17. Michigan State was third with a first-place vote and nine seconds. The Nanooks were fourth with two second-place votes and 22 thirds. Notre Dame was ranked fifth in both the coaches and media polls.

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. CCHA coaches ranked the teams, excluding their own school, in the order they predicted the regular season will end.