University of Minnesota Athletics
USCHO.com Ranks Men's Hockey Sixth in Preseason Poll
9/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Michigan leads the poll with 541 points and 17 first-place votes, followed by Maine with 493 points and nine first-place votes. Rounding out the top 10 are Boston College, Minnesota-Duluth, North Dakota, Minnesota, Denver, Wisconsin, Michigan State and New Hampshire. Colorado College at No. 14 represents the sixth WCHA school on the list.
Minnesota returns 16 letterwinners from last year's team that posted a 27-14-3 overall record and a fourth-place finish in the WCHA with a 15-12-1 conference mark. The Golden Gophers will look to replace 55 percent of their goals and 45 percent of their assists after the loss of their top four scorers. Junior forward Gino Guyer returns as Minnesota's top returning scorer after scoring 11 goals and 21 assists last season, while junior Chris Harrington, UM's second returning scorer, looks to continue Minnesota's recent tradition of elite offensive defensemen. In addition, the Maroon and Gold welcomes a 10-member corps of freshman to its roster in 2004-05.
The Golden Gophers open the 2004-05 season on Thursday, Oct. 7, with an exhibition game at Mariucci Arena against the University of Calgary. Minnesota's regular season begins Oct. 9 at the Xcel Energy Center with the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game against defending NCAA champion Denver.
USCHO.com Division I Men's Hockey Preseason Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses)
1. Michigan, 541 (17)
2. Maine, 493 (9)
3. Boston College, 488 (2)
4. Minnesota-Duluth, 447 (4)
5. North Dakota, 413 (2)
6. Minnesota, 331
7. Denver, 302 (4)
8. Wisconsin, 276 (1)
9. Michigan State, 262
10. New Hampshire, 218 (1)
11. Dartmouth, 196
12. Ohio State, 169
13. Cornell, 154
14. Colorado College, 149
15. Miami (Ohio), 88
