University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Ranked No. 1 in Preseason USA Today/AHM Poll
10/3/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Following their third appearance in the NCAA Frozen Four in the last four years, the Golden Gophers open the 2005-06 campaign on Thursday, Oct. 6, with an exhibition game against the University of Alberta at Mariucci Arena at 7:05 p.m. Minnesota kicks off the regular season with a non-conference series at Mariucci Arena against CCHA foe Alaska Fairbanks on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 14-15.
In the USA Today rankings, the Golden Gophers collected 464 points and 17 of 34 first- place votes. Rounding out the top 10 are Denver, Ohio State, Cornell, Boston College, North Dakota, Colorado College, Michigan, New Hampshire and Wisconsin. Five of the 15 teams on the list are scheduled to face the Golden Gophers this season. Minnesota was the nation's top-ranked team for seven weeks of the 2004-05 season.
In the USCHO.com poll, UM received 13 of 36 first-place votes, second only to No. 1 Denver's 17. Rounding out the top 10 are Boston College, Cornell, Ohio State, Colorado College, North Dakota, Michigan, New Hampshire and Wisconsin.
The Maroon and Gold returns 20 letterwinners from last year's team that posted a 28-15 -1 record. Minnesota's returns 81 percent of its goal scoring from 2004-05, including nine of the top 11 scorers from last season's NCAA Frozen Four team. UM welcomes back its top seven point-getters this season in Tyler Hirsch, Danny Irmen, Ryan Potulny, Gino Guyer, Chris Harrington, Kris Chucko and Alex Goligoski.
In addition, Minnesota’s 2005-06 recruiting class of R.J. Anderson, Justin Bostrom, Jeff Frazee, Phil Kessel, Ryan Stoa, and Blake Wheeler is ranked as the best recruiting class in the nation, according to Inside College Hockey. Kessel is listed as the nation’s top incoming forward, while Wheeler and Stoa are ranked No. 8 and 13, respectively. Frazee is tabbed as the nation’s top freshman goaltender. The freshman class includes one Mr. Hockey finalist (Anderson), one U.S. National Junior Team member (Kessel) and four NHL draftees (Anderson, Frazee, Stoa, Wheeler).
The eleventh annual USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men’s College Hockey Poll is conducted each week 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 official publication of USA Hockey.
USA Today/American Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll - Preseason
(first-place votes in parentheses)
1. Minnesota, 464 (17)
2. Denver, 449 (14)
t3. Ohio State, 380 (2)
t3. Cornell, 380
5. Boston College, 375 (1)
6. North Dakota, 323
7. Colorado College, 318
8. Michigan, 284
9. New Hampshire, 263
10. Wisconsin, 184
11. Maine, 147
12. Boston University, 99
13. Northern Michigan, 98
14. Dartmouth, 73
15. Harvard, 65
Others receiving votes: UMass-Lowell 60; Michigan State 54; Colgate 20; Vermont 12; Mercyhurst 10; Minnesota Duluth 9; Holy Cross 6; Nebraska-Omaha 4; Massachusetts 1; St. Cloud State 1; St. Lawrence 1.
USCHO.com/CSTV Division I Men's Poll - Preseason
(first-place votes in parentheses)
1. Denver, 662 (17)
2. Minnesota, 653 (13)
3. Boston College, 583 (2)
4. Cornell, 580
5. Ohio State, 566 (2)
6. Colorado College, 523
7. North Dakota, 502 (1)
8. Michigan, 481
9. New Hampshire, 459
10. Wisconsin, 391 (1)
11. Maine, 309
12. Northern Michigan, 270
13. Boston University, 260
14. Dartmouth, 242
15. Harvard, 222
16. UMass-Lowell, 208
17. Michigan State, 204
18. Colgate, 78
t19. Vermont, 51
t19. Minnesota Duluth, 51
Others receiving votes: Bemidji State 40, Nebraska-Omaha 40, Miami 37, St. Lawrence 29, Alabama-Huntsville 17, Massachusetts 17, Mercyhurst 17, Alaska-Fairbanks 15, Minnesota State 15, Clarkson 8, St. Cloud State 8, Rensselaer 6, Brown 5, Holy Cross 3, Lake Superior 2, Quinnipiac 2, Wayne State 2,Bowling Green 1, Ferris State 1.
