University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Hockey Ranked Sixth in Preseason Poll
9/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Minnesota opens the 2009-10 season as the nation's sixth-ranked team in the USA Today/USA Hockey preseason men's hockey rankings. It marks the 10th straight year the Gophers have began the season ranked in the top 10.
The Gophers return 10 of their top 11 scorers from the 2008-09 squad and bring back 81.4 percent of their scoring. Minnesota also returns 20 of its 24 letterwinners from last year and adds four freshmen who were all selected in the top four rounds of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. The Gophers finished 17-13-7 during the 2008-09 season and are the only team among the top nine in this year's preseason poll that did not qualify for last year's NCAA tournament.
Reigning national runner-up Miami (Ohio) is the preseason No. 1 team, while Denver is ranked second and defending national champion Boston University is third. Michigan is ranked fourth and Notre Dame is fifth. The Gophers' season-opening opponent, North Dakota, is ranked eighth. Minnesota plays a two-game series in Grand Forks, N.D. on Oct. 16-17. Western Collegiate Hockey Association rivals St. Cloud State and Wisconsin are ranked 13th and 14th, respectively.
The Gophers officially open practice on Sat., Oct. 3 and host British Columbia in an exhibition game on Sun., Oct. 4 at 4 p.m. at Mariucci Arena.
