University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Top Preseason National Polls
9/24/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
USCHO Poll | USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota women's hockey team has earned the No. 1 national ranking in both the USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine preseason polls.
The Gophers received 12 of 15 first-place votes from USCHO voters and 146 total points to take the top ranking. Minnesota leads No. 2 Wisconsin (117), No. 3 Boston College (112), No. 4 Harvard (98) and No. 5 Cornell (94) in the top five according to USCHO.
Minnesota also picked up the preseason No. 1 ranking in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll. The top four teams match the USCHO poll, but Boston University edged Cornell for the final top-five spot according to USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine voters. The Gophers earned 14 of 19 first-place votes with Wisconsin picking up four and Clarkson receiving one.
No. 7 Clarkson, No. 8 North Dakota, No. 9 Mercyhurst and No. 10 Quinnipiac make up the last four teams in both top-10 polls; Minnesota Duluth is tied for 10th with the Bobcats in the USCHO.com poll and received votes in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.
The Golden Gophers also were named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's 2014-15 preseason favorite, collecting six first-place votes and 48 points in the annual preseason poll of the league's eight head coaches. Minnesota leads Wisconsin, Minnesota Duluth and North Dakota, respectively, to make up the top half of the WCHA preseason rankings.
The 2014-15 women's college hockey season begins this weekend with several exhibition games and three non-conference series: Minnesota Duluth at Connecticut; Bemidji State at Robert Morris; and Wisconsin at Lindenwood.
Minnesota opens the 2014-15 season by hosting Penn State at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 3. The Gophers then face Boston University at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4. The season-opening weekend at Ridder Arena also includes St. Cloud State taking on BU at 4 p.m. Friday and the Huskies facing the Nittany Lions at 4 p.m. Saturday.
The USCHO.com poll is compiled weekly and consists of 15 voters, including 14 coaches of Division I programs and one women's hockey writer.
The USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine 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 four NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the AHCA and USA Hockey.
Preseason USCHO Poll
1. Minnesota (12), 146
2. Wisconsin, 117
3. Boston College, 112
4. Harvard (1), 98
5. Cornell, 94
6. Boston University (1), 72
7. Clarkson (1), 62
8. North Dakota, 46
9. Mercyhurst, 35
10. Minnesota Duluth, 16
10. Quinnipiac, 16
Others receiving votes: Northeastern 8, Robert Morris 2, RIT 1.
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Preseason Poll
1. Minnesota (14), 174
2. Wisconsin (4), 142
3. Boston College, 127
4. Harvard, 123
5. Boston University, 119
6. Cornell, 104
7. Clarkson (1), 65
8. North Dakota, 46
9. Mercyhurst, 35
10. Quinnipiac, 24
Others receiving votes: Northeastern 17, Minnesota Duluth 15, Robert Morris 9.
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