Men's Ice Hockey

MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Saint Anselm men's ice hockey team was picked to finish first in the Northeast-10 and seventh in the ECAC East in the 2009-2010 preseason polls, voted on by the coaches of each respective conference.  The Hawks open their season on the road at Castleton State College on November 20th at 7:00 pm.

The Hawks finished eighth in the ECAC East last season, going 10-15-1 (7-12-1 ECAC).  They qualified for the Northeast-10 semifinals following a first-round bye, which they lost 7-4 to Stonehill College.

The Hawks received four first-place and 24 total votes from the coaches of the six Northeast-10 Conference hockey teams, to land the first-place prediction for the 2009-2010 season.  Saint Michael's College, who won last season's Northeast-10 Tournament, received two first-place and 21 total votes, to land in second place in the poll. 

Southern New Hampshire University came in third, receiving 18 votes, followed by Stonehill, who came in fourth with 13 votes.  Assumption College took fifth, receiving nine votes, and Franklin Pierce University was predicted to take sixth, getting five total votes.

Northeast-10 Preseason Poll Results:
1.  Saint Anselm (4) - 24
2.  Saint Michael's (2) - 21
3.  Southern N.H. - 18
4.  Stonehill - 13
5.  Assumption - 9
6.  Franklin Pierce - 5

() - First place votes

In the ECAC East Preseason poll, the Hawks received 34 total votes to land in seventh out of the 10 teams.  Norwich University racked up nine first-place and 99 total votes, to take the top predicted spot.  Castleton State College was next, with one first-place and 86 total votes.  Last year's ECAC East Tournament winner, Babson College, received 63 votes to land in fourth place in the poll.

ECAC East Preseason Poll Results:
1.   Norwich (9) - 99
2.   Castleton (1) - 86
3.   New England College - 81
4.   Babson - 63
5.   Southern Maine - 62
6.   Skidmore - 61
7.   Saint Anselm - 34
8.   UMass Boston - 32
9.   Saint Michael's - 24
10. University of New England - 12