Michigan, the number-one team in the nation in the preseason USCHO.com men’s Division I poll, has been picked to top its league as well.
The Wolverines, an NCAA tournament entry last season bolstered by the return of NHL draftee Al Montoya in net, topped both the coaches and media polls announced by the CCHA Tuesday at its media day at Joe Louis Arena.
Michigan, which earned 48 of 56 first-place votes in the media poll and 10 of 12 in the coaches’ picks, is followed by Michigan State in both rankings.
Miami, Ohio State, Northern Michigan and Notre Dame round out the top half of the league, with the principal disagreement between the polls being the media’s pick of NMU sixth versus the coaches’ third.
Western Michigan was seventh in both polls, followed in differing orders by Bowling Green, Lake Superior State, Ferris State and Alaska-Fairbanks. The two sets of prognosticators agreed on Nebraska-Omaha as the CCHA’s cellar-dweller.
Both polls appear in their entirety below.
2004-05 CCHA Preseason Polls
Media Poll
1. Michigan (48)
2. Michigan State (6)
3. Miami (1)
4. Ohio State (1)
5. Notre Dame
6. Northern Michigan
7. Western Michigan
8. Bowling Green
9. Ferris State
9. Alaska-Fairbanks
11. Lake Superior State
12. Nebraska-Omaha
Coaches Poll
1. Michigan (10)
2. Michigan State (2)
3. Northern Michigan
4. Miami
5. Ohio State
6. Notre Dame
7. Western Michigan
8. Ferris State
9. Bowling Green
10. Lake Superior State
11. Alaska-Fairbanks
12. Nebraska-Omaha
