Defending national champion UMass named top team in 2021-22 preseason USCHO.com D-I Men’s Poll

UMass celebrates its first NCAA championship after a 5-0 victory in April against St. Cloud State in Pittsburgh (photo: Jim Rosvold).

With 19 first-place votes, 2021 national champion Massachusetts is the No. 1 team in the 2021-22 preseason USCHO.com D-I Men’s Poll.

National runner-up St. Cloud State earned 13 first-place nods and finished just seven voting points behind UMass in the No. 2 spot.

Michigan garnered 11 first-place votes to sit third, followed by Minnesota at No. 4 (two first-place votes) and Minnesota State at No. 5 (one first-place vote).

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll – Sept. 27, 2021

No. 6 Minnesota Duluth also earned a first-place vote, with No. 8 North Dakota getting two and No. 13 Denver collecting one as well.

In addition to the top 20 teams, 16 other teams received at least one vote in the rankings.

The USCHO.com Poll consists of 50 voters, including coaches and beat writers and sports professionals from across the country.