Ice Hockey ranked 7th in ECAC preseason poll

The Bison of Nichols College finished in the third spot with a total of 175 votes and three first place votes. Nichols went 10-5-1 against league opponents, and 20-7-1 overall, returns Assistant Captain Anthony Monte (Chicago, Ill./Chicago Force) and Jeff Bieber (Littleton, Colo./Cincinnati Cobras).

Wentworth claims the fourth spot and is coming off an 11-14-1 overall (10-5-1 league) season.  They welcome back Captain Joey Sides (Sun Valley, Id./Avon Old Farms) and All-Rookie Geric Brodt (Anchorage, Alaska/Dauphin Kings).

Fitchburg State, who went 8-5-3 against league opponents and 13-10-4 overall, were voted into the fifth place, followed by the Rams of Suffolk University.

Becker College was voted in at number seven, after skating to a 9-6-1 league record (12-12-2 overall).  The eighth spot belongs to Plymouth State, coming off a 7-7-2 league record (10-12-3 overall) last season.

Rounding out the top ten are Salve Regina ninth, and Johnson and Wales tenth.

The eleventh spot belongs to Western New England, while ECAC Northeast League newcomer Westfield State was voted in at number twelve.  Rounding out the poll for the 2008-09 season are the Worcester State Lancers and the Framingham State Rams.

The ECAC Northeast League will be settled on the ice beginning November 7 when Nichols, Suffolk and Wentworth  compete in Becker College's Ice Breaker Tournament.
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