Latest men’s hockey preseason poll tabs North Dakota fourth

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team, coming off of a conference championship and national semifinal appearance, was ranked No. 4 in the first USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men’s College Hockey poll of the 2015-16 season that was released on Monday.

Last week, UND was ranked No. 4 in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Hockey Preseason Poll.

UND received 373 voting points but did not garner any first-place votes in the USA Today preseason rankings. Boston College topped the poll with 469 points and 18 first-place votes, followed by No. 2 Boston University and No. 3 Minnesota Duluth. 

Last season, UND went 29-10-3 (16-6-2 NCHC) on the way to its first Penrose Cup as NCHC regular-season champion and its seventh NCAA Frozen Four appearance in the last 11 years. First-year head coach Brad Berry inherits a roster that includes 16 returning letterwinners and 10 incoming freshmen.

UND defeated Manitoba 8-3 in exhibition action last Saturday and will open the regular season next weekend at the Ice Breaker Tournament in Portland, Maine. UND will face Lake Superior State on Friday and Maine on Saturday.

USA TODAY/USA HOCKEY MAGAZINE PRESEASON POLL

Rk.      School (First place votes)       Record           Pts.         PR

1.         Boston College (18)                     21-14-3            469          14

2.         Boston University (5)                     28-8-5            436            2

3.         Minnesota Duluth (7)                    21-16-3            422            7

4.         North Dakota                           29-10-3           373            3

5.         Harvard                                          21-13-3            348          11

6.         Denver                                           24-14-2            318            5

7.         Providence (3)                               26-13-2            262            3

8.         Minnesota (1)                                23-13-3            242          10

9.         Minnesota State                              29-8-3            234            6

10.       Maimi                                             25-14-1            198            8

11.       Omaha                                            20-13-6            160            4

12.       Yale                                                18-10-5            144          15

13.       Michigan                                        22-15-0            142         NR

14.       Massachusetts-Lowell                  21-12-6            116         NR

15.       Michigan Tech                                29-10-2              50            9

Others receiving votes: Bowling Green 39, Quinnipiac 36, St. Cloud State 35, St. Lawrence 23, Notre Dame 15, Colgate 12, Robert Morris 5, Northeastern 1.