CCHA coaches pick Wolverines

CCHA Press Release

For the third time in four years, the coaches and media disagree over who should own the No. 1 position in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association’s annual preseason polls. The conference’s 11 head coaches ranked defending CCHA tournament champion Michigan first, while 75 media members named defending regular-season champion Miami as the preseason favorite.

In the coaches poll, the Wolverines captured eight of a possible 10 first-place votes and two seconds, while Miami took the three remaining first-place votes as well as seven seconds to come in just five points behind the favorite. Alaska took third with Michigan State finishing five points back at fourth.

The media voted in favor of the RedHawks, giving them 57 first-place votes to Michigan’s 17. The Spartans garnered a single first-place ranking and nine seconds to place third, with Alaska finishing fourth with two seconds and 22 thirds. Both the coaches and the media ranked Notre Dame at No. 5.

The Wolverines, who became the lowest-seeded team in league history to win the CCHA tournament after finishing the regular season in seventh place, return 19 letterwinners including senior goaltenders Bryan Hogan and Shawn Hunwick. Michigan brings back nine of its top ten scorers as well, most notably the one-two punch of CCHA Preseason All-Conference First-Team selections senior forward Carl Hagelin and senior forward Louie Caporusso, who combined for 93 points last season.

The RedHawks are coming off back-to-back appearances in the Frozen Four and return 17 letterwinners, including 2010 RBC CCHA Player of the Year junior Cody Reichard in goal and CCHA Preseason All-Conference First Team selection senior Andy Miele at forward. They also return all seven defensemen from a squad that won 29 games last season, most notably 2010 CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman junior Will Weber and CCHA Preseason All-Conference First-Team member junior Chris Wideman.

The Nanooks bring back 18 players back from the team that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season and will be led offensively by 2010 CCM CCHA Rookie of the Year Andy Taranto, who set the program record for points by a freshman with 42. Michigan State comes off of a second-place regular-season finish led by sophomore defenseman and team captain Torey Krug, while senior forward Calle Ridderwall, who notched 31 and 27 points in his sophomore and junior campaigns, returns to lead Notre Dame.

A total of 75 media members ranked the 11 CCHA teams in projected order of finish for the regular season. Points were awarded on an 11-10-9-8, etc., basis. League coaches ranked the CCHA teams, excluding their own school, in the order they predicted the regular season will end.

Coaches Poll
1. Michigan (8) 108
2. Miami (3) 103
3. Alaska 81
4. Michigan State 76
5. Notre Dame 75
6. Northern Michigan 65
7. Ferris State 64
8. Ohio State 56
9. Lake Superior 35
10. Western Michigan 29
11. Bowling Green 23

Media Poll
1. Miami (57) 877
2. Michigan (17) 825
3. Michigan State (1) 651
4. Alaska 618
5. Notre Dame 567
6. Ferris State 546
7. Northern Michigan 536
8. Ohio State 428
9. Lake Superior 312
10. Western Michigan 225
11. Bowling Green 190