MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Mercyhurst College women’s hockey team has been ranked third in the first edition of the USCHO.com Division I Women’s Poll, released Monday by USCHO.com officials.

The Lakers earned 115 points after finishing the 2009-10 season with a 30-3-3 record.

Defending national champion Minnesota Duluth was ranked first with 148 points and 14 of the possible 15 first-place votes, followed by Cornell in second with 121 points. Minnesota and Wisconsin occupied the fourth and fifth spots with 98 and 87 points, respectively, with the Golden Gophers claiming the final first-place vote. Boston University (86), Clarkson (51), Harvard (35), Boston College (32) and New Hampshire (18) and Providence (18) in a tie rounded out rankings 6 – 10.

The USCHO.com Poll is compiled weekly and consists of 15 voters, including 14 coaches of Division I programs and three women’s hockey writers. Mercyhurst opens its 2010-11 campaign on Friday against St. Cloud State at 7 p.m. at the Mercyhurst Ice Center.

- From Mercyhurst news release