HAVERHILL, Mass. - The College Hockey America coaches have voted who they believe will take the regular0season crown for the 2010-11 season. Last year’s tournament champion and NCAA Frozen Four Semifinalist, Mercyhurst, which collected 16 points and four first-place votes, is this season’s top choice, as selected by the coaches.
The Lakers prevailed over Syracuse in the CHA Tournament, 3-1, to garner their tenth straight conference crown. Mercyhurst defeated Boston University in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Division I Tournament, before falling to Cornell in the national semifinals, 3- 2 in overtime, in Minneapolis, Minn.
Syracuse, last year’s tournament runner-up has been chosen second by the coaches. The Orange earned the last first-place vote and totaled 13 points. Following Syracuse is Niagara, which collected 10 points, followed by Robert Morris (7 points) and Wayne State (4 points).
Exhibition contests kick off the start of the CHA season on Saturday as Wilfrid Laurier travels to Erie to face Mercyhurst at 2 p.m, while Wayne State makes the trek to Toronto to face York at 7 p.m. The regular season will start the following weekend with all five institutions in action in non-conference matches. Mercyhurst will host St. Cloud State, while Niagara will take on Quinnipiac.
Robert Morris faces Providence, as Wayne State will drop the puck against Bemidji State. All four of those series will be a two-game series. Syracuse will play a single game on Oct. 1, as the Orange will host Northeastern.
The 2011 Tournament will take place in Syracuse, N.Y. at Tennity Rink with the first round taking place on March 4. The semifinals will be the next night on March 5, with the championship game o March 6.
- From CHA news release
2010-11 College Hockey America Preseason Coach’s Poll
(First Place votes)
1. Mercyhurst (4) 16
2. Syracuse (1) 13
3. Niagara 10
4. Robert Morris 7
5. Wayne State 4
