ECAC Northeast Press Release
October 30, 2008
Eastern College Athletic Conference
P. O. Box 3 • Centerville, Massachusetts 02632 • Phone: 508/771-5060 • Fax: 508/771-9486 • www.ecacdiiihockey.com
CURRY COLLEGE TOPS 2008-09 PRESEASON COACHES POLL
CAPE COD, Mass. – Curry College has been voted the top team in the ECAC Northeast Ice Hockey League Coaches Poll, receiving a total of 183 votes including six first place votes. Curry College welcomes back Co-Player of the Year Jeff Hazelwood (Dublin, Calif./St. Norbert's College) and Second Team All-ECAC Northeast Zack Cardella (Spokane, Wash./Trail Smokeeaters). The Colonels finished the 2007-08 season 16-9-1 overall (14-1-1 league).
In second place, receiving five first place votes and 178 total votes is UMass Dartmouth. They are coming off a season where they won the ECAC Division III Men’s Northeast Championship and got a bid to the Division III NCAA Tournament where they lost to Trinity College in the first round. The Corsairs welcome back Joe Hill (Newburyport, Mass./Valley Jr. Warriors) and Mickey Dudley (Douglas, Mass./Boston Jr. Bruins) who made the All-Rookie team last season. UMass Dartmouth finished the season 18-9-1 overall (13-3-0 league).
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 Dunkin Donuts Cup.
2008-09 ECAC Division III Northeast Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Curry (6)..............................183
2. UMass Dartmouth (5)...............178
3. Nichols (3)..............................175
4. Wentworth..............................161
5. Fitchburg................................118
6. Suffolk...................................114
7. Becker...................................103
8. Plymouth State.........................94
9. Salve Regina............................79
10. Johnson & Wales.....................73
11. Western New England..............68
12. Westfield State.......................62
13. Worcester..............................32
14. Framingham State..................28
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)