The reigning Hockey East tournament champions from the University of Maine have been picked 4th in this year’s preseason coaches’ poll for the conference.
Coaches in the Hockey East Conference chose Boston College first overall to start the season with a total of 109 points in the poll, followed by Boston University in second (99 points) and Providence College in third (88). The Black Bears were in fourth with 83 points, according to a UMaine press release.
UMaine was followed by UMass with 72 points, Northeastern (67), New Hampshire (58), UConn (47), UMass Lowell (40), Merrimack (27) and Vermont (25).
Coach Ben Barr and his team will be looking to build on two straight NCAA tournament appearances.
The Black Bears won their first Hockey East title since 2004 last season after a spirited tournament run. UMaine went 23-12-2 overall and 14-9-1 in Hockey East a year ago and finished in the top 10 of both major national polls to close out the season.
UMaine fell to a surging Penn State team in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season, and the Nittany Lions made it all the way to the Frozen Four.
The Black Bears will have to replace players who scored 64 of its 124 goals last season including leading point-getters Harrison Scott (18 goals, 17 assists) and Taylor Makar (18 & 12).
But they will have an experienced defense corps led by third team All-Hockey East selection Brandon Holt (4 & 16) and Frank Djurasevic (7 & 21) and All-America East second team goalie Albin Boija (23-8-6, 1.82 goals-against average, .928 save percentage).
Barr and his staff have brought in 13 newcomers including nine from Canada’s three Major Junior Hockey leagues, many of whom have been prolific point-producers.
This is the first time Major Junior players have been eligible to play college hockey because they were previously deemed professionals by the NCAA because they received financial stipends.
The Black Bears will play a season-opening exhibition game against UNH on Oct. 3 at Bowdoin College. Their regular season schedule begins at home against Holy Cross on Oct. 10.
