Terriers Begin at Top of Hockey East

Receive Six First Place Votes



by Tristan Hobbes

A day after receiving 12 first place votes and being ranked third in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Preseason Poll, the Boston University Terriers men’s hockey team was tabbed the Hockey East Preseason favorite after receiving six of 10 first place votes.

The Terriers received a total of 84 points to hold off the University of Massachusetts- Lowell Red Hawks for the top honor. UMass-Lowell and Boston College received two first place votes but the Red Hawks edged the Golden Eagles by three points to garner the second place spot.

New Hampshire and Vermont tied for fourth with 59 points and Northeastern was picked sixth with 57 points. Massachusetts earned 47 points to finish seventh, while Maine, Providence and Merrimack round out the bottom three.

BU claimed last year’s regular season and Hockey East tournament championships on their way to claiming the programs fifth national title. UMass-Lowell will look to overtake the Terriers as they return nearly their entire squad from last year that lost to BU in the Hockey East Championship game 1-0.

Being tabbed the top preseason team does not mean much, especially in Hockey East. The Terriers will be tested all season long and with the quality of play in this league getting better and better, look for some surprises as the year gets underway.