USA Today/USA Hockey: Michigan hockey team ranked third nationally in first preseason poll

By Pete Cunningham Sports Director

Posted on Mon, Sep 24, 2012 : 7:01 p.m.

The Michigan hockey team is ranked No. 3 in the first USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine men's college hockey poll of the year.

AnnArbor.com file photo

The Michigan hockey team suffered an early oust from the NCAA tournament at the end of the 2011-12 season, but that's not the way many national pundits see the season ending for the Wolverines this year.

The first USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine men's college hockey poll of the year, which was released on Monday, has the Wolverines ranked No. 3. Michigan received two first place votes from the 34-person panel.

Michigan was the only team besides defending national champion Boston College and the University of Minnesota -- who are tied for first place in the poll -- to receive any first place votes.

Michigan finished 24-13-4 last season and was eliminated in the opening round of the NCAA tournament by Cornell. The Wolverines open the 2012-13 season on October 11 at Yost Ice Arena against Rochester Institute of Technology.

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine 2012-13 Men's College Hockey Poll - Preseason

(first-place votes in parentheses)

Rank, School, ranking points (first place votes), 2011-12 record (final ranking)

1-T. Boston College 476 (20), 33-10-1 (1)
1-T. University of Minnesota 476 (12), 28-14-1 (4)
3. University of Michigan, 408 (2), 24-13-4 (7)
4. University of North Dakota, 407, 26-13-3 (6)
5. Union College, 295, 26-8-7 (3)
6. Cornell University, 233, 19-9-7 (13)
7. UMass-Lowell, 221, 24-13-1 (9)
8. University of Denver, 220, 25-14-4 (8)
9. Miami University, 203, 24-15-2 (10)
10. University of Notre Dame, 186, 19-18-3 (NR)
11. Western Michigan University, 182, 21-14-6 (14)
12. University of Minnesota Duluth, 176, 25-10-6 (5)
13. Boston University, 158, 23-15-1 (11)
14. Ferris State University, 123, 26-12-5 (2)
15. University of Wisconsin, 99, 17-18-2 (NR)

Others receiving votes: Harvard University, 58; University of Maine, 24; Quinnipiac University, 24; Michigan State University, 19; Colorado College, 19; University of New Hampshire, 17; Ohio State University, 17; St. Cloud (Minn.) State University, 15; Merrimack College, 7; Providence College, 6; Yale University, 6; United States Air Force Academy, 3; Northern Michigan University, 1; Michigan Tech University, 1.