Boston College Athletics
Eagles Selected First in HOCKEY EAST Pre-Season Poll
June 21, 1999 | Men's Hockey
October 6, 1998
BOSTON -- Boston College received eight first-place votes to capture the top spot in the HOCKEY EAST coaches pre-season poll. The announcement was made at the league's annual media day at the FleetCenter.
The Eagles enter the 1998-99 season as the defending HOCKEY EAST Tournament champion and NCAA Tournament runner-up. BC returns 19 lettermen from last year's roster, including two All-Americans and four All-HOCKEY EAST Rookie Team selections.
Junior Mike Mottau (Avon, Mass.) and sophomore Brian Gionta (Rochester, N.Y.) earned Titan All-America second team honors last year. Mottau, the nation's highest scoring defenseman, will serve as the Eagles assistant captain this season.
Gionta earned both HOCKEY EAST and New England Hockey Writers' Rookie of the Year honors last winter. He tallied 32 goals and 30 assists during his freshman campaign.
Joining Gionta on the HOCKEY EAST All-Rookie team were goalkeeper Scott Clemmensen (Urbandale, Iowa), and defensemen Bobby Allen (Hull, Mass.) and Rob Scuderi (Bethpage, N.Y.).
The Eagles open the season against Ohio State on October 9 in Minneapolis, Minn. at the Ice Breaker Tournament.
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BC also earned the top spot in the U.S. College Hockey Online, Hockey News and Lets Play Hockey national polls. Boston College is ranked third by The Sporting News, and USA Today/American Hockey Magazine.
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