Boston College Athletics
Men's Hockey Selected #1 In Preseason National Ranking
September 27, 2004 | Men's Hockey
Sept. 27, 2004
The Boston College ice hockey team was selected as the #1 team in the nation, according to the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine preseason poll. Last season, BC was one of just six teams to remain in the poll throughout the season and was also one of two teams to hold a top five ranking all season.
Last season Boston College made its fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament's Frozen Four in the last seven years, its first trip since capturing the national title in 2001.
Coming off of last season's loss in the national semifinals to Maine, BC collected 449 total points in the poll, finishing eight points above Michigan. The Eagles also took nine of 34 first-place votes. Michigan led all teams with 16 first-place votes.
All eight of the teams that made the NCAA Tournament's quarterfinal round last season are ranked in USA Today's preseason top eight. Second-ranked Michigan was defeated by BC last season, 3-2 in overtime, in the quarterfinal game played in Manchester, N.H.
The USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll is conducted each week in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association.
The poll includes input from coaches and journalists representing each of the six NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the American Hockey Coaches Association and USA Hockey Magazine, the official publication of USA Hockey.
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine
Men's College Hockey Poll -- #1 (Preseason)
(first-place votes in parentheses)
1. Boston College*, 449 (9) 3 29-9-4
2. University of Michigan, 441 (16) 7 27-14-2
3. University of North Dakota, 379 (1) 5 30-8-3
4. University of Maine*, 374 2 33-8-3
5. University of Minnesota-Duluth, 348 (2) 4 28-13-4
6. University of Wisconsin, 289 (2) 8 22-13-8
7. University of Denver, 280 (4) 1 27-12-5
8. University of Minnesota, 260 6 27-14-3
9. Michigan State University, 240 14 20-16-3
10. University of New Hampshire*, 197 11 20-15-6
11. Dartmouth College, 172 NR 14-11-9
12. Colorado College, 108 15 20-16-3
13. Ohio State University, 107 9 26-16-0
14. Cornell University, 104 NR 16-10-6
15. University of Massachusetts-Lowell*, 76 NR 10-23-7
Others receiving votes: Miami University (Ohio), 68; Boston University*, 62; Harvard University, 28; University of Notre Dame, 27; Colgate University, 27; Brown University, 15; University of Massachusetts*, 10; Northern Michigan University, 10; Mercyhurst College, 3; Niagara University, 3; Sacred Heart University, 3.
* - Hockey East Member
