Miami Ranked No. 1 in CHN Preseason Top 10
9/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Hockey
Sept. 22, 2011
OXFORD, Ohio - Despite losing two All-Americans, including the program's first Hobey Baker Award winner, from last year's squad, the Miami University hockey team opens the season ranked No. 1 in the country by College Hockey News, which released its preseason top 10 Wednesday. The RedHawks have now been in CHN's preseason top three each of the last three years, coming in at No. 2 in 2009 and No. 3 a year ago.
Behind Miami in the poll is Boston University at No. 2 followed by CCHA rival Notre Dame, who made last year's Frozen Four, at No. 3. Colorado College and Boston College round out the top five, respectively. In all, the 'Hawks will face three teams ranked in the top 10, all of which are CCHA foes. In addition to the Irish, Western Michigan sits at No. 8 while Michigan, the defending national runner-up, is ranked ninth.
The four CCHA teams ranked in the top 10 lead all conferences followed by three from the WCHA, two from Hockey East and one from the ECAC. No. 6 North Dakota and No. 7 Denver join Colorado College from the WCHA while BU and BC represent Hockey East. No. 10 Yale is the lone member of the ECAC ranked.
The RedHawks return 16 letterwinners from last year's squad that went 23-10-6, captured the program's first Mason Cup by winning the CCHA Tournament and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament as Miami made its sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Nine of the returning letterwinners are forwards, paced by junior Reilly Smith (Mimico, Ont.), who is the leading returning goal scorer in the nation after notching 28 a year ago, and senior captain Alden Hirschfeld (Sylvania, Ohio).
Defensively, five defensemen letterwinners return, led by bruising senior captain Will Weber (Gaylord, Mich.) and classmate Chris Wideman (St. Louis, Mo.), who led the defense with 23 points a year ago. Miami also brings back both starting goalies from last year in seniors Connor Knapp (York, N.Y.) and Cody Reichard (Celina, Ohio), both of whom ranked in the top seven nationally in goals-against average last season.
The 'Hawks also add one of the top freshman classes in the nation, which includes three NHL draft picks in Tyler Biggs (Loveland, Ohio), Blake Coleman (Plano, Texas) and Jimmy Mullin (Cincinnati, Ohio).
Miami opens the regular season at home Oct. 7-8 when it hosts Bemidji State at Steve Cady Arena. The RedHawks will first play an exhibition game against Windsor on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 3 p.m.
--MURedHawks.com--
