Preseason Top 16: Number 6 Princeton

Howdy, folks. It’s that time of year again. Every so often The College Hockey Blog will be unveiling our Preseason top 16 teams, one by one. If you want to see the top 16 in order, and links to each individual preview, click the tab at the top of the page. Today’s team is #6 Princeton

Although Yale is the defending league champs, and is expected to be ranked 1st in the ECAC Preseason polls, I like Princeton a bit better. Returning is the backbone of the 7th best defense in college hockey last year, goalie Zane Kalemba, who had the 3rd best save percentage (.932) and 4th in goals against (1.82)

Preseason Top 16: Number 7 North Dakota

Howdy, folks. It’s that time of year again. Every so often The College Hockey Blog will be unveiling our Preseason top 16 teams, one by one. If you want to see the top 16 in order, and links to each individual preview, click the tab at the top of the page. Today’s team is #7 North Dakota

Last year the Fighting Sioux won the MacNaughton Cup for the first time since 2004, but was bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by New Hampshire in a crazy game. A failure by Joe Finley to clear the puck out of the zone led to a faceoff and a goal for New Hampshire with less than a second left. With many of their top players back, the Sioux look to advance farther than the first round this year.

Preseason Top 16: Number 8 Minnesota

Howdy, folks. It’s that time of year again. Every so often The College Hockey Blog will be unveiling our Preseason top 16 teams, one by one. If you want to see the top 16 in order, and links to each individual preview, click the tab at the top of the page. Today’s team is #8 Minnesota

Well, here we go. I have my e-mail open and my Google translator on in preparation for all of the e-mails from Sioux fans that say some form of “U kant hav the goofers number 8 u loser.” Should be a fun week or two in my household.

Last year the Gophers came roaring out of the blocks and were the number 1 ranked team in the country in this and many other polls. But starting with a January 9th and 10th sweep by North Dakota, the Gophers went through a stretch where they lost 9 of their final 16 regular season games. They jumped back on track in the first round of the WCHA playoffs, sweeping St. Cloud State, but then lost to Minnesota-Duluth in the opening round of the Final Five and missed the NCAA Tournament.

Preseason Top 16: #9

Howdy, folks. It’s that time of year again. Every so often The College Hockey Blog will be unveiling our Preseason top 16 teams, one by one. If you want to see the top 16 in order, and links to each individual preview, click the tab at the top of the page. Today’s team is #9 Michigan

Last year Michigan made the CCHA championship game, losing to Notre Dame. For their efforts they were rewarded with the #1 seed in the Bridgeport regional. But they became the first of three #1 seeds to lose to a #4, when they lost to admittedly underseeded Air Force. The Wolverines lose their best player from last year, but return a good core of players and appear once again ready to contend for the CCHA crown.

Preseason Top 16: Number 10

Whew. We finally made it to the top 10. After our first 6 teams profiled, it’s time to preview the teams that are expected to make a push for their respective conference titles, and to perhaps contend for a Frozen Four bid. We begin with #10 Yale

Last year the Bulldogs rode balanced scoring and just enough defense to come virtually out of nowhere to win the ECAC crown. Hosting a regional, they lost their opening game to eventual Frozen Four participant. But with the experience they gained from last year they should be back in the ECAC mix.

Preseason Top 16: #11 UMass-Lowell

Howdy, folks. It’s that time of year again. Every so often The College Hockey Blog will be unveiling our Preseason top 16 teams, one by one. If you want to see the top 16 in order, and links to each individual preview, click the tab at the top of the page. Today’s team is #11 UMass-Lowell

Last year UMass-Lowell rode an impressive 12-5-2 second half mark all the way to the Hockey East championship game, where they lost a controversial final to Boston University. Tons of experience is back for the RiverHawks and they have a shot at their first NCAA tournament appearance in 14 years.

Preseason Top 16: #12 St. Cloud State

Howdy, folks. It’s that time of year again. Every so often The College Hockey Blog will be unveiling our Preseason top 16 teams, one by one. If you want to see the top 16 in order, and links to each individual preview, click the tab at the top of the page. Today’s team is #12 St. Cloud State

Last year I had the Huskies as a top 10 team, noting that not only were Ryan Lasch and Garrett Roe one of the best one-two scoring punches in the country, but that I thought the Huskies would have the secondary scoring needed to make the jump to the next level. Fast forward five months, and St. Cloud State finished 6th in the WCHA, losing in the first round of the playoffs to Minnesota. They scored 122 goals on the year, but finished 5th in the conference in that category. Roe was 7th in the country in points per game, and Lasch was 26th, but the only other forward with double digit goals was Sophomore Aaron Marvin. No Husky scored a goal even once every two games.

Preseason Top 16: #13 New Hampshire

Howdy, folks. It’s that time of year again. Every so often The College Hockey Blog will be unveiling our Preseason top 16 teams, one by one. If you want to see the top 16 in order, and links to each individual preview, click the tab at the top of the page. Today’s team is #13 New Hampshire

Honestly, it was tough as all get out to rank teams 13-16. I can’t say I’m terribly excited about this UNH team. They scored 116 goals last year, good for 4th amongst all Hockey East teams. James van Riemsdyk wasn’t their leading goal scorer, but he was their leading scorer, and was the only Wildcat over 1 point per game. The next time Wildcat fans see van Riemsdyk however, he’ll be suiting up for the Philadelphia Phantoms (or possibly the Flyers, who knows).

After an up and down season in 2007-08, UNH lost in the Hockey East playoffs to Boston College before an epic comeback against North Dakota in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and then eventually succumbing to eventual champ BU in the second round.

Preseason Top 16: #14 Air Force

Howdy, folks. It’s that time of year again. Every so often The College Hockey Blog will be unveiling our Preseason top 16 teams, one by one. If you want to see the top 16 in order, and links to each individual preview, click the tab at the top of the page. Today’s team is #14 Air Force

Last year Air Force produced an upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament when they defeated Michigan – but it was an upset in name only. After all, this was a team that started out the season 13-0 including two defeats of a Frozen Four team and one of Colorado College (that was admittedly much more impressive at the time). Air Force had the top goal scorer in the country (and our inagural player of the year award winner) Jacques Lamoureux who is back for another year to lead the Falcons to perhaps yet another Atlantic Hockey title and NCAA bid.

Preseason Top 16: #15 Boston College

Howdy, folks. It’s that time of year again. Every so often The College Hockey Blog will be unveiling our Preseason top 16 teams, one by one. If you want to see the top 16 in order, and links to each individual preview, click the tab at the top of the page. Today’s team is #15 Boston College

Like #16 Northern Michigan, there were a lot of teams I flirted with putting in this spot, but in the end I went with the Eagles. Although leading scorer Brock Bradford (2nd nationally with .68 gpg) graduated, the Eagles had so many guys that took a step backwards last year that I am banking on it being just an aberration. For example, John Muse went from a 2.20 GAA to a 2.72 mark, and a .921 save percentage to a .904%. Ben Smith (25 G, 50 pts to 6 G, 17 pts), Joe Whitney (11 G, 51 pts to 7 G, 15 pts) and Brian Gibbons (13 G, 35 pts to 9 G, 28 pts) were all guys who took huge steps backwards in 2009. The talent level was still there, but the production was not.