Albany, NY (Sept. 20, 2005) –Union has been picked to finish 11th by both the coaches and media in this year's ECAC Hockey League women's preseason polls. The Dutchwomen received 10 points in the coaches poll and eight in the media poll. St. Lawrence was picked to finish first in the coaches poll with eight first place votes and 97 points while Harvard received two first place votes and 50 points as the favorite in the media poll. Both polls were released today as part of the league's annual media day event held at the Pepsi Arena.
In the coaches poll, Dartmouth came in behind St. Lawrence with 84 points and one first-place vote, while Harvard was third with 81 points and two first-place votes. Yale rounded out the top four with 68 points. The four teams all advanced to the ECACHL championship weekend last year, with Harvard winning the title. The Saints, Big Green, and Crimson also made up three of the four teams at the NCAA Frozen Four.
Claiming the No. 5 position on the poll was Brown with 61 points followed by Colgate with 57. Princeton came in at No. 7 with 55 points, followed by Clarkson (43), Quinnipiac (27), and Cornell in tenth with 22 points.
In the media poll St. Lawrence followed Harvard with 49 points and received two first-place votes. Dartmouth was third with 48 points and received one first-place vote. After that it was Brown (36), Princeton (35), and Yale (32) rounding out the top six. Colgate was picked seventh with 28 points followed by Clarkson (19), Quinnipiac (12), and Cornell (11) picked to finish 10th.
Union opens the season with a two-game set at Boston University on October 14th and 15th. League play begins the following week as the Dutchwomen host Clarkson for a pair of games on October 29th and 30th.