BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott men's ice hockey team has been ranked sixth overall in the D3hockey.com Preseason Poll, as announced by the organization yesterday.
Endicott received a total of 193 points to rank ahead of such teams as Oswego (7), Hamilton (8), Hobart (9) and SUNY Geneseo (10). The D3hockey.com Top 15 is voted on by a panel of 20 coaches, Sports Information Directors, and media members from across the country, and is published weekly.
Meanwhile, last week, the Gulls were also tabbed to repeat as Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) champions as Endicott earned 99 points and nine of a possible 10 first place votes.
2016-17 YEAR IN REVIEW
Endicott, the defending CCC Tournament Champions, posted a 24-4-2 overall (14-3-1 CCC) record and went into the CCC Tournament as the top seed. In the Championship game, Cam Bleck (Lake Forrest, Ill.) scored in the final seconds of regulation to earn Endicott the first-ever CCC Men's Ice Hockey Tournament title.
In the NCAA Tournament, the Gulls snatched a 4-3 road victory against Hobart in the First Round and took Trinity to double-overtime before succumbing, 2-1, in the NCAA Quarterfinals.
Ultimately, the Gulls ended the 2016-17 season ranked No. 6 nationally in both the USCHO.com and D3hockey.com year-end polls. Endicott will bring back almost its entire squad from last season that ranked tops in the country among the following categories: No. 1 scoring offense (4.83 g/gm), No. 6 scoring defense (1.97 g/gm), No. 1 scoring margin (2.87), No. 3 power play (28.1%, 43/153), No. 12 penalty kill (86.5%, 147/170), No. 2 combined special teams (58.8%, 190/323), and No. 2 team winning percentage (.833, 24-4-2).
WHAT'S NEXT
Endicott opens up its 2017-18 season against Plymouth State University on Friday at Raymond J. Bourque Arena at 7 PM.
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(Photo credit - David Le '10)