UMD Men’s Hockey Team Rated Third In Pre-Season Poll
After back-to-back NCAA Frozen Four Championships, UMD looked like they would three-peat, but COVID-19 stopped the 2020 playoffs.
The latest USCHO.com Division I men’s hockey poll puts UMD at number 3 with 3 first-place votes, and the NCHC league looking pretty good with 4 of the 5 top teams from that league. Boston College at number 2 is the odd man out.
Usually, this poll has already come out in September but because of the pandemic, we are seeing the first poll with only one league playing. The Rink Live reports that the NCHC will start playing their season on December 1st in a pod in Omaha, Nebraska. The Big Ten, now with Arizona State joining will begin November 13th. The Rink Live says there isn't a schedule out yet for either league.
- UND
- Boston College
- UMD
- Minnesota State
- Denver
The Rink Live reports UMD, which was on track to make a sixth-consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, was 22-10-2 overall going into the NCHC postseason but when it was canceled they finished second behind North Dakota. It would have been their run at a historic three-peat. Their 6th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Frozen Four.
The Bulldogs are losing some big names on the defensive side of the puck. Four defensemen are gone, including Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Scott Perunovich and starting goaltender Hunter Shepard. The Rink Live reports UMD does return 10 of its 12 forwards.