MEN'S HOCKEY

Men's Ice Hockey: Norwich Picked No. 1 In ECAC East Coaches Poll

Nov 12, 2007

CAPE COD, Mass. - The Norwich men's ice hockey team has been chosen by the coaches of the ECAC Men's East Hockey League as the top team in the 2007-08 preseason poll, earning nine first place and 96 total points.

The Cadets are coming off a 2006-07 campaign where they posted a 14-5-0 conference mark, good enough for a first place finish during the regular season. Norwich skated to an overall record of 20-8-0, earning a bid into the NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championship, where it dropped a quarterfinal game to eventual national champion Oswego State.

Norwich will be solid between the pipes with the return of the ECAC East's top goaltender from a year ago in David Thompson. Thompson is coming off a stellar freshman year in which he led the league with a .739 winning percentage as well as a 1.95 GAA. The Cadets' top offensive weapon Rick Cleaver will be back and looking to improve upon his 44 points (24-20-44) from a year ago.

The Beavers of Babson College earned the second place spot in the coaches' poll totaling one first place and 81 total points. The defending ECAC East Champions finished up the 2006-07 season with an 18-10-1 mark (11-7-1 league) earning a bid into the NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championship. Brad Baldelli will return for Babson, coming off a year where he led all Beaver's with 36 points (16-20-36).

Finishing a close third with 80 total points is New England College. The Pilgrims ended last season with a 13-5-1 conference record (17-10-1) advancing to the ECAC East Championship game before losing to Babson. The Pilgrims will return a key part of their scoring offense from a year ago in Mark Ehl who co-led the ECAC East in freshman scoring with 30 points (13-17-30).

The fourth spot belongs to Castleton State. The Spartans ended last season with an 11-4-4 conference mark (17-6-4 overall), advancing to the ECAC East Semifinals.

Coming in at No. 5 is Skidmore, who posted a 12-5-2 record in the ECAC East (16-8-2 overall) during the 2006-07 campaign. The Huskies of Southern Maine, ended last season 12-5-2 against league opponents, and 15-9-2 overall, and were voted into sixth place.

Salem State claimed the seventh spot in the poll after a season where they skated to a 5-14-0 league record (9-17-0 overall), followed by Saint Anselm. The Hawk's ended last season with an 8-8-3 record in the conference (13-12-3 overall).

Rounding out the Top 10 are UMass Boston and Saint Michaels.

Norwich opens up ECAC East play on Friday, Nov. 16, when the Cadets travel to Gorham, Maine, to take on Southern Maine at 7 p.m.


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