September 30, 2008
Niagara Chosen for CHA Top Spot
CHN Staff Report
On the heels of winning the 2008 College Hockey America tournament, Niagara has been named the preseason favorite to win the regular season title for the 2008-09 season. The Purple Eagles received three of
the four first-place votes to finish atop the poll with nine points.
Last year's regular-season champion Bemidji State was picked second, including one first-place vote. Alabama-Huntsville and Robert Morris finished in a dead heat in the polling for third place.
The CHA will be playing with only four member teams this season, after Wayne State dropped its program. Nevertheless, the postseason conference tournament champion will continue to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, for the time being.
After helping lead NU to the NCAA tournament last season, Niagara senior forward Vince Rocco has been selected as the 2008 CHA Preseason Player of the Year. A unanimous selection to the 2008 All-CHA first team, Rocco is the leading returning scorer in the conference.
Joining Rocco on the Preseason All-CHA team are Robert Morris forward Chris Margott and Bemidji State forwards Matt Read and Tyler Scofield.
The CHA coaches picked Niagara’s Ryan Annesley and Bemidji State’s Cody Bostock to the preseason blueline. A three-time CHA Defensive Player of the Week honoree a year ago, Niagara senior netminder Juliano Pagliero, rounded out the selections as the coaches’ pick for goalie.
