September 30, 2008
Notre Dame, Michigan Lead CCHA Preseason Picks
CHN Staff Report
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. — For the third straight year, the coaches and media disagree over who should hold down the No. 1 position in the CCHA’s annual preseason polls. The conference’s 12 head coaches ranked Notre Dame first while
the media voted for defending regular-season and playoff champion Michigan.
In the coaches poll, the Irish took eight of a possible 11 first-place votes, two seconds and one third-place vote. Michigan received three of the remaining first-place votes as well as 43 number-one picks in the media poll, earning the Wolverines the top ranking. Miami, Michigan State and Northern Michigan filled out the third, fourth and fi fth-place slots in both polls.
The Irish, coming off their first appearance in an NCAA Championship game, have 18 returning letterwinners, including starting goaltender Jordan Pearce, four defensemen and 11 forwards. Notre Dame is returning eight of its top 10 scorers from last season in coach Jeff
Jackson’s fourth season behind the bench.
The Wolverines bring back 21 players, tied for most in the CCHA with Bowling Green, including all seven defensemen from a squad that won 33 games last season while capturing CCHA regular-season and tournament titles. Michigan is backstopped by senior goaltender Billy Sauer, who had a 30-4-3 record with a 1.95 goals-against average and .924 save percentage last year. Michigan is led offensively by sophomore Aaron Palushaj, who had 44 points, along with five other returning Wolverines
who broke the 20-point barrier.
The RedHawks have 15 lettermen back, including a pair of 40-point scorers from last season, senior forward Justin Mercier and sophomore forward Carter Camper.
Michigan State will be led by senior captain and goaltender Jeff Lerg, who has been named to the CCHA Preseason All-Conference First Team for three straight seasons. The Wildcats bring back 10 of their top 12 point producers from last season and look to finish in the top three for the fi rst time since 2004-05.
Lerg and Erik Condra each garnered nine first-place votes to tie for the
lead in preseason CCHA All-Conference Team balloting with 51 points apiece. Condra is joined on the First Team by Lawson. Michigan also has a pair of players on the First Team in forward Aaron Palushaj, who led all rookies in overall scoring last season, and defenseman Mark Mitera, the Wolverine captain and NHL first-round draft pick of Anaheim. Miami senior forward Justin Mercier, the RedHawks' top returning goal scorer, completes the First Team.
Three members of the 2008 CCHA All-Rookie Team graduated to the Preseason All-Conference Second Team; Michigan State defenseman
Jeff Petry, Miami forward Carter Camper and Northern Michigan forward Mark Olver. Notre Dame junior Ryan Thang and Irish sophomore Ian Cole are also on the team, along with Michigan goalie Billy Sauer and Michigan State forward Tim Crowder.
Three defensemen received Honorable Mention including Northern Michigan’s Erik Gustafsson, Nebraska-Omaha’s Eddie Del Grosso and
Ferris State’s Zach Redmond. Jacob Cepis of Bowling Green and Nick Sirota of Northern Michigan earned Honorable Mentions at the forward
position while Notre Dame senior goalltender Jordan Pearce also earned the distinction.
We here in Boston are wicked-smaht. Having attended BC, Northeastern, father having gone to Harvid, and having worked in the BU SID for their NatChamp in 1995, (their captain, Jacques Joubert, coming from SoBend, IN - where I started my college at ND) needless to say i'm a hockey fan. GEAUX IRISH!
Oct 5 2008, 3:59 am by Norwood, MA
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