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EDINA, Minn. – Sept. 29, 2014 – Minnesota State, the
defending Broadmoor Trophy champion, has been tabbed as the
favorite to win the MacNaughton Cup 2014-15 in both
the Mankato Free Press WCHA Coaches' and
the Bemidji Pioneer WCHA Media preseason
polls.
Ferris State, which captured the league's 2013-14 regular
season title before falling to MSU in the Final Five championship,
was picked to finish second in both polls. Both teams were NCAA
Tournament participants a year ago, with the Bulldogs advancing to
the second round.
The two polls flip-flopped on third and fourth place finishers,
with WCHA coaches placing Michigan Tech in the higher slot and the
media tabbing Bowling Green third. Alaska was picked fifth in both
ledgers; but, while coaches slotted Alaska Anchorage sixth and
Northern Michigan seventh, media reversed that order. Bemidji
State, Lake Superior State and Alabama Huntsville rounded out both
polls.
Ferris State senior goaltender C.J. Motte, a returning Hobey
Baker Award finalist, was selected as the league's Preseason
Player of the Year by WCHA coaches after tallying a 19-6-2 record,
.927 save percentage and 2.29 goals-against average in conference
play last year. Minnesota State senior forward Matt Leitner, who
tallied a league-best 39 points in WCHA games last year and ranks
third among all active Division I players with 121 career points,
was the media's choice.
Minnesota State freshman forwards C.J. Franklin and Brad McClure
tied for WCHA coaches' Preseason Rookie of the Year honors,
while Bowling Green defenseman Mark Friedman garnered the media
nod.
Motte and Leitner were chosen to both Preseason All-WCHA Teams,
joining forwards Tyler Morley, a junior from Alaska, and Jean-Paul
LaFontaine, a senior from Minnesota State; and defensemen Colton
Parayko, a junior from Alaska, Zach Palmquist, a senior from
Minnesota State (coaches' only), and Shane Hanna, a sophomore
from Michigan Tech (media only).
2014-15 Mankato Free Press WCHA
Men's Hockey Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rk
Team (1st place
votes)
Points
1.
Minnesota State
(9)
81
2.
Ferris State
(1)
67
3.
Michigan
Tech
64
4.
Bowling
Green
57
5.
Alaska
44
6.
Northern
Michigan
40
7.
Alaska
Anchorage
38
8.
Bemidji
State
33
9.
Lake Superior
State
17
10. Alabama
Huntsville
9
Predicted order of finish. Based on a 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale.
Coaches could not vote for their own teams.
Preseason WCHA Player of the Year
C.J. Motte, Sr., G, Ferris State (4 votes)
Others receiving votes: Matt Leitner, Sr.,
F, Minnesota State (3); Jean-Paul LaFontaine, Sr., F, Minnesota
State (1); Scott Allen, Sr., F, Alaska Anchorage (1), Colton
Parayko, Jr. D, Alaska (1)
Preseason WCHA Rookie of the Year
C.J. Franklin, F, Minnesota State and Brad McClure, F,
Minnesota State (4 votes each)
Others receiving votes: Brett Beauvais, D,
Bemidji State (1), Oliver Mantha, G, Alaska Anchorage (1)
Preseason All-WCHA Team
Forwards
Tyler Morley, Jr., Alaska; Jean-Paul LaFontaine, Sr.,
Minnesota State; Matt Leitner, Sr., Minnesota State
Defensemen
Colton Parayko, Jr., Alaska; Zach Palmquist, Sr.,
Minnesota State
Goaltender
C.J. Motte, Sr., Ferris State
Others receiving votes: Forwards—Scott
Allen, Sr., Alaska Anchorage; Blake Tatchell, Jr., Alaska
Anchorage; Justin Buzzeo, Sr., Ferris State; David Johnstone, Sr.,
Michigan Tech; Tanner Kero, Sr., Michigan Tech; Alex Petan, Jr.,
Michigan Tech; Blake Pietila, Sr., Michigan Tech.
Defensemen—Austin Coldwell, Sr., Alaska Anchorage; Matt
Prapavessis, Sr., Bemidji State; Jason Binkley, Sr., Ferris State;
Shane Hanna, So., Michigan Tech. Goaltenders—Cole Huggins,
So., Minnesota State.
2014-15 Bemidji Pioneer WCHA
Men's Hockey Preseason Media Poll
Rk
Team (1st place
votes)
Points
1.
Minnesota State
(23)
256
2.
Ferris State
(4)
226
3.
Bowling
Green
180
4.
Michigan
Tech
178
5.
Alaska
163
6.
Alaska
Anchorage
128
7.
Northern
Michigan
112
8.
Bemidji
State
101
9.
Lake Superior
State
60
10. Alabama
Huntsville
26
Predicted order of finish. Based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
scale.
Preseason WCHA Player of the Year
Matt Leitner, Sr., F, Minnesota State (12 votes)
Others receiving votes: C.J. Motte, Sr., G, Ferris
State (6); Jean-Paul LaFontaine, Sr., F, Minnesota State (5); Tyler
Morley, Jr., F, Alaska (1); Colton Parayko, Jr., D, Alaska (1)
Preseason WCHA Rookie of the Year
Mark Friedman, D, Bowling Green (9 votes)
Others receiving votes: Peter Krieger, F, Alaska (5);
Brad McClure, F, Minnesota State (2); C.J. Franklin, F, Minnesota
State (2); Max McHugh, F, Alabama-Huntsville (1); Olivier Mantha,
G, Alaska-Anchorage (1); Gerry Fitzgerald, F, Bemidji State (1);
Evan Anderson, F Michigan Tech (1); John Siemer, F, Northern
Michigan (1)
Preseason All-WCHA Team
Forwards
Tyler Morley, Jr., Alaska; Jean-Paul LaFontaine, Sr.,
Minnesota State; Matt Leitner, Sr., Minnesota State
Defensemen
Colton Parayko, Jr., Alaska; Shane Hanna, So., Michigan
Tech
Goaltender
C.J. Motte, Sr., Ferris State
Others receiving votes: Forwards—Josh Kestner,
Fr., Alabama-Huntsville; Scott Allen, Sr., Alaska-Anchorage;
Blake Tatchell, Jr., Alaska Anchorage; Cory Ward, Jr., Bemidji
State; Adam Berkle, Sr., Bowling Green; Dan DeSalvo, Sr.,
Bowling Green; Justin Buzzeo, Sr., Ferris State; Alex Globke, So.,
Lake Superior State; Tanner Kero, Jr., Michigan Tech; Alex
Petan, So., Michigan Tech; Blake Pietila, Jr., Michigan Tech; John
Siemer, So., Northern Michigan. Defensemen—Matt
Prapavessis, Sr., Bemidji State; Jason Binkley, Sr., Ferris
State; Zach Palmquist, Sr., Minnesota State; Mitch Jones, Sr.,
Northern Michigan. Goaltenders—Tommy Burke, Jr., Bowling
Green; Cole Huggins, So., Minnesota State; Mathias Dahlstrom,
R-Fr., Northern Michigan.
Participants
Jack Hittinger, Bemidji Pioneer; Shane
Frederick, Mankato Free Press; Tim
O'Donnell, Fairbanks News-Miner; Jerry Taylor,
ABC 10 UP sports director; Geof Morris, UAH Hockey.com; Michael
Napier, UAH Hockey.com; Drew Evans, BGSU Hockey.com; Bruce Cech,
Alaska Nanooks radio play-by-play; Chris Dilks, SBN College Hockey;
Kevin Kurtt, Let's Play Hockey Magazine; George
Sipple, Detroit Free Press; Kurt Haider,
Alaska-Anchorage radio play-by-play; Kevin Gordon, BGSU Hockey.com;
Ryan Steig, Marquette Daily Mining Journal; Mike
Sullivan, Minnesota State radio play by play; Greg
Buckner, Big Rapids Pioneer; Scott Williams, Lakeland
Sports & KBUN Bemidji; Ryan Satkowiak, Bowling Green
Sentinel-Tribune; Justin Bradford, Penalty Box Radio
Nashville; John Wagner, Toledo Blade; Dave Danis,
Northern Michigan radio play by play; Brian
Halverson, Minnesota Hockey Magazine; Lee Benson,
Lakeland Public TV sports director; David Tuttle, Alaska-Anchorage
color commentator; Rob Roos, Sault Ste. Marie Evening
News; Brandon Veale, The Daily Mining
Gazette (Houghton)
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