Full ECAC Release Danbury, CT -- The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Men's West Hockey league released its preseason poll for the upcoming 2015-16 season, as voted by the conference's coaches, on Friday afternoon. Elmira College was picked to finish in a tie for third in the league, tallying 24 points in the poll.
Neumann University was tabbed for the league's top spot after finishing in second place a season ago. The Knights finished with an overall record of 14-9-4 in 2014-15, which included a 9-5-1 mark in league play. The squad fell just short in the conference title game, losing to Hobart College in overtime 2-1. The Knights received three first-place votes and garnered 28 points to sit atop the preseason poll.
Hobart was selected second by the league's coaches. Last season's regular-season and conference tournament champions were tabbed with two first-place votes and sat just behind Neumann with 27 points in the poll.
Elmira College nabbed the remaining first-place vote in the preseason poll. The Soaring Eagles are coming off of an up-and-down year in 2014-15, as the program posted an overall record of 12-12-3 and a 5-8-2 mark in conference play a season ago. The Soaring Eagles finished in a tie for third in the preseason poll, as Utica College also finished with 24 points.
The Purple and Gold will take aim at the top spot right off the bat, when they open the season on Friday, November 6
th, welcoming Neumann to the Murray Athletic Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Full Preseason Poll1. Neumann University (3) – 28
2. Hobart College (2) – 27
T3. Elmira College (1) – 24
T3. Utica College – 24
5. Nazareth College – 15
6. Manhattanville College – 8
