Photo by: Steve Babineau
UMass Lowell To Enter 2013-14 as the Team to Beat
9/23/2013 10:13:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
River Hawks Top Preseason USA Today/USA Hockey Poll
LOWELL, Mass. (Sept. 23, 2013) – The UMass Lowell hockey team will enter the 2013-14 season in an unfamiliar place - as the number one ranked team in the country. The River Hawks secured the coveted top spot in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll, as announced on September 23.
The River Hawks, who received 20 of 34 first place votes, are one of five Hockey East teams to appear in the inaugural USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll of the 2013-14 season:
The number one ranking - the second such honor the River Hawks have garnered this preseason - undoubtedly puts a target on the UMass Lowell's back. The team itself is choosing to look beyond the expectations of others and focus on the job at hand.
"There's no anxiety in the room, there's no pressure in the room. There's a feeling that we need to get better," said Head Coach Norm Bazin. "You won't hear the word expectation in our locker room - that's what other people think. You'll hear goal, our goal is to win championships. In the end you want to talk about the process and how hard it is to become one of the better teams, and that's what we're focusing on."
UMass Lowell will hit the ice for the first time Saturday, October 5 at 3 PM when they host McGill University in an exhibition game at Tsongas Arena. The team will open up the 2013-14 regular season on Friday, October 11 at 7:15 PM when they host the Sacred Heart Pioneers. Season tickets and Mini Packs are now on sale.
The River Hawks, who received 20 of 34 first place votes, are one of five Hockey East teams to appear in the inaugural USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll of the 2013-14 season:
| Team | Points | (First Place Votes) | Last Poll | Record | |
| 1 | University of Massachusetts Lowell | 484 | (20) | 3 | 28-11-2 |
| 2 | Miami University | 444 | (9) | 6 | 25-12-5 |
| 3 | University of Wisconsin | 364 | (1) | 13 | 22-13-7 |
| 4 | Boston College | 359 | 8 | 22-12-4 | |
| 5 | University of Minnesota | 347 | 5 | 26- 9-5 | |
| 6 | University of North Dakota | 300 | 7 | 22-13-7 | |
| 7 | University of Notre Dame | 285 | 9 | 25-13-3 | |
| 8 | Yale University | 269 | (4) | 1 | 22-12-3 |
| 9 | St. Cloud State University | 230 | 4 | 25-16-1 | |
| 10 | University of Michigan | 167 | NR | 18-19-3 | |
| 11 | Quinnipiac University | 135 | 2 | 30- 8-5 | |
| 12 | Union College | 124 | 10 | 22-13-5 | |
| 13 | University of New Hampshire | 116 | 11 | 20-12-7 | |
| 14 | Minnesota State University | 110 | 12 | 24-14-3 | |
| 15 | Providence College | 103 | NR | 17-14-7 | |
| Others receiving votes: Rensselaer 80, University of Denver 74, Cornell University 32, Western Michigan University 28, Niagara University 12, Merrimack College 8, Boston University 4, Ferris State University 4, Michigan Tech University 1. | |||||
The number one ranking - the second such honor the River Hawks have garnered this preseason - undoubtedly puts a target on the UMass Lowell's back. The team itself is choosing to look beyond the expectations of others and focus on the job at hand.
"There's no anxiety in the room, there's no pressure in the room. There's a feeling that we need to get better," said Head Coach Norm Bazin. "You won't hear the word expectation in our locker room - that's what other people think. You'll hear goal, our goal is to win championships. In the end you want to talk about the process and how hard it is to become one of the better teams, and that's what we're focusing on."
UMass Lowell will hit the ice for the first time Saturday, October 5 at 3 PM when they host McGill University in an exhibition game at Tsongas Arena. The team will open up the 2013-14 regular season on Friday, October 11 at 7:15 PM when they host the Sacred Heart Pioneers. Season tickets and Mini Packs are now on sale.
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