The ECAC Division III coaches selected last year’s national champion, Middlebury, as the league favorite in the 2000-01 preseason coaches’ poll.
Middlebury earned 323 total points and received 17 first-place votes.
Middlebury enters the 2000-01 season having won 89 straight ECAC league games. The Panthers swept the regular season last year going a perfect 17-0 in ECAC league play and defeated Colgate 5-1 in the ECAC Division III Championship.
Colgate was selected second by the coaches, garnering 282 points and one first-place vote. The Red Raiders finished last year with a mark of 16-1.
Williams, Vermont and Bowdoin round out the top five.
Manhattanville received the remaining first-place vote and finished sixth in the poll with 227 points.
Middlebury defeated Augsburg in two straight games, 5-1 and 8-1, to claim the American Women’s Collegiate Hockey Association Division III Championship held at Northeastern last March.
The 2000-01 Division III season opens the weekend of November 10-12.
2000-01 ECAC Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Coaches’ Poll
1. Middlebury (17) 323
2. Colgate (1) 282
3. Williams 252
4. Vermont 248
5. Bowdoin 241
6. Manhattanville (1) 227
7. Rensselaer 215
8. Colby 207
9. RIT 200
10. Sacred Heart 179
11. So. Maine 164
12. Hamilton 138
13. Amherst 133
14. Wesleyan 116
15. Union 101
16. Conn. College 85
17. Trinity 57
18. Holy Cross 36
19. MIT 28
