CCHA coaches and media don’t agree on the order, but they agree on this in preseason polls: Miami and Michigan should be the top two teams in the league this season.
Michigan took the top spot in the coaches poll, while Miami led off the media poll.
The Wolverines, who return 19 letterwinners from a team that rallied in the CCHA playoffs last season to extend its streak of NCAA tournament berths to 20 years, got eight of 11 first-place votes from the coaches.
Miami got the other three first-place votes from the coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own team.
The RedHawks, featuring 17 returning players from a team that made its second straight Frozen Four appearance in 2010, earned 57 first-place votes from the media.
Michigan got 17 first-place votes, and Michigan State got one.
The full polls follow:
Coaches Poll
Team (first-place votes) Points
1. Michigan (8) 108
2. Miami (3) 103
3. Alaska 81
4. Michigan State 76
5. Notre Dame 75
6. Northern Michigan 65
7. Ferris State 64
8. Ohio State 56
9. Lake Superior State 35
10. Western Michigan 29
11. Bowling Green 23
Media Poll
Team (first-place votes) Points
1. Miami (57) 877
2. Michigan (17) 825
3. Michigan State (1) 651
4. Alaska 618
5. Notre Dame 567
6. Ferris State 546
7. Northern Michigan 536
8. Ohio State 428
9. Lake Superior State 312
10. Western Michigan 225
11. Bowling Green 190
Three Miami players and two Michigan players made the league’s preseason all-conference first team, selected by the coaches.
Forward Andy Miele, defenseman Chris Wideman and goaltender Cody Reichard represent the RedHawks on the first team. Michigan forwards Carl Hagelin and Louie Caporusso and Ferris State defenseman Zach Redmond also appear on the first team.
The second team is forwards Carter Camper of Miami, Andy Taranto of Alaska and Matt Rust of Michigan; defensemen Torey Krug of Michigan State and Chad Langlais of Michigan; and goaltender Pat Nagle of Ferris State.
