The two finalists in the 2012 CHA title game finished 1-2 in the annual preseason coaches’ poll, but the runner-up (Mercyhurst) was named the the top team and the league champion from last spring (Robert Morris) came in second.
| School (First-place votes) |
|---|
| 1. Mercyhurst (4) |
| 2. Robert Morris (2) |
| 3. Syracuse |
| 4. Rochester Institute of Technology |
| 5. LIndenwood |
| 6. Penn State |
