Bowling Green State University Athletics
BGSU Tabbed Ninth/Eighth in CCHA Preseason Polls
September 28, 2004 | Ice Hockey
Sept. 28, 2004
Detroit, Mich. - Bowling Green has been tabbed ninth by coaches and eighth by media in the annual Central Collegiate Hockey Association coaches and media preseason polls. The announcement came at the CCHA's media day held on Tuesday at Joe Louis Arena.
Also, BGSU senior goalie Jordan Sigalet was named to the the inaugural CCHA Preseason All-Conference Second Team, that was announced by the CCHA in conjunction with the annual media day.
The Falcons have 20 letterwinners returning from a 11-18-9 team a year ago, including All-America and Hobey Baker candidate Jordan Sigalet. Sigalet, who was named All-CCHA First Team in 2004, led the nation last season with a school-record 1,140 saves and was 16th nationally with a 2.74 goals-against-average. He also set a new school record on Oct. 17, 2003, when he stopped 56 shots at Notre Dame.
BGSU finished ninth out of 12 teams last season with 24 points. It was the highest league finish for the Falcons in three years. The Falcons, under third-year coach Scott Paluch, begin team practices this Saturday, Oct. 1, the official first day for college hockey preseason to begin. BGSU received one vote in Monday's U.S. College Hockey Online Preseason Poll.
Michigan was picked to be the team to beat heading into the 2004-05 season. The Wolverines, last year's CCHA regular-season champion, garnered 10 first-place votes in the coaches poll and 40 first-place votes in the media poll. Michigan State ranked second in both polls, earned a pair of top-spot tallies from the coaches and five from the media. Miami received the only other first-place vote in media balloting. The Wolverines have 21 returning players.
A total of 46 members of the media ranked the 12 CCHA teams in projected order of finish for the regular season. Points were awarded on a 12-11-10-9, etc., basis. League coaches ranked the CCHA teams, excluding their own school, in the order they predicted the regular season will end. Points in the coaches poll were tallied on a 11-10-9, etc., basis. CCHA coaches and the media agreed on three of the 12 positions, with a different perspective on positions three through 11. The polls were identical last season.
Forty ballots were cast in the selection of the Preseason Team. Voting was conducted among all 12 heads coaches, one print and one broadcast journalist from each of the 12 CCHA member markets along with another four media members representing national television, newspaper and web outlets.
Coaches Poll (first-place votes) 1. Michigan (10) 120 2. Michigan State (2) 112 3. Northern Michigan 99 4. Miami 86 5. Ohio State 82 6. Notre Dame 66 7. Western Michigan 54 8. Ferris State 50 9. Bowling Green 49 10. Lake Superior 27 11. Alaska Fairbanks 25 12. Nebraska-Omaha 23Media Poll (first-place votes) 1. Michigan (48) 662 2. Michigan State (6) 589 3. Miami (1) 518 4. Ohio State (1) 517 5. Notre Dame 423 6. Northern Michigan 410 7. Western Michigan 266 8. Bowling Green 245 9. Alaska Fairbanks 235 Ferris State 235 11. Lake Superior 142 12. Nebraska-Omaha 126
