Sept. 28, 2004
Detroit, Mich. – The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) opened the 2004-05 season with its annual Media Day at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday afternoon. The conference announced its annual coaches and media preseason polls along with a preseason all-CCHA team. In the polls ranking the teams, the Irish were picked to finish sixth in the coaches voting and fifth by the media. The coaches gave the Irish 66 points, putting them 16 points behind Ohio State (82) in fifth. The Irish received eight more points than seventh-place Western Michigan (54). Michigan with 120 points and 10 first-place votes was selected first while Michigan State was second with 112 points, including two first-place votes. In the media voting, the Irish were ranked fifth with a total of 423 points. That was 94 points less than fourth-place Ohio State (517). Notre Dame received 13 more points than than sixth-place Western Michigan (410). Michigan was the media’s preseason pick for first with 662 points, including 48 of 56 first-place votes. Michigan State was second with 589 points and six first-place ballots. Miami and Ohio State each received one first-place vote from the media. The results of both polls:
CCHA Coaches Poll (1st-place votes) Points1. Michigan (10) 1202. Michigan State (2) 1123. Northern Michigan 994. Miami 865. Ohio State 826. NOTRE DAME 667. Western Michigan 548. Ferris State 509. Bowling Green 4910. Lake Superior State 2711. Alaska Fairbanks 2512. Nebraska-Omaha 23
CCHA Media Poll (1st-place votes) Points1. Michigan (48) 6622. Michigan State (6) 5893. Miami (1) 5184. Ohio State (1) 5175. NOTRE DAME 4236. Northern Michigan 4107. Western Michigan 2668. Bowling Green 2459. Alaska Fairbanks 235 Ferris State 23511. Lake Superior State 14212. Nebraska-Omaha 126
The CCHA also announced it’s first-ever preseason all-Conference team for 2004-05. The team features eight of the 12 players who were selected to the 2003-04 all-Conference teams. Michigan led the way with four players selected, while Michigan State had three, Miami two and Northern Michigan, Western Michigan and Bowling Green one each. No Irish player was selected to either the first or second teams.
CCHA Preseason First TeamPos. Player, Yr., School First TotalsF Jim Slater, Sr., Michigan St. 39 139F T.J. Hensick, So., Michigan 28 165F Vince Bellissimo, Jr., W. Mich. 12 109D A.J. Thelen, So., Michigan St. 28 174D Andy Greene, Jr., Miami 20 145G Al Montoya, Jr., Michigan 35 188
CCHA Preseason Second TeamPos. Player, Yr., School First TotalsF Jeff Tambellini, Jr., Michigan 11 101F Mike Lalonde, Sr., Michigan St. 4 92F Matt Christie, So., Miami 7 78D Nathan Oystrick, Jr., No. Mich. 16 126D Brandon Rogers, Sr., Michigan 3 70G Jordan Sigalet, Sr., Bowling Green 1 59
Notre Dame will begin official practices on Saturday, October 2 at 9:00 a.m. On Sunday, October 3, the Irish will hold their annual Blue-Gold scrimmage at the Joyce Center at 4:05 p.m. Notre Dame then opens the regular season on Thursday-Friday, Oct. 7-8 versus the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. Game time both nights is 7:35 p.m. For ticket information for all Notre Dame home games call 574-631-7356.