Air Force Tabbed as Favorites in Atlantic Hockey Preseason Poll
With the first day of Fall come and gone, next on the calendar is the start of hockey season! Several Atlantic Hockey teams begin their respective 2017-18 seasons this weekend, leaving only the announcement of the 2017-18 Preseason Coaches Poll before the season gets underway. Earning the top spot in this year’s coaches poll is the defending Atlantic Hockey Tournament Champions and the preseason number 17 team in the nation, Air Force. The Falcons received eight first-place votes and 97 points to be selected as preseason favorites.
Following the Falcons are last year’s tournament runner-ups, Robert Morris. The Colonials received two first-place votes and 87 points. Teams three and four are separated by just six points as Army was voted third and RIT voted fourth. Fifth is Canisius, who won the regular season championship a season ago but lost All-American goaltender Charles Williams.
Spots six and seven were also separated by six points, with Holy Cross coming in sixth with 58 points and Mercyhurst falling in to the seventh spot with 52 points. Bentley was picked eighth, AIC ninth, Sacred Heart 10th, and Niagara, with first-year head coach Jason Lammers now on the bench, was selected 11th.
The puck drops on the 2017-2018 season with one regular season game, Niagara at Colgate and Robert Morris and Holy Cross playing exhibition games.
Air Force 8 first place votes – 97 points
Robert Morris – 2 first place votes – 87 points
Army – 76 points
RIT – 70 points
Canisius – 1 first place vote – 65 points
Holy Cross – 58 points
Mercyhurst – 52 points
Bentley – 38 points
AIC – 27 points
Sacred Heart – 20 points
Niagara – 15 points
