ITHACA, N.Y. — ECAC Hockey announced the Cornell men’s hockey team has been predicted to finish fifth in the media poll and sixth in the coaches’ poll for the 2015-16 season. The league held its annual preseason media day via teleconference Monday.
Cornell posted an 16-11-7 record last season and narrowly missed out on the program’s 20th trip to the NCAA tournament despite finishing in eighth place in ECAC Hockey. The Big Red returns most of its impact players from last year and features a strong senior class. All five of the team’s leading scorers and former All-Ivy League goalie Mitch Gillam return to pursue the program’s 13th ECAC Hockey.
At forward, the team’s top three scorers all played together on the ‘JAM’ line — which features Jeff Kubiak at center between sophomore wingers Anthony Angello (team-leading 11 goals) and Mitch Vanderlaan. All but one member of the team’s vaunted defensive unit returns this season, including seniors Patrick McCarron and Holden Anderson, and sophomore Alec McCrea after his emergence as one of the team’s best defensemen. Behind that group is Gillam, who has excelled as the team’s starting goaltender and ranked among the nation’s leaders in goals-against average and save percentage throughout a season in which he posted seven shutouts.
After the annual Red/White Game, the Big Red will enjoy at least 15 games in front of the Lynah Faithful. The team starts off with exhibitions against a pair of Canadian universities Oct. 21-22, then hits the road for five straight games before the regular-season home opener against defending ECAC Hockey champion Quinnipiac on Nov. 18.
ECAC HOCKEY PRESEASON POLLS
Coaches Media
1. Quinnipiac (6) 1. Quinnipiac (12)
2. St. Lawrence (4) 2. St. Lawrence (8)
3. Harvard 3. Harvard (3)
4. Clarkson 4. Yale
5. Yale (1) 5. Cornell (1)
6. Cornell (1) 6. Clarkson (3)
7. Union 7. Rensselaer
8. Rensselaer 8. Union
9. Dartmouth 9. Dartmouth
10. Brown 10. Colgate
11. Colgate 11. Brown
12. Princeton 12. Princeton
