Hockey Picked to Repeat in ECAC Northeast Poll

CENTERVILLE, Mass. - After winning its second consecutive ECACECAC Northeast Tournament Championship and sixth in program history, the Wentworth Institute of Technology Leopards are favored to repeat in 2013-2014. Wentworth, the regular season and tournament champion in 2013, received first place votes on all but one ballot for a total of 63 points of a possible 64. Last year's tournament runner-up Salve Regina University comes in at No. 2 in the Preseason Head Coaches' Poll, followed by Curry College and Nichols College. Western New England University was two points behind the Bison, completing the top five.

Wentworth, which is among the teams receiving votes in both the D3Hockey.com Men's Top 15 and the USCHO.com Division III Men's Poll, returns 18 players from last year's squad which finished 16-9-3, including four of its top five scorers from a season ago. Up front, sophomore Mike Cox (Westborough, Mass.) returns after posting 21 points, en route to being named to the 2013 ECAC Northeast All-Rookie Team. Junior Kevin Crowe (Galloway, N.J.) earned Second Team All-ECAC Northeast accolades last season after a 21-point performance. Classmate Mike Domsodi (Kirkland, Que.) posted 19 points as a sophomore while sophomore Adam Frank (Clarkston, Mich.), an ECAC Northeast All-Rookie selection last year, had 11 goals and five assists for 16 points during his freshman campaign.

On defense the Black & Gold graduated two of their top players, but return juniors Curtis Heinz (Grand Rapids, Mich.), who had 11 assists last season; Ben Iwanowski (Dorval, Que.), who had eight assists a year ago; Beau Burgau (New Ulm, Minn.), who had two goals and four assists as a sophomore; and Michael Heffner (Lloydminster, Sask.), who had a pair of goals and three assists last year. These four combined to have a plus-27 rating as well.

The Leopard goalie situation sees both netminders returning, with sophomore Joel Miller (Calgary, Alta.) and junior Alex Peck (Kirkland, Que.) both expected to see considerable time. Miller, the most outstanding player of the 2013 ECAC Northeast Tournament and a Second Team All-ECAC Northeast selection as a rookie, had a 13-3-2 record with a 2.06 goals against average and a .923 save percentage. Peck, who earned most outstanding player honors for the 2012 ECAC Northeast Tournament, had a 2.57 goals against average and a .902 save percentage in 10 games for Wentworth a season ago.

Wentworth opens the 2013-2014 campaign this afternoon (5:00 p.m.) as the Leopards face off against Worcester State at the fifth annual IC Federal Credit Union Shootout at Fitchburg State University. Tomorrow Wentworth will play the host Falcons at 4:00 p.m.

2013-2014 ECAC Northeast Pre-Season Coaches' Poll