The University of Maine women’s ice hockey team was selected seventh among 10 Hockey East teams in the coaches’ preseason poll released Tuesday.
Northeastern University’s Huskies were picked to win their sixth straight regular season title. They have won the last six Hockey East tournaments and received 88 points and eight first-place votes.
Vermont was second with 75 points and Providence was third with 74 and one first-place vote, with UConn earning the other first-place vote and being selected fourth with 65 points.
BU was fifth (59) followed by Boston College (58), UMaine (38), New Hampshire (35), Merrimack (28) and Holy Cross (20).
The women’s team has undergone a major facelift under second-year head coach Molly Engstrom.
She has brought in 14 newcomers to replace the 14 who graduated or transferred.
Hungarian National team player Mira Seregely was the team’s leading scorer last year with 23 points on 11 goals and 12 assists and she is back along with top goal scorer Alyssa Wruble (12 & 9). Five of the top eight point-producers are back with the others being Ida Kuoppala (7 & 8), Elise Morphy (4 & 8) and Swiss National team member Rahel Enzler (2 & 9).
Morphy is a defenseman.
Kuoppala is a former All-Hockey East and All-U.S. College Hockey Online Rookie Team selection.
Two of last year’s three goalies are also back in Jorden Mattison (7-6-0, 2.41, .917, 3 shutouts) and Anna LaRose (3-4-2, 3.47, .895).