Defending NCAA champ BC tops preseason Hockey East poll

Defending NCAA men's national champion Boston College received six first-place votes and 86 points yesterday to edge Boston University atop the Hockey East preseason poll, the conference announced at media day at TD Banknorth Garden.

The Eagles, who earned the nation's No. 1 preseason ranking according to the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll released last week, return 15 lettermen from last season's 25-win club.

Joe Whitney and Ben Smith, the second- and third-leading Hockey East scorers, and goalie John Muse (25-11-8 in his freshman season) are back for BC, which opens its season Oct. 10 against Wisconsin at Conte Forum.

BU earned three first-place votes and 80 points in the preseason poll and will be led by sophomore Colin Wilson, who was selected seventh overall by Nashville in this year's NHL draft. The Terriers were followed by New Hampshire (one first-place vote), Northeastern, Vermont, UMass, UMass-Lowell, Providence, Maine, and Merrimack.

In the women's preseason poll, three-time defending regular-season and Hockey East tournament champion New Hampshire garnered four first-place votes and 52 points to edge BC. The Wildcats, who return four of their top seven scorers, enter the season with a 38-game (35-0-3) regular-season unbeaten streak.

The Eagles had two first-place votes and 47 points, followed by Providence (two first-place votes), UConn, BU, Northeastern and Vermont (tied for sixth), and Maine.