NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College women's ice hockey team was picked to finish eighth in the 2017-18 Women's Hockey East Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the league at the conference's annual Media Day at TD Garden.
Merrimack received 16 points in the rankings and was ahead of Maine in the nine-team field; the Warriors finished eighth in the 2016-17 regular season standings, making their first appearance in the conference tournament.
Boston College, which finished atop the Hockey East standings last year and reached the NCAA Frozen Four Semifinals, were picked to finish first. The Eagles earned 63 points and seven first-place votes. Northeastern and Boston University were behind them, receiving 56 and 51 points, respectively.
Providence (41 points), Vermont (33 points), and UConn (27 points) rounded out the top-six teams, with New Hampshire finishing above Merrimack in seventh with 26 points. Maine rounded out the poll with 11 points.
After picking up a 2-1 victory at Boston University to start the season on Saturday, third-year head coach
Erin Hamlen and the rest of the Warriors return to the ice at the University of Minnesota on Friday Sept. 29 and Sunday Oct. 1. Friday's game is set to start at 8 p.m., with Sunday's beginning at 3 p.m.
Merrimack will return home on Saturday, Oct. 7 for its home opener with a home and home series against New Hampshire. The first game will be in Durham, New Hampshire on Friday night at 7 p.m. Saturday's game will start at 4 p.m. from Lawler Rink.
