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Grand Rapids — The MSU hockey team was voted No. 5 in the CCHA coaches poll and No. 3 in the media poll released Tuesday at CCHA Media Day at Van Andel Arena.

But with 10 freshmen making their way onto the roster, head coach Rick Comley isn’t quite sure how his team will fit into the scheme of things just yet.

“I wouldn’t know where to pick us if I was voting,” Comley said. “But my expectations are that we will be a top four team. We will just have to grow as the year goes on.”

Notre Dame was voted the No. 1 team by the coaches and Michigan was named the No. 1 team by the media.

Last season, Notre Dame went to the national championship game, but head coach Jeff Jackson doesn’t put too much stock in preseason polls.

“I think that our conference will be the deepest conference in college hockey this year, and I think that any one of six teams could finish first,” he said.

The Wolverines have 21 letter-winners returning to a lineup that won the CCHA Championship last season, including the return of all seven defensemen who saw game action.

“We lost some good players, but we have a lot of players that had good experience as freshmen and sophomores,” U-M head coach Red Berenson said. “I just see us as being a good team right from the get-go.”

Three Spartans also were named to the preseason All-Conference teams Tuesday.

Senior goaltender Jeff Lerg was named to the first team after coming off a season in which he recorded 24 wins and was a Hobey Baker finalist. Lerg also will be serving as the captain of the Spartans this season, marking only the second time in the program’s history a goaltender has worn the “C.”

“I’m not sure he is surprised (about his awards),” Comley said. “I say that not because he is cocky or arrogant, but he’s worked so hard to get what he has. But I just think there is a part of him that says ‘If you work hard and do everything to the best of your ability you will be rewarded.’”

Senior forward Tim Crowder was named to the second team after his 15 goals and 23 assists last season. Joining Crowder on the second team is sophomore defenseman Jeff Petry.

Published on Tuesday, September 30, 2008