ECAC Hockey League Women's Coaches Make Preseason Picks

ALBANY, N.Y. --- The ECAC Hockey League's women's coaches have cast their preseason ballots and they are predicting a tight race again this season. Dartmouth earned the top spot in the preseason poll with 94 votes, but has Harvard and Brown close on its heels. The preseason all-league team was also selected, and it has a four-team flavor.

Dartmouth picked up five first-place votes by the coaches and finished the voting with 94 total points. Harvard claimed two No. 1 picks to earn the second-place spot with 88 points and St. Lawrence is one point back with 87 and two first-place nods. Brown (76 points) and Princeton (63 points) round out the top five in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Along with fighting for the top spot in the league, the Big Green, Crimson and Saints are all looking to retain their spots at the top of the nation, as the teams made up three of the four teams in last year's Frozen Four.

St. Lawrence and Harvard finished the regular season tied for first place with identical 15-3-0 league records and then faced each other throughout the playoffs with the Crimson coming out on top in both the ECACHL tournament and the NCAA Frozen Four. Dartmouth entered the tournament after posting a 14-3-1 mark in the league for third place. The Big Green drew eventual champion Minnesota in the NCAA semifinals.

Two Dartmouth players lead the list of preseason favorites and will be looking to earn the ECAC Hockey League title. Junior forward Katie Weatherston and senior defender Alana BreMiller were both selected to the preseason all-league team. Weatherston had 48 points (29 g, 19 a) for her Big Green team a year ago and was a second-team pick. BreMiller picked up eight points last year and but is a true defenseman who can more than hold her own on the blue line.

Brown also had two selections to this year's team with senior forward Jessica Link and senior defenseman Amy McLaughlin both getting tabbed. Link was also a second-team choice a year ago after earning 34 points (19 g, 14 a) in league action, including six power-play goals. McLaughlin is at the top of her game and was a unanimous choice to the preseason team. A first-team all-league choice last year, she provided six goals and 12 assists from the blue line.

Harvard forward Julie Chu was also selected to the preseason team and was also a second-team choice last year. The junior had 27 points in league games and was third overall in scoring with 56 points on 15 goals and a league-best 41 assists.

Wrapping up this year's team selections was Colgate goalie Rebecca Lahar. The senior posted three shutouts and a 2.36 goals against average last season.

The women open their season with Vermont traveling to Sacred Heart for a non-league game on Oct. 8. The first ECACHL game of the year has Union at Clarkson on Oct. 16

2004-05 ECACHL Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Dartmouth (5) -- 94
2. Harvard (4) -- 88
3. St. Lawrence (2) -- 87
4. Brown -- 76
5. Princeton -- 63
6. Yale -- 55
7. Colgate -- 46
8. Cornell -- 33
9. Clarkson -- 30
10. Vermont -- 22
11. Union - 11

2004-05 ECACHL Preseason All-League team

F-Julie Chu, Harvard
F-Jessica Link, Brown
F-Katie Weatherston, Dartmouth
D-Alana BreMiller, Dartmouth
D-Amy McLaughlin, Brown (unanimous)
G-Rebecca Lahar, Colgate