ALBANY, N.Y. -- Three-time defending regular-season champion Cornell is the team to beat in the 2012-13 regular-season, according to voting by the League coaches as part of the preseason poll and all-league team selection process. This marks the third-year in a row the Big Red is tabbed with the distinction by the coaches.

The Big Red, led by Doug Derraugh, who has quickly brought Cornell women’s hockey to national prominence, garnered a total of 119 points, including nine of 12 first-place votes. Cornell, which advanced to the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four the last three seasons, heads into the upcoming campaign with an experienced squad showcasing a potent offense, which has led the conference in scoring the last three seasons. In addition, several key student-athletes return on defense from a squad which only surrendered 28 goals in 22 conference games last year fill the roster.
 
Harvard, which is led by the winningest coach in the history of Division I women’s hockey, Katey Stone, who has amassed 378 victories over the course of her storied career, accumulated 109 points and three first-place votes earning the No. 2 spot. Led by head coach Chris Wells, who was selected by his peers as the American Hockey Coaches Association Division I Coach of the Year last season, the defending league tournament champion St. Lawrence Saints claimed the No. 3 spot with 100 points.   

In the fourth spot the coaches selected one of the hottest teams to close out the regular-season last year (7-3-3) Clarkson, which earned 90 points. Dartmouth, which advanced to the League quarterfinals a year ago, ranks fifth in the preseason poll with 86 points; upstart Quinnipiac occupies the sixth slot with 71 points. The Bobcats return 18 letterwinners from a season ago and their top six scorers.

Princeton and Rensselaer garner slots Nos. 7 and 8, respectively, while Brown was selected in the No. 9 position in the preseason coaches’ poll.

Under first-year head coach Greg Fargo, Colgate comes in as the No. 10 team in the poll. The Raiders will officially open the 2012-13 campaign Friday, September 28 as they travel to Minneapolis to take defending national champion Minnesota for a two-game set. Union and Yale are the Nos. 11 and 12 teams in the poll.

The Dutchwomen embark on a 34-game schedule opening play the following afternoon Saturday, September 29 hosting Connecticut. Clarkson, Quinnipiac, Rensselaer, and St. Lawrence begin play the following weekend of October 5-6. The Golden Knights and Saints renew their ‘north country’ rivalry with a friendly home-and-home series; the Engineers host Connecticut in a two-game non-league series; and the Bobcats will host Mercyhurst, who is coming off its 11th-straight 20-plus win season, in a two-game series at High Points Solutions Arena at TD Bank Sports Center. The two teams split last year’s match-ups, each earning a shutout victory.

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