FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Penmen Edge Hawks as League Favorite.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Southern New Hampshire, the reigning NE10 regular season champion, has been picked to finish first in the Northeast-10 Conference Ice Hockey Coaches' Poll - as voted on by the league's head coaches and announced on Friday morning.
The Penmen claimed the top spot in the poll by recording 22 points, including a pair of first-place votes, while Saint Anselm finished as a close second with 18 points and two first-place tallies. Assumption, the defending NE10 champion, came in third with 14 points and one first-place nod. Post received the final first-place vote and tied with Saint Michael's for fourth place, while Franklin Pierce took sixth.
SNHU went 14-5 last season against conference opponents, earning the regular season title and the top seed in the NE10 Championship. It was the first regular season championship for the Penmen since the 2005-06 season. SNHU's Joseph Fiorino was named NE10 Defensive Player of the Year and head coach Sean Walsh earned the Lance "Duke" Brady Coach of the Year award.
Saint Anselm earned the No. 2 seed in the NE10 Championship last season after a 10-6-2 record in conference play. The Hawks have won a league-high 10 conference titles in program history, with their most recent victory coming in the 2017-18 season.
Assumption won the 2022 NE10 Championship - its first since the 2016-17 season - with a 4-3 victory over Post. Devan Sheth was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Championship. Post, an NE10 associate member in ice hockey, reached the championship game in just its second year in the conference in 2021-22.
The regular season is scheduled to begin on Friday, Oct. 28, including a big conference matchup between SNHU and Saint Anselm. The NE10 Championship is scheduled for March 4 at the highest remaining seed, with the semifinals on February 25.
NE10 ICE HOCKEY COACHES' POLL
1. Southern New Hampshire - 22 (2)
2. Saint Anselm - 18 (2)
3. Assumption - 14 (1)
4. Post - 13 (1)
4. Saint Michael's - 13
6. Franklin Pierce - 10
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 13 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.