Minnesota State Tops Both WCHA Polls

Leitner, LaFontaine each named to coaches’, media preseason ALL-WCHA teams.

Minnesota State, the defending Broadmoor Trophy champion, is the overwhelming favorite to win the MacNaughton Cup in 2014-15 as the Mavericks took the top spot in both the coaches’ and media’s WCHA preseason polls released this afternoon.

MSU collected 9 of 10 first-place votes from the Mankato Free Press WCHA Men’s Hockey Preseason Coaches’ Poll and 23 of 27 from the Bemidji Pioneer WCHA Men’s Hockey Preseason Media Poll, which Minnesota Hockey Magazine.com participated in.

Both polls predicted Bemidji State to finish eighth in 2014-15.

MSU finished the 2013-14 regular season in second place, one point behind Ferris State, but beat the Bulldogs in the Final Five title game before falling to UMass-Lowell in the NCAA’s Northeast Regional.

Mavericks’ senior forwards Matt Leitner and Jean-Paul LaFontaine each were named to both preseason All-WCHA teams with Leitner garnering preseason Player of the Year honors from the media. The coaches selected Ferris State goaltender C.J. Motte for that honor and also named Minnesota State senior defenseman Zach Palmquist to its All-WCHA team.

The honors did not stop there for the Mavericks with the coaches selecting incoming freshmen C.J. Franklin and Brad McClure as their preseason co-WCHA Rookies of the Year. Bowling Green defenseman Mark Friedman received that nod from the media.

Full results from both polls can be found below.

2014-15 Mankato Free Press WCHA Men’s Hockey Preseason Coaches’ Poll

Rk Team (1^st place votes) Points
1. Minnesota State (9) 81
2. Ferris State (1) 67
3. Michigan Tech 64
4. Bowling Green 57
5. Alaska 44
6. Northern Michigan 40
7. Alaska Anchorage 38
8. Bemidji State 33
9. Lake Superior State 17
10. Alabama Huntsville 9
Predicted order of finish. Based on a 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale. Coaches could not vote for their own teams.

Preseason WCHA Player of the Year C.J. Motte, Sr., G, Ferris State (4 votes) Others receiving votes: Matt Leitner, Sr., F, Minnesota State (3); Jean-Paul LaFontaine, Sr., F, Minnesota State (1); Scott Allen, Sr., F, Alaska Anchorage (1), Colton Parayko, Jr. D, Alaska (1)

Preseason WCHA Rookie of the Year C.J. Franklin, F, Minnesota State and Brad McClure, F, Minnesota State (4 votes each) Others receiving votes: Brett Beauvais, D, Bemidji State (1), Oliver Mantha, G, Alaska Anchorage (1)

Preseason All-WCHA Team

Forwards Tyler Morley, Jr., Alaska; Jean-Paul LaFontaine, Sr., Minnesota State; Matt Leitner, Sr., Minnesota State

Defensemen Colton Parayko, Jr., Alaska; Zach Palmquist, Sr., Minnesota State

Goaltender C.J. Motte, Sr., Ferris State Others receiving votes: Forwards—Scott Allen, Sr., Alaska Anchorage; Blake Tatchell, Jr., Alaska Anchorage; Justin Buzzeo, Sr., Ferris State; David Johnstone, Sr., Michigan Tech; Tanner Kero, Sr., Michigan Tech; Alex Petan, Jr., Michigan Tech; Blake Pietila, Sr., Michigan Tech. Defensemen—Austin Coldwell, Sr., Alaska Anchorage; Matt Prapavessis, Sr., Bemidji State; Jason Binkley, Sr., Ferris State; Shane Hanna, So., Michigan Tech. Goaltenders—Cole Huggins, So., Minnesota State.

2014-15 Bemidji Pioneer WCHA Men’s Hockey Preseason Media Poll

Rk Team (1^st place votes) Points
1. Minnesota State (23) 256
2. Ferris State (4) 226
3. Bowling Green 180
4. Michigan Tech 178
5. Alaska 163
6. Alaska Anchorage 128
7. Northern Michigan 112
8. Bemidji State 101
9. Lake Superior State 60
10. Alabama Huntsville 26
Predicted order of finish. Based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale.

Preseason WCHA Player of the Year Matt Leitner, Sr., F, Minnesota State (12 votes) Others receiving votes: C.J. Motte, Sr., G, Ferris State (6); Jean-Paul LaFontaine, Sr., F, Minnesota State (5); Tyler Morley, Jr., F, Alaska (1); Colton Parayko, Jr., D, Alaska (1)

Preseason WCHA Rookie of the Year Mark Friedman, D, Bowling Green (9 votes) Others receiving votes: Peter Krieger, F, Alaska (5); Brad McClure, F, Minnesota State (2); C.J. Franklin, F, Minnesota State (2); Max McHugh, F, Alabama-Huntsville (1); Olivier Mantha, G, Alaska-Anchorage (1); Gerry Fitzgerald, F, Bemidji State (1); Evan Anderson, F Michigan Tech (1); John Siemer, F, Northern Michigan (1)

Preseason All-WCHA Team

Forwards Tyler Morley, Jr., Alaska; Jean-Paul LaFontaine, Sr., Minnesota State; Matt Leitner, Sr., Minnesota State

Defensemen Colton Parayko, Jr., Alaska; Shane Hanna, So., Michigan Tech

Goaltender C.J. Motte, Sr., Ferris State Others receiving votes: Forwards—Josh Kestner, Fr., Alabama-Huntsville; Scott Allen, Sr., Alaska-Anchorage; Blake Tatchell, Jr., Alaska Anchorage; Cory Ward, Jr., Bemidji State; Adam Berkle, Sr., Bowling Green; Dan DeSalvo, Sr., Bowling Green; Justin Buzzeo, Sr., Ferris State; Alex Globke, So., Lake Superior State; Tanner Kero, Jr., Michigan Tech; Alex Petan, So., Michigan Tech; Blake Pietila, Jr., Michigan Tech; John Siemer, So., Northern Michigan. Defensemen—Matt Prapavessis, Sr., Bemidji State; Jason Binkley, Sr., Ferris State; Zach Palmquist, Sr., Minnesota State; Mitch Jones, Sr., Northern Michigan. Goaltenders—Tommy Burke, Jr., Bowling Green; Cole Huggins, So., Minnesota State; Mathias Dahlstrom, R-Fr., Northern Michigan.