FERRIS STATE SELECTED NINTH IN BOTH PRESEASON CCHA POLLS

Senior left wing Phil Lewandowski and the Ferris State Bulldogs were chosen ninth in both the CCHA Coaches and Media Polls.

The 12 CCHA teams were ranked in projected order of finish for the regular season. Points were awarded on a 12-11-10,9, etc., basis. League coaches ranked the CCHA teams excluding their own school in the order they predicted the regular season will end. Points in the coaches poll were tallied on a 11-10-9, etc., basis.

In the coaches poll, the Bulldogs received 45 points and trailed Western Michigan by four points for eighth place. Ferris was tabbed ninth in the media poll as the Bulldogs accumulated 312 points in balloting registered by a CCHA-record 72 media members.

Michigan, which captured both the CCHA regular season and Super Six Championship titles last season, was chosen the preseason favorite as the Wolverines picked up 117 points in the coaches poll and 817 in the media poll. In the coaches poll, UM received eight first-place votes while 39 of the 72 media members selected the Wolverines as preseason favorites.

Last season, the Bulldogs were chosen 10th (98 points) in the CCHA Media Poll and went on to finish the 2001-02 campaign at 15-20-1 overall. FSU placed ninth with a 25-point total in the final CCHA standings.

Ferris State will open the 2002-03 season with its annual Crimson and Gold Intrasquad Game next Saturday, Sept. 28, at 2 p.m. (EDT) in the Ewigleben Ice Arena. The Bulldogs will also host Western Ontario in an exhibition Saturday, Oct. 5, starting at 7:05 p.m. before officially starting the campaign Oct. 11-12 with a non-league home series against highly-regarded St. Cloud (Minn.) State. Opening faceoff for the season-opening series is 7:35 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, with a 7:05 p.m. start scheduled for Saturday's, Oct. 12, series' finale.