FERRIS STATE PICKED SECOND IN 2003-04 CCHA COACHES POLL

Junior center Jeff Legue and the defending CCHA Champion Ferris State Bulldogs were voted to finish the 2003-04 season second in the CCHA Coaches Poll and third in the league's media poll.

The Bulldogs, under the direction of 12th-year head coach Bob Daniels, received 104 total points and one first-place vote to finish runner-up to two-time defending Mason Cup champion Michigan in the coaches poll. The Mason Cup is awarded annually to the winner of the CCHA Super Six Championship Tournament held at Joe Louis Arena.

In the media poll, the Bulldogs received 762 points along with two first-place votes. Michigan was also tabbed the favorite in the media poll as the Wolverines collected 70 first-place votes. A CCHA-record 82 media members ranked the 12 CCHA teams in projected order of finish for the regular season, surpassing last year's record of 72 participants.

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.

Ferris State, which was picked ninth in both the coaches and media polls last season, registered its most successful season ever in the program's history with a 31-10-1 overall record to go along with a first-place 22-5-1 CCHA mark (45 league points). As a result of his team's noteworthy 2002-03 season performance, Bob Daniels was recognized as the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Division I National Coach of the Year and the CCHA's Coach of the Year.

The Bulldogs return 17 letterwinners from last season's record-breaking squad, including AHCA All-America First-Team and All-CCHA First-Team goaltender Mike Brown along with all-league second-team honorees in center Jeff Legue and defenseman Simon Mangos.

FSU opens the 2003-04 season with its annual Crimson and Gold Intrasquad Game Saturday, Sept. 27, at 7:05 p.m. (EDT) in the Ewigleben Ice Arena at Big Rapids, Mich. The Bulldogs will also host Windsor (Ontario) in an exhibition contest Saturday, Oct. 4, starting at 4 p.m. (EDT) before officially starting the campaign Oct. 10-11 with a CCHA home-and-home series versus the Western Michigan Broncos. Opening faceoff for the Friday, Oct. 11, season opener is set for 7:35 p.m. (EDT) at WMU's Lawson Ice Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich. The Bulldogs then will play host to the Broncos Saturday, Oct. 12. Starting time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. (EDT) at the Ewigleben Ice Arena.