FERRIS STATE SELECTED 10TH IN 2005-06 CCHA COACHES PRESEASON POLL

Ferris State head coach Bob Daniels, shown at the 2005 CCHA Media Day event, and the Bulldogs were chosen 10th in CCHA Coaches Preseason Poll.

The Bulldogs accumulated 28 points in the coaches poll to finish five points in front of Lake Superior State's 23 points. Ohio State, which finished second in the 2004-05 CCHA Regular-Season standings and at the CCHA Super Six Championship Tournament, was picked first in both the coaches and media polls. Michigan, which captured both the league regular season and CCHA Tourney Championship titles last season, was tabbed second in both polls.

Ferris State, under 14th-year head coach Bob Daniels, was picked to place 12th in the media poll as the Bulldogs received 112 points. A total of 54 media members ranked the 12 CCHA teams 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.

CCHA coaches and the media agree on eight of the 12 positions, with a different perspective on sixth, seventh, 10th, and 12th-place positions.

The CCHA also announced at media day of returning to a four-team format for the 2006 CCHA Championship to celebrate the prestigious event's 25th anniversary. The reintroduction of the 'new' format utilizes the four-team system used in 18 of the 24 years since the event was first held at the Joe in 1982. The "Super 6" format has been in place for the past four years, including 2005, while six teams also participated in 1993 and 1994. All 12 CCHA teams will continue to qualify for the playoffs with the top four seeds receiving a first-round bye. The first-round matchups, on March 3-5, finds No. 12 at No. 5, No. 11 at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7 and No. 9 at No. 8 in best-of-three series. The first-round winners then go on the road to square off against the top four regular-season finishers in a best-of-three quarterfinal round on the weekend of March 10-12. The four successful quarterfinalists advance to the Joe Louis Arena.

A season ago, Ferris was eighth in the coaches poll (50 points) and tied for ninth in the media poll (235 points).

The Bulldogs return 18 letterwinners from last season's 13-22-4 squad, which finished tied for 10th place in the CCHA standings at 7-17-4 (18 points).

Ferris State takes to the ice for the first time in the 2005-06 season next Friday, Oct. 7, with its annual Crimson and Gold Intrasquad Game. A 7:05 p.m. (EDT) start time is slated for the contest at FSU's Ewigleben Ice Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. The Bulldogs then host the University of Western Ontario Saturday, Oct. 8, in an exhibition encounter at the Ewigleben Ice Arena. Opening faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m. (EDT).