BLOG 3: CCHA preseason poll is coming up for Ferris, others

By Sandy Gholston

BIG RAPIDS – Not many coaches lose much sleep over preseason polls – it doesn’t matter much if it’s football, basketball, volleyball, softball or hockey.

So, with Ferris and other Central Collegiate Hockey Association teams getting ready for next week’s unveiling of the annual league preseason polls, we can pretty much expect this year’s projections to closely mirror last year’s final standings (as they tend to do in all sports). The reality is preseason polls are nice for media types and a lot of fans. They drum up publicity and kick off the season. But, the actual hockey games are what will be most important to the Bulldogs and their competitors.

This year, I will be among many people curious to see where the Ferris hockey squad is picked. Last year, the Bulldogs finished 12-12-4 in the CCHA standings and good for a fifth-place finish behind (first-place Michigan, second-place Miami, third-place Michigan State and fourth-place Notre Dame) – the teams once again expected to be in the neighborhood of the top four programs in the conference.

Like most competitors, optimism is running high with the Bulldog hockey team. Ferris feels strongly it has a solid team – a squad well-suited to hit the ice as the University opens the newly-renovated Ewigleben Ice Arena this season. Coach Bob Daniels’ Bulldogs should be picked to place in the upper division of the CCHA. However, and Daniels would be the first to say it, preseason polls are not going to win Ferris anything by the time the winter season is done.

The preseason hard work and preparation continue as the Bulldogs open the upcoming campaign with an exhibition at home Oct. 5 against the University of Windsor.

If you have any questions, ideas or comments feel free to contact Sandy Gholston at sgholston2@netzero.com