Preseason Top 10

by Joseph Edwards/CHN Writer

Prognosticating a Top 10 at the beginning of the year is always a dicey propositiion. It doesn't stop us from trying.

1. MINNESOTA

The Gophers fell just short of another national title last season, but bring in a loaded class to make sure they can get over the hump this time around. On defense, they've added size with 6-foot-5 freshman Ryan Collins, while classmates Steve Johnson and Jack Glover will provide plenty of offense from the blueline that features high-scoring junior Mike Reilly and a stalwart in third-year D-man Brady Skjei. Up front, seniors Travis Boyd and Sam Warning will set the offensive tone for Minnesota, while sophomores Taylor Cammarata, Justin Kloos, and Hudson Fasching are ready to step up into offensive leadership roles. Swedish import Leon Bristedt has all the tools to contribute immediately. They'll be backstopped by workhorse Adam Wilcox, the team's reigning MVP, who is ready to take his game to the next level and bring some hardware back to St. Paul.

2. PROVIDENCE

The Friars' vaunted junior class is back for more. Led by Jon Gillies, who emerged as one of the nation's best goalies last season, while up front, Mark Jankowski, Nick Saracino and Noel Acciari teamed with Ross Mauermann, now a senior, to give Providence a lineup full of offensive threats. John Gilmour and Tom Parisi, also in their third seasons, will be tasked with being the leader of a young defensive corps, that expects big things from sophomore Anthony Florentino. Freshman Jake Walman will contend for blueline minutes immediately, while classmate Brian Pinho gives Nate Leaman another weapon to work with up front.

3. NORTH DAKOTA

North Dakota returns all but five players that suffered a heart-breaking Frozen Four loss last season — count that as plenty of motivation for a team that went 15-2-1 down the stretch run. With Clarke Saunders gone, junior Zane McIntyre (formerly Gothberg) takes over the net full time and is set up for even more success with a deep veteran defense in front of him. Senior Nick Mattson and junior Jordan Schmaltz headline a crew of blueliners that do everything well and should see sophomore Paul LaDue have an increased role. Up front, Austin Poganski and Nick Schmaltz will fit right in with North Dakota's forwards who can win with goals, physicality, or speed. Expect Drake Caggiula to take a big leap in his third year of collegiate play.

4. BOSTON COLLEGE

The Eagles were hit hard in the offseason, losing their top-four scorers to graduation and professional contracts. Sonny Milano was supposed to help fill in the gap, but his decommittment won't have as big of an effect as it was made out to be — BC's freshman class is still among the best in the nation. First-year forwards Alex Tuch and Zach Hanford — both among CHN's top 10 recruits — will join a sophomore class primed for big numbers. Ryan Fitzgerald and Austin Cangelosi give the Eagles a strong 1-2 punch down the middle, and Adam Gilmour and Chris Calnan are ready for the spotlight in top-six roles. After a strong freshman year that saw him rank among the nation's best goalies, Thatcher Demko returns hoping to backstop the team to bigger and better. He'll have plenty of help in his quest from arguably the best defense in college hockey, anchored by juniors Michael Matheson and Teddy Doherty, sophomores Ian McCoshen and Steve Santini, and newcomer Noah Hanafin, who is expected to be one of gems of the 2015 NHL draft.

5. COLGATE

The Raiders return almost every single player from their 2013-14 team that made it to the NCAAs for the first time since 2005. The agile Charlie Finn took the starting gig as a freshman, which was big for a team looking for consistency there. Defensively, senior Spiro Goulakos headlines a full complement of lettermen that will see plenty more of junior Ryan Johnston. Up front, Colgate will be led by a deep junior class that returns the top five scorers from last season. The Spink twins, Tylor and Tyson along with Kyle Baun, Mike Borkowski and Darcy Murphy provide plenty of depth — though freshmen Evan Peterson and Mike Panowyk are known scorers that make the Raiders even more dangerous. It may have once been easy to dismiss an ECAC team from being ranked this highly, but after two straight National Championships from ECAC members, those days have passed.

6. MINNESOTA STATE

A year after finishing second in the WCHA, it's no surprise the Mavericks were picked to move on up. They return nine of their top-11 scorers from last season, including the senior tandem of Matt Leitner and Jean-Paul Lafontaine. Juniors Teddy Blueger and Bryce Gervais became big cogs during second-year leaps, and will be counted upon to shoulder more of the offensive load this season. They'll be helped in their quest by a strong freshman class that will see contributions from C.J. Franklin and Brad McClure. Senior Zach Palmquist and sophomore Sean Flanagan lead a defense anchored by sophomore goalie Cole Huggins, who ranked among the nation's best in his first collegiate season.

7. MIAMI

There were high hopes in Miami last season, but the RedHawks fell short in their first season in the new NCHC. This time around, they return the majority of their high-scoring offense, including seniors Blake Coleman, Austin Czarnik and Alex Wideman, juniors Sean Kuraly and Riley Barber and sophomore Anthony Louis. Freshman Conor Lemirande will bring plenty of size. Goalies Ryan McKay and Jay Williams took a step back in their second seasons, but will have reinforcements on an undersized group of defenseman. Former BC blueliner Colin Sullivan improved his game at both ends of the ice during a season in the USHL, while Louie Belpedio brings a strong overall game. Junior Matthew Caito will once again play quarterback for a set of blueliners that could use a little more offensive flair.

8. MICHIGAN

The Wolverines haven't made it easy on themselves over the past two seasons, failing to make the NCAA tournament after a 22-season run. With the depth in every zone, expect Michigan to find its way back to the postseason. Alex Guptill and Phil DiGiuseppe departed after their junior years for pro deals, but there's still plenty firepower remaining with juniors Andrew Copp and Cristoval Nieves, and sophomore JT Compher getting a boost from highly-touted freshman Dylan Larkin. Tyler Motte will add another dimension to the offense in his second season. The defense was an issue last year, and remains young, but is big and skilled. Michael Downing will have a chance to lead the blueliners, which will benefit from several sophomores and freshmen pushing one another for ice time. Zach Naglevoort handled the heavy lifting in net during his freshman campaign, and should be among the NCAA's best goalies come season's end.

9. ST. CLOUD STATE

Even without goalie Ryan Faragher, who signed a free agent NHL deal in April, the Huskies are a solid team, filled with size, speed, and a nose for the net. Five of the top six scorers return, all of them part of a stocked junior class that includes Jonny Brodzinski, Kalle Kossila, David Morley, Joey Benik and Jimmy Murray. Newcomers like sniper Judd Peterson and Danish power forward Patrick Russell add to the mix. Fellow freshman Mika Ilvonen will team with junior Ethan Prow to quarterback the offense from the blueline, while big men in senior Jarrod Rabey and sophomore Ben Storm bring a steady presence and plenty of snarl.

10. FERRIS STATE

The Bulldogs' chances rest with the man in the crease. Despite playing the most minutes of any goalie in college hockey last season, rising senior C.J. Motte posted numbers that put him among the top-10 in every major goaltending category. The defense in front of Motte returns five of the top six from a season ago. Senior Jason Binkley will quarterback the blueliners, while freshman Austin Kosack will immediately help to replace the lone loss in Scott Czarnowczan's offensive skill. Plus-sized freshman Tyler Andrew and classmate Drew Dorantes have shown a nose for the net will help senior Justin Buzzeo and sophomore Kyle Schempp lead the corps up front.