Sep 29, 2010 01:00:00 - by Brian Schultz
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NORTH DAKOTA DOMINATES 94X WCHA MEDIA POLL
Turns out, my ballot wasn't far off the "real" one... The University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux -- last year's WCHA Final Five Champion -- are the overwhelming pick to win the league's regular season championship in 2010-11, according to the 94X WCHA Media Poll. 29 media members around the WCHA took part in the third annual media poll, with the results released today. Senior defenseman Chay Genoway, returning to the team after having his 2009-10 season ruined by injury, was the winner in voting for the league's preseason Player of the Year. North Dakota received 28 of a possible 29 first-place votes, and their 347 total points put them far ahead of second-place Minnesota Duluth. UMD, which won 20 games last season and qualified for the WCHA Final Five, got 300 points. St. Cloud State, off a season in which they won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in school history, picked up a first-place vote but finished five points behind UMD in the overall voting. The top three were greatly separated from the rest of the league, with fourth-place Denver totaling 242 points, 53 behind St. Cloud State. Wisconsin (218) and Minnesota (203) finished fifth and sixth, respectively, claiming the final two home-ice playoff positions according to the voting media. After seventh-place Colorado College, the league's two newcomers settle in at eighth and ninth. Bemidji State, which made the 2008 NCAA Men's Frozen Four and qualified for a second straight NCAA Tournament last year, finished eighth. Nebraska-Omaha, new to the league out of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, came in ninth. Minnesota State, Alaska-Anchorage, and Michigan Tech finished tenth, eleventh, and twelfth, respectively. Colorado College freshman forward Jaden Schwartz, a first-round pick of the St. Louis Blues, was chosen as the league's preseason Rookie of the Year. 94X WCHA MEDIA POLL Results of a poll of media members that cover the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Predicted Order of Finish 1. North Dakota (28 first-place votes) 347 points 2. Minnesota Duluth 300 3. St. Cloud State (1) 295 4. Denver 242 5. Wisconsin 218 6. Minnesota 203 7. Colorado College 182 8. Bemidji State 156 9. Nebraska-Omaha 125 10. Minnesota State 97 11. Alaska-Anchorage 51 12. Michigan Tech 46 Preseason WCHA Player of the Year Chay Genoway, North Dakota (10); Garrett Roe, St. Cloud State (5); Justin Fontaine, Minnesota Duluth (4); Jack Connolly, Minnesota Duluth (3); Jason Gregoire, North Dakota (2); Mike Connolly, Minnesota Duluth (1); Matt Read, Bemidji State (1); Evan Trupp, North Dakota (1) Preseason WCHA Rookie of the Year Jaden Schwartz, Colorado College (10); Derek Forbort, North Dakota (6); Beau Bennett, Denver (4); Nick Bjugstad, Minnesota (2); Tyler Barnes, Wisconsin (1); J.T. Brown, Minnesota Duluth (1); Rob Gunderson, Alaska-Anchorage (1); Radoslav Illo, Bemidji State (1); Jason Zucker, Denver (1) Voting panel Dave Ahlers, KKAR/University of Nebraska-Omaha; Roman Augustoviz, Minneapolis Star Tribune; Andy Baggot, Wisconsin State Journal; Mike Chambers, Denver Post; Bruce Ciskie, 94X/Red Rock Radio; Chris Dilks, Western College Hockey; Shane Frederick, Mankato Free Press; John Gilbert, WCHA.com; Kurt Haider, KENI Radio; Mick Hatten, St. Cloud Times; Dirk Hembroff, WKMJ Radio; Tim Hennessy, KQHT Radio; Ken Landau, 103.9 FM The Eagle; Don Lyons, KNSI Radio; Todd Milewski, USCHO.com; Dan Myers, College Hockey News; Jess Myers, Inside College Hockey; Joe Paisley, Colorado Springs Gazette; Kevin Pates, Duluth News Tribune; Brian Posick, WIBA/WTSO Radio; Chad Purcell, Omaha World Herald; Brad Elliott Schlossman, Grand Forks Herald; Brian Schultz, KKBJ Radio; Theresa Spisak, USCHO.com; Jay Stickney, 87.7 The Ticket; Eric Stromgren, Bemidji Pioneer; Mike Sullivan, KTOE Radio; Brandon Veale, Daily Mining Gazette; Doyle Woody, Anchorage Daily News
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