In a National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) preseason poll, DU’s Hockey team was chosen as the repeat Julie and Spencer Penrose Cup Champions, awarded to the NCHC regular-season champions. Returning the majority of last seasons national championship team, DU Hockey was unanimously chosen by the media as the favorite which was unveiled last Tuesday on Twitter.

Last season, DU Hockey carried a 33-7-4 record into the program’s eighth national championship. DU returns 16 letterwinners from the national championship team, including four athletes who earned NCHC Preseason All-Conference team honors last week.

DU Hockey, who earned their first Penrose Cup last season, received all 30 first place votes on the media ballots for a total of 240 points. In second was St. Cloud State with 187 points, after placing fifth last year. Following in third is North Dakota with 172 points, which is one spot up from last season’s fourth place finish. Minnesota Duluth, the 2017 NCHC Frozen Faceoff champions received 160 points, and was chosen fourth in the poll. Following were Miami at fifth with 104 points, Western Michigan at sixth with 102 points, Omaha in seventh with 83 points and Colorado College in eighth with 32 points.

A total of 30 ballots were submitted for the poll from local media members from each school, as well as select national media. Points were awarded on a descending scale, with a first place vote worth eight points, a second place vote worth seven points, a third place vote worth six points and so on.

In the 2016-17 season, the Pioneers went 33-7-4 for all games, and their record for conferences was 18-3-3. The team averaged 3.5 goals per game and shot .102 for the season.

The NCHC drops the puck in the 2017-18 season with five exhibition games this weekend, Saturday, Sept. 30. The regular season begins Friday, Oct. 6.

On Oct. 1, the Pioneers face Lethbridge in their home Magness Arena at 5 p.m. The following week, they head to South Bend, Ind. to face Notre Dame.