Rocky Mountain High for all three state hockey programs - Colorado Springs Gazette
Recent success for Air Force, Colorado College and Denver has sparked Rocky Mountain-high expectations for fans of all three Colorado hockey programs headed into the 2011-12 season.
"All three programs have all been good over the last 10 years," Tigers coach Scott Owens said before the annual Faceoff Luncheon at the Colorado Springs Doubletree World Arena on Wednesday. "All three programs are doing a good job finding the players they need in their niches."
No. 4 Denver, No. 3 North Dakota and No. 7 Colorado College topped the annual Western Collegiate Hockey Association coaches and media polls, with Tigers sophomore Jaden Schwartz chosen as the preseason favorite for Player of the Year by the coaches. The left wing finished second in media balloting behind Denver's Jason Zucker, who did not get a coaches vote.
Denver was first in both polls with CC second and North Dakota third in the media poll. The Tigers and North Dakota switched spots in the coaches poll.
CC's Scott Owens was named as preseason Coach of the Year by the media. The coaches did not vote on that.
Both Owens and Air Force Frank Serratore said Denver reloads with top-tier talent each year. CC gets its share and supplements with good players who can improve while Air Force finds good players and develops them into better teams by season's end, Serratore said.
It shows in the postseason.
"In the past six years we've had more teams from Colorado make the NCAA Tournament than Michigan, Minnesota or Massachusetts," Serratore said. "That's saying something."
Colorado had 13 entrants in the NCAA Tournament in the past six years, starting with March 2006, compared to 11 each for Massachusetts, Michigan and Minnesota where there are far more than three Division 1 programs.
All three Colorado schools made the 2011 NCAAs with CC and Denver advancing to the quarterfinals. The fans' raised expectations are echoed by league coaches and media.
Air Force was a close second in the Atlantic Hockey Association coaches poll making the chance of all three advancing for the second year in a row a possibility.
"It's a good time to be a college hockey fan along the Front Range," Owens said.
29 Sep, 2011--
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