Great Lakes Wire

The Northern Michigan University (NMU) hockey team has been selected to finish ninth in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Preseason Poll, as voted on by the coaches and announced by the league on Monday. NMU was also picked to finish eighth in the media poll.

The Wildcats garnered 26 total points in the coaches' poll. St. Thomas leads the poll with 73 points and three first-place votes.

2024-25 CCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll:

St. Thomas - 73 (3 first-place votes)

Bemidji State - 69 (3)

Michigan Tech - 69 (2)

Minnesota State - 59 (1)

Bowling Green - 50

Lake Superior State - 46

Augustana - 46

Ferris State - 28

Northern Michigan - 26

In contrast, the media placed Bemidji State at the top with 107 points and five first-place votes. The media also ranked NMU one spot higher than Ferris State, with a total of 40 points.

2024-25 CCHA Preseason Media Poll:

Bemidji State - 107 (5)

St. Thomas - 107 (4)

Minnesota State - 94 (2)

Michigan Tech - 92 (1)

Bowling Green - 63

Lake Superior State - 60

Augustana - 52

Northern Michigan - 40

Ferris State - 33

The Wildcats begin the season with a roster that includes sixteen freshmen and twenty underclassmen overall, comprising fifteen forwards, ten defensemen, and three goalies.

"We are really excited about our group," said Shyiak. "We have many new faces and a lot of freshmen that are coming in with hunger and energy. They all know there is a great opportunity in front of them to earn playing time. Internal competition will be healthy for our growth as the season progresses. The most important component to our team and staff is culture building. We really have to put in the time to get to know one another and have an understanding of what our values and identity will be."

Returning from last year's squad are redshirt junior Jakob Peterson (#23), junior Zach Michaelis (#9), redshirt sophomore Tanner Latsch (#22), and sophomore Brendan Poshak (#7).