Boston College, UMass-Lowell, Boston University Take Top Three Spots in Hockey East Preseason Poll

To no one's surprise, the Boston College Eagles are the favorites heading into the regular season with 90 points and nine first-place votes in the annual coaches preseason poll.

Jerry York's Eagles skate into the 2012-13 season as the reigning NCAA, Hockey East tournament and regular-season champions and take the preseason poll for the fifth straight season. BC returns 19 players from last season’s squad, including Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player Parker Milner between the pipes.

UMass-Lowell, led by head coach Norm Bazin, goalie Doug Carr, last year's Hockey East Rookie of the Year Scott Wilson and senior captain Riley Wetmore, hope to improve on a very impressive 24-win season from a year ago. The River Hawks edged out the BU Terriers, who received 73 pts. Jack Parker's squad returns 14 players from last season’s team, but will have to replace four-year starting goalie Kieran Millan who they lost to graduation.

Check out the preseason poll below.

1. Boston College (nine first-place votes) 90 points
2. UMass-Lowell 74 points
3. Boston University 73 points
4. New Hampshire (one first-place vote) 63 points
5. Maine 56 points
t-6. Northeastern 44 points
t-6. Providence 44 points
8. Merrimack 38 points
9. Massachusetts 35 points
10. Vermont 23 points