DENVER – The University of Denver hockey team was voted first in the UCHO.com Preseason Poll for the 2024-25 season that was released on Monday.
 
The Pioneers received 42-of-50 first-place tallies, totaling 988 points. Boston College was selected second and had six first-place votes and 945 points.
 
Boston University was third (869 points), Michigan State was fourth (775 points) and conference-rival North Dakota rounded out the top five (755 points). No. 9 Cornell received the other two first-place votes in the rankings.
 
Denver is coming off its NCAA-record 10th national championship after defeating Boston College 2-0 in the title game on April 13. The Pioneers also beat BU in the Frozen Four and picked up 2-1 victories against Cornell and current-No. 14 Massachusetts in the NCAA Regionals.
 
DU finished 2023-24 with a 32-9-3 overall record, marking the third-straight 30-win campaign—a first in program history, and the Pios extended their "Tenzer" Streak (at least 20 wins) to 22 consecutive full seasons dating back to 2001-02. The Pioneers finished second in the NCHC regular season with a 15-7-2 mark in league play but went on to capture their third NCHC Frozen Faceoff trophy as conference tournament champions.
 
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference led all leagues on the USCHO.com list by having eight of its nine teams ranked in the top 20. After DU and UND in the top five, Colorado College is No. 11, Omaha is No. 15, St. Cloud State is No. 16, Western Michigan is No. 17, Minnesota Duluth is No. 18 and Arizona State is tied for No. 20 with Northeastern.
 
Denver was also voted first in the NCHC Preseason Media Poll.
 
Including the seven NCHC foes, the Pioneers also have 26-of-36 games scheduled this season against ranked opponents as they'll also play No. 10 Wisconsin (Oct. 25-26 at home), No. 12 Maine (Jan. 3-4 on the road) and No. 20 Northeastern (Oct. 18-19 at home).
 
Denver opens its 2024-25 season with a two-game series at Alaska Anchorage on Oct. 5-6. It will be the first meeting since the former WCHA foes met in a neutral-site contest in Fairbanks on Oct. 19, 2013 and the first game in Anchorage since a conference series on Jan. 27-28, 2012.
 
About the USCHO.com Poll: The rankings are compiled weekly and consists of 50 voters, including coaches and media professionals from across the country.
 
 
TICKETS: Limited tickets remain for Denver hockey's 75th anniversary in 2024-25. Click here for more information and to purchase.