The ECAC Hockey Preseason Coaches’ and Media polls each picked Union College to finish first in the conference, the league announced on Wednesday during its annual preseason media teleconference call. Union which opens up the regular season at home on Oct. 6 against Merrimack at 7:00 p.m., was picked to finish first in both polls for the first time in program history. A year ago, the Dutchmen were selected to finish second in both polls.

Junior forward Daniel Carr, junior defenseman Mat Bodie, and junior goaltender Troy Grosenick were picked by both the coaches and media for the preseason all-conference team, marking the first time that Union has had three student-athletes selected on either team.
Head coach Rick Bennett was featured on the call, along with the 11 other ECAC Hockey coaches.
“It’s nice to receive the recognition, but we are a long ways away from being complacent and that is our mantra heading into this season,” Bennett said.
Last season, Bennett's first year as head coach, Union (26-8-7, 14-4-4 ECAC Hockey) navigated a demanding schedule to earn its second consecutive Cleary Cup, and first ever Whitelaw Cup as ECAC Hockey regular season and tournament champions.
Union earned a trip to the Frozen Four with wins over UMass-Lowell and Michigan State in the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Ferris State, 3-1, in the national semifinals.
Union is seeking to become the first team to win three straight ECAC Hockey regular season titles since Harvard did it from 1992-94.
Carr (20 goals, 20 assists in 2011-12) became the first Union player in the Division I era to post 20 goals in each of his first two seasons. Carr saw action in 22 ECAC Hockey contests, finishing with 12 goals and 10 assists in league play. He led Union with nine power play goals, five game-winning goals, and three shorthanded goals on the season.
Bodie earned AHCA Second-Team All-American honors in 2012, becoming the second Union defenseman to be named an All-American in program history. He was named to the ECAC Hockey First Team and finished second among all ECAC Hockey defenseman in scoring with 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists).
Grosenick was a 2012 Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist and ACHA First Team All-American after a standout campaign in net for the Dutchmen.  He earned the Ken Dryden Award as ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Year and was ranked first in conference action in goals-against average (1.60), save percentage (.940), and win percentage (.767). He finished the year at 22-6-3 overall, and second in the nation with a 1.65 goals-against average and .936 save percentage.
Union returns 22 letter-winners from a team that led the nation in scoring defense (1.83 goals allowed per game), finished sixth in scoring offense (3.49 goals per game), and had the nation's No. 4 power play (24.2%) and No. 12 penalty kill (84.5%).
2012-13 ECAC Hockey Coaches Preseason Poll (first-place votes)

  • Union (8)             118 (points)
  • Cornell (3)           110
  • Harvard (1)           98
  • Quinnipiac             93
  • Yale                      77
  • St. Lawrence         61
  • Dartmouth             58
  • Rensselaer            46
  • Colgate                 45
  • Clarkson               41
  • Princeton              25
  • Brown                  20

2012-13 ECAC Hockey Preseason Media All-Conference Team (first place votes)

  • Union (18)           343 (points)
  • Cornell (11)         330
  • Harvard               293
  • Quinnipiac           246
  • Yale (1)               236
  • St. Lawrence       159
  • Clarkson              155
  • Colgate               148
  • Rensselaer          144
  • Dartmouth          140
  • Princeton            108
  • Brown                  41

2012-13 ECAC Hockey Preseason Coaches' All-Conference Team

  • Troy Grosenick - Union (G)
  • Daniel Carr -Union (F)
  • Kyle Flanagan – St. Lawrence (F)
  • Connor Jones – Quinnipiac (F)
  • Mat Bodie - Union (D)
  • Danny Biega -Harvard (D)

2012-13 ECAC Hockey Preseason Media All-Conference Team

  • Troy Grosenick - Union (G)
  • Daniel Carr -Union (F)
  • Greg Carey – St. Lawrence (F)
  • Connor Jones – Quinnipiac (F)
  • Mat Bodie - Union (D)
  • Danny Biega -Harvard (D)

The preceding information was provided by Jeffrey Weinstein, the Assistant Sports Information Director for Union College.

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