NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – The Saint Anselm College men's ice hockey team, under the direction of head coach Larry Rocha, was selected to finish first in the Northeast 10 Conference (NE10) Preseason Coaches' Poll ahead of the 2025-26 season, the conference office announced on Wednesday afternoon.

The Hawks garnered 25 points along with five of the six first place votes from the opposing head coaches to take the top spot.

Saint Anselm were the NE10 regular season champions in 2024-25, posting a record of 16-3-1 against NE10 competition, ending the regular season with 11 consecutive conference victories. The Hawks finished as runner-up at the NE10 Championship, falling to Saint Michael's, 5-1. 

Senior forwards Garrett Alberti and Luke Linart return as two of the top four scorers for Saint Anselm a year ago, while junior netminder Cam Carroll returns, following a 745-save season in 2024-25, which led the league. 

The Hawks graduated seven student-athletes, including the 2024-25 Player of the Year Hunter Brackett '25, whose 20 goals and 40 points sat atop the league leaderboards.

The Hawks will begin their 2025-26 slate with a non-conference test against Keene State College on Friday, Oct. 31. Puck drop from Sullivan Arena is set for 7:00 p.m.

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