NEHC RELEASE

BOSTON – Skating into a new league in 2018-19, the Suffolk men's hockey team has been predicted to finish ninth in the New England Hockey Conference poll, the league office announced Wednesday afternoon. 

In a vote compiled by the conference's 10 head coaches, the Rams collected 24 points to slide into ninth. Reigning NEHC Champion Hobart received seven first-place nods to take the top spot in the poll with 96 with Norwich, who picked up a pair of first-place votes, earning second with 88 points. UMass Boston completes the top three with 77 points. 

Suffolk joins the NEHC for its first season this year alongside Johnson & Wales, who rounded out the poll in 10th with 12 points, to bring the league to 10 total teams. The winner of the conference championship punches its tickets directly into the NCAA Division III bracket. 

Chris Glionna enters his14th season and looks to lead the blue-and-gold into the new era. The Rams will rely heavily on the experienced gloves of senior netminder Michael Levine to compete in the heavily competitive conference. Classmates Sean Henry and LJ Fellows return to the blue line to compliment Levine's defense in between the posts with the power scoring of junior Brian Brooks (11g, 15a) and senior Mikhail Bryan (12g, 8a) back in the action offensively. Sophomores Matt Bucher (6g, 9a), Jack Kelly (6g, 9a) and Joseph Mortillaro (10g, 3a) look to add a spark to Suffolk's scoring as well.

The Rams will lift the lid on their 2018-19 calendar this wekend as they welcome Franklin Pierce to Emons Horrigan O'Neil Memorial Rink for the season opener Friday, Oct. 26. Puck drop in Charlestown is scheduled for 7 p.m.