Women’s Hockey Selected Second in CCC Preseason Poll

CCC RELEASE

BIDDEFORD, Maine – In its fifth varsity season, Suffolk women's hockey has been projected to repeat as runners-up in the Commonwealth Coast Conference via the preseason coaches' poll, which was released Wednesday morning by the league office. 

The Rams, who claimed the second spot in the league's inaugural regular-season a year ago behind a 14-4-0 league ledger, have been selected to finish again with a combined 44 points and a pair of first place picks.  

Endicott, who appeared ninth in the preseason DCU/USCHO Division III Poll last week, was a near unanimous league favorite as the Gulls received five of the first-place votes after hoisting the first-ever women's ice hockey tournament title under the CCC umbrella. 

Four points separated the third and fourth place teams in the University of New England (33) and Nichols (29).Western New England completes the top five with Salve Regina (15) and Curry (9) concluding the poll in sixth and seventh, respectively.  

Suffolk's second-place selection ties the highest league preseason prediction in program history. The last time the Rams received a second-place projection was in the 2019-20 New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) preseason poll. 

Head coach Taylor Wasylk, who led Suffolk to its winningest season a year ago, 19-6-0 overall, look to upset the predictions and skate into the program's first CCC Championship this season. 

Back in blue-and-gold to help its AHCA All-American Shana Cote (22g, 20a), as well as fifth year defensemanMadison Duff (17g, 21a), who was an all-region and all-conference selection a year ago. Cote and Duff took advantage of their fifth-year of eligibility along with Jesse Kennedy (7g, 20a), Natasha Savage (2g, 3a) and Kiley Searles. All-CCC second-team honorees Sofia Scilipoti (12g, 17a) and Leslie Steiner (3g, 12a) aim to improve on their first-year numbers, while the three-headed goaltending contingent of Hannah Gordon (1.12 GAA, .947 save percentage), Lily O'Neil (2.32 GAA, .905) and Julia McLellan (1.90 GAA, .908 save percentage) return to their post in the cage as well.  

Suffolk is set to lift the lid on its fifth campaign next Friday, Oct. 28 at Plymouth State at 3:00 p.m.