MASCAC Releases Men's Hockey Preseason Poll

FITCHBURG, MA: The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) released the 2023-24 men's hockey preseason poll early this afternoon. Plymouth State was selected by the coaches to win the conference crown again for the seventh season in a row.

The Panthers earned seven of the eight first-place votes for 49 points. They finished the 2022-23 season with a perfect 18-0 mark in league action. Carson Lanceleve was one of just five players to appear in all 27 games for the Panthers. He posted 13 goals and 20 assists to sit tied for second in the league with 33 points to grab a spot on the All-Conference team. Sitting in

second place is Fitchburg State, with 40 points and a first-place vote. The Falcons finished with a 9-6-3 mark during the conference slate last season. During the 2022-23 season between the pipes, Max Macchioni totaled 568 saves with a 2.61 goals against average and a .922 save percentage en route to a 9-7-3 overall record.

Landing in third with 36 points is Worcester State. The Lancers were 12-5-1 at the end of the MASCAC schedule in 2022-23. Mikey Wilson returns to the team after registering 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points with four power-play goals over 27 starts to earn a spot on the All-Conference squad last season.

UMass Dartmouth comes in fourth with 27 points. The Corsairs had six MASCAC wins last season after conference play. 2022-23 All-Conference honoree Jake Maynard is back after he started all 26 games for the Corsairs. He finished second on the squad in points with 21, producing a team-best 19 assists to go along with two goals.

Salem State comes in fifth with 26 points. The Vikings had five MASCAC wins last season. Returning is AllConference honoree Erik Larsson, who led the MASCAC with 17 goals scored. Along with his 16 assists, Larsson finished tied for second in the league in scoring with 33 points.

Picked to finish sixth is Westfield State with 25 points. The Owls finished with five wins during MASCAC action last season. Valtteri Valtonen is back in goal for the team after registering a 3.10 GAA and a .926 save percentage. He led the league with 918 saves, an average of 34 saves per game, with nine games having 40 or more.

Rounding out the 2023-24 preseason poll are Framingham State and MCLA in seventh and eighth, respectively. The Rams collected three wins last season. Returning for the team is John Baker, who collected 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points with three power-play goals and a game-winner. The Trailblazers enter their first season in the MASCAC under the helm of head coach Jeremiah Ketts as they relaunched the program in 2022.

The 2023-24 season begins this weekend with non-conference action for the MASCAC teams and league play beginning on November 2.

2023-24 MASCAC Men’s Ice Hockey Pre-Season Coaches Poll

(First Place Votes In Parentheses)

1. Plymouth State (7) 49 points

2. Fitchburg State (1) 40 points

3. Worcester State 36 points

4. UMass Dartmouth 27 points

5. Salem State 26 points

6. Westfield State 25 points

7. Framingham State 11 points

8. MCLA 10 points

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