I trudged a block across campus in the rain to buy a copy of the Detroit
Free Press. Why? To see what one-liners Ric Schafer ripped off at
yesterday's media day. I was not disappointed.
 
The coaches poll was included in the article--keep reading. A few of my
comments are at the end.
 
Keith
 
 
 
Re-printed from The Detroit Free Press, Oct 15, 1992, page 2F.
 
 
=======================================================
CCHA is getting bigger -- not necessarily better
 
   The Central Collegiate Hockey
Association is adding two members
and one foster child to its family this
season -- and putting more adult
supervision on the ice.
   This is all a tad confusing, so
let's start instead with the best
incoming line of Wednesdays pre-
season press conference at Joe Lou-
is Arena.
   Notre Dame coach Ric Schafer,
noting the youthful roster with
which his Skating Irish enter the
CCHA, said: "On our road trips, I'll
hand out $15 each for meal money,
and $3 for video games."
   In addition to welcoming Notre
Dame and Kent State, the CCHA
has given "associate member" sta-
tus to another former hockey inde-
pendent, Alaska-Fairbanks.
   In breaking new tundra, the
league will allow the Nanooks to
play 11 regular-season games
against CCHA schools. Nine are at
Fairbanks, and none counts in the
league standings.
   Fairbanks -- 5-29-1 last season
after forfeiting 12 victories for
using an ineligible player -- will pay
the airfare of visiting CCHA teams.
In return, it gets higher visibility
and an away-only berth in the
league playoffs, which expand from
eight teams to all 12.
   CCHA commissioner Bill Bea-
gan has received NCAA blessing to
experiment with two-referee, two-
linesmen officiating crews, rather
than use the two-ref, one-linesman
NCAA system that debuts else-
where this season.
 
-----------------------------------
   EARLY RETURNS
The preseason poll of CCHA
coaches, with first-place
votes in parentheses and to-
tal points:
 
 TEAM                      POINTS
 1. Michigan (8)             98
 2. Lake Superior State (3)  92
 3. Michigan State           83
 4. Miami (Ohio)             69
 5. Western Michigan         65
 6. Illinois-Chicago         48
 7. Ferris State             46
 8. Bowling Green            44
 9. Ohio State               27
10. Kent State               19
11. Notre Dame               14
-----------------------------------
 
 
   Most CCHA coaches seem to
agree that one linesman is not
enough. But they also think four
officials will be a crowd.
   "I don't think we have enough
room on the ice for three officials,
let alone four," said Jeff Jackson,
coach of defending NCAA champion
Lake Superior State.
   In the league's preseason poll of
coaches, Michigan is heavily fa-
vored to repeat as regular-season
champ. U-M received eight first-
place votes; second-place pick Lake
Superior drew the other three.
   Notre Dame, 11-19-1 last sea-
son, is picked to finish last.
 
By Steve Crowe
=======================================================
 
This is the first I have heard of the 2-2 referee/linesmen
system. Sounds pretty ridiculous to me, but we shall see.
 
With all the new rules and new teams and new schedules and
new playoff formats, it certainly will be interesting in the CCHA.
 
One day til the season starts!