Mike and Luiz have already touched on the reason for why UMass-Lowell, despite receiving two first-place votes, was not in the top 15 this week. Just to make it official, here's an excerpt from the HOCKEY-L poll instruc- tions, posted at the beginning of the season: >However, please remember that this is not a popularity contest, and I will >not count any responses that appear to be frivolous (listing teams with 1-8 >records and the like). In voting, try to consider teams outside of the >conference(s) you usually follow. Don't forget that HOCKEY-L can provide a >lot of information on how teams you are not very familiar with are doing. Now, call me judgmental, but in compiling the poll, I have a difficult time seeing the merit of a vote that places 18-16-1 UMass-Lowell at the top over teams like Maine, Michigan, Miami, Boston University, Minnesota-Duluth... the list goes on. To me, such a vote is not a well-thought-out response to the question, "What are the fifteen *best* hockey teams in Division I right now?" (which is what the HOCKEY-L poll is). And that is why those two votes were not included in this week's poll. By and large, the voting for the HOCKEY-L poll has been done very well. Only a very few of the responses I've received over the season have been discarded. If there are any other questions or concerns about the HOCKEY-L poll, please feel free to contact me through E-mail. -- Bill Fenwick | Send your HOCKEY-L poll responses to: Cornell '86 and probably '94 | [log in to unmask] LET'S GO RED!! "There is no use saying that honesty is the best policy to someone who has charmingly admitted, 'I know I know you, but I just can't quite place you,' if the reply is 'I was your first husband.'" -- Miss Manners (Judith Martin)