The first ever Division III Women’s Poll has the Panthers of Middlebury atop the rankings.
The Panthers have won the first three ECAC Division III Championships, and has never lost a conference game. They have won 48 straight conference games, and a total of 54 straight games. They earned 15 of the 16 first place votes.
“We are very excited about the upcoming season. We have a lot of experienced players returning and a number of first-year players that should contribute right away,” said Middlebury head coach Bill Mandigo. “This promises to be an exciting season as we move into a new rink in January.”
Wesleyan was selected second in the poll after advancing to the Championship game last season. The Cardinals return 14 letterwinners from last season’s 17-8-1 team.
Four points separate the third through fifth place teams. RIT, Rensselaer, and Bowdoin are ranked in that order. RIT and Bowdoin were the other two teams in last season’s playoffs. The other first place vote went to Vermont who is playing its first varsity season.
The league has been renamed from the ECAC Alliance to the Division III Women’s League.
