RIT tabbed Atlantic Hockey favorite in 2023 coaches poll, Tigers’ Wilkie chosen preseason player of year

Carter Wilkie was an offensive catalyst last season for RIT (photo: Caroline Sherman/RIT Athletics).

Defending regular-season champion RIT is the winner of the 2023-24 Atlantic Hockey preseason coaches’ poll.

The Tigers earned seven of 11 possible first-place votes in balloting among AHA head coaches (coaches could not vote for their own teams) for 105 points to outdistance second-place Sacred Heart, which received two first-place votes and tallied 99 points.

AIC finished third with 90 points and one first-place vote. Last season’s AHA postseason runner-up, Holy Cross, finished fourth with 82 points and earned the remaining first-place vote.

In addition, individual preseason honors were announced. These were also voted on by conference coaches.

2023-24 Atlantic Hockey Preseason Coaches Poll
(First-place votes)
1. RIT (7)/105
2. Sacred Heart (2)/99
3. AIC (1)/90
4. Holy Cross (1)/82
5. Canisius/79
6. Niagara/68
7. Army West Point/53
8. Air Force/47
9. Mercyhurst/35
10. Robert Morris/30
11. Bentley/27

Preseason Player of the Year (Votes)
Carter Wilkie, Jr., F, RIT (9)

Preseason All-Atlantic Hockey Team
F- Carter Wilkie, Jr., RIT
F- Max Itagaki, So, Army West Point
F- Jack Ricketts, Sr., Holy Cross
D- Gianfranco Cassaro, Sr., RIT
D- David Melaragni, Gr., Canisius
G- Tommy Scarfone, Jr., RIT