ADRIAN, Mich. -- Defending champion Adrian has again been selected as the favorite in the 2023-24 Northern Collegiate Hockey Association men's hockey coaches' preseason poll.

"It means we have a target on us, which we usually do, whether we're the preseason favorite or not," Adrian men's hockey head coach Adam Krug said. "We're accustomed to that and our guys embrace it.

The Bulldogs, winner of the last three regular season titles, received 97 total points and 7 first-place votes. A year ago, they finished in first place and had 40 conference points with a 13-4-1 league record. Adrian also won the Harris Cup Playoffs and eventually advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship before falling 3-2 to Hobart. Adrian has won 12 regular season titles dating back to the 2008-09 season.

"We graduated a big group that went to back-to-back NCAA Championship games," Krug added. "I think some assume we will take a step back because of the offense we graduated. This is a great opportunity for some of our maturing players to step up and take their turn in the spotlight. I'm confident in them and our whole group, really. So, yes, we'll have some different personnel and we'll have to play a little differently based on that but it's always our goal to win the NCHA. It will be a tough task because it's a great league." 

Aurora received 90 points and three first-place votes. The Spartans finished in a tie for second place in last year's standings and advanced to the Harris Cup Playoff title game for the first time.

St. Norbert earned 81 total points for third place, Trine had 67 points in fourth place and MSOE received 58 points in fifth place. Marian came in sixth place with 52 points, Lake Forest was seventh with 45 points and Concordia Wisconsin had 25 points (8th place). Lawrence had 21 points and Dubuque received 14 points for ninth and 10th places, respectively.

The regular season kicks off Saturday, October 27, with all 10 teams in action. Concordia Wisconsin, Lake Forest, MSOE, and Trine all host, while the other six teams begin the season on the road. The opening weekend of NCHA play is November 2-3 with five games slated each night.

The NCHA's regular season standings determine the teams that qualify for the eight-team Harris Cup Playoffs, while the tournament champion receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.

2023-24 NCHA Men's Hockey Coaches' Preseason Poll

() - First-place votes