For the second straight year, the Harvard women’s hockey team will begin its season on a familiar note, playing second fiddle to Dartmouth after the release of the ECAC preseason coach’s poll.

The Big Green garnered five of the 11 first place votes cast and a total of 94 votes overall. The Crimson garnered four first place votes for a total of 88, narrowly edging out St. Lawrence which had 87 votes.

The tight race for the top reflects that no one team is a clear-cut favorite. Last preseason the same three teams were ranked identically as in this year’s poll, and Harvard ended up tying with the Saints for the best regular season record in the ECAC. The Crimson went on to defeat St. Lawrence in the ECAC tournament final and again in the first round of the Frozen Four before falling 6-2 to Minnesota in the NCAA championship game.

Harvard junior forward Julie Chu was named to the ECAC Preseason All-League team for the second straight year.

Chu joins forwards Jessica Link of Brown and Katie Weatherston of Dartmouth to round out the top front line.

Darmouth’s Alana BreMiller joins Brown’s Amy McLoughlin, the only player unanimously voted to the team, on the All-League’s blue-line. Rebecca Lehar of Colgate was named the League’s top goalie.

Rounding out the rest of the conference’s standings are Brown who finished fourth, followed by Princeton, Yale, Colgate, Cornell, Clarkson, Vermont and Union.

—THE CRIMSON STAFF

2004-05 Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Dartmouth

2. Harvard

3. Saint Lawrence

4. Brown

5. Princeton