WORCESTER, Mass.- The Holy Cross men's hockey team has been selected third in the Atlantic Hockey Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Crusaders received 72 total points.

2015-2016 AHC Tournament champion RIT has been selected as the overall favorite with 95 total points and eight first-place votes. Air Force was second place in the poll with 88 total points and two first-place votes. The Crusaders were third with 72 total points and one first-place vote.

Army West Point and Mercyhurst tied for fourth with 70 points. 2015-2016 regular season champion Robert Morris (60 points) was sixth, Sacred Heart (48 points) was seventh, Bentley (43 points) was eighth, Canisius (27 points) was ninth, Niagara (17 points) was 10th and AIC (15 points) was 11th.

The top five teams will be awarded a bye in the first round of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament, while seeds 6-8 will face off against seeds 9-11. The first round of the tournament will begin on March 3 and the quarterfinals will start on March 10. The first round and quarterfinals will be determined on a best two out-of-three series. The semifinals and championship game will be played in Rochester, N.Y., on March 17 and 18, respectively.  

The Crusaders return 18 players from last season including their top five scorers and starting goaltender. Holy Cross finished 18-13-5 overall and posted a 16-7-5 record in conference action. The Crusaders' 16 conference victories were the most since the 2005-2006 season and their second place finish was their best in Atlantic Hockey since 2005-2006. The Crusaders also had the best team defense in the AHC allowing just 2.11 goals per game. 

Holy Cross starts the season at Niagara on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7-8 at 7:05 p.m. The Crusaders will then host Providence (Oct. 15) and Boston College (Oct. 22) at the DCU Center. Purchase Your Tickets Here.

If you want to make sure you don't miss any of the action, season tickets to see the Crusaders are available and start at only ONLY $55.00. Season tickets can be purchased over the phone by calling 1-844-GOCROSS or online at GoHolyCross.com/tickets.

There are numerous ways to stay connected with the Holy Cross men's hockey team. Follow the Crusaders on Twitter @HCrossMHockey, Facebook and Instagram.