DEFENDING CHAMPION ADRIAN COLLEGE STARTS ATOP AMERICAN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION MEN’S DIVISION I PRESEASON RANKING
Bulldogs Also Won National Championship in 2018
UNION LAKE, Mich. – (September 22, 2021) – Adrian College, the defending Men’s Division I National Champions of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, received 17 out of 22 first-place votes to come in as this year’s pick for the top spot in the 2021-2022 ACHA Men’s Division I Preseason Ranking. Second-ranked Lindenwood University received five first place votes, while Liberty University, Minot State University, and Indiana Tech rounded out the Top 5, respectively.
The Central States Collegiate Hockey League leads the way with four (of 5) of its member teams ranked, while the Western Collegiate Hockey League has six (of 10) of its member teams ranked, the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League has three (of 6) of its member teams ranked, and both the Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League and the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference have three (of 7) of its member teams ranked.
Over the past 18 seasons, 12 different schools have won the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championship: Lindenwood (3), Central Oklahoma (2), Illinois (2), Minot State (2), Adrian (2), Arizona State, Davenport, Delaware, Oakland, Ohio, Penn State, and Rhode Island.
Entering its 31st season of action, there have been a total of 14 schools that have won the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championship:
- Penn State (5 times)
- Ohio (4)
- Lindenwood (3)
- Adrian (2)
- Central Oklahoma (2)
- Illinois (2)
- Minot State (2)
- North Dakota State (2)
- Arizona State
- Davenport
- Delaware
- Iowa State
- Oakland
- Rhode Island
A total of 68 teams will compete in Men’s Division I this season, as four teams have departed Men’s Division I: Cornell University, Penn State Berks, Slippery Rock University, and SUNY Cortland.
The computer ranking, which will not commence until after November 1, will for the eighth time determine the 20 teams that qualify for the 2022 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships, which will include the following eight autobids:
- (CHMA) College Hockey Mid-America
- (ECHA) Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association
- (ESCHL) Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League
- (GLCHL) Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League
- (MCH) Midwest Collegiate Hockey
- (NECHL) Northeast Collegiate Hockey League
- (WCHL) Western Collegiate Hockey League
- (WCHL) Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference
The first ranking of the regular season will be released on Wednesday September 29, 2021.
The 2022 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships will be hosted March 10-15 for the first time by the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League and the St. Louis Sports Commission, with the event to be contested at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Mo. This will be the tenth year of the 20-team format.
| 2021-2022 ACHA Men’s Division I Preseason Ranking | |||||
| Rank | School Name | 1st Votes | M1 Record | Pts | Previous |
| 1 | Adrian | 17 | 21-1-0 | 447 | 1 |
| 2 | Lindenwood | 5 | 16-2-0 | 416 | 5 |
| 3 | Liberty | 10-4-0 | 414 | 3 | |
| 4 | Minot State | 19-4-1 | 413 | 2 | |
| 5 | Indiana Tech | 17-6-1 | 358 | 4 | |
| 6 | Iowa State | 14-10-2 | 329 | 8 | |
| 7 | Ohio | 6-16-0 | 323 | 7 | |
| 8 | Michigan-Dearborn | DNP | 292 | NR | |
| 9 | Jamestown | 11-13-3 | 276 | 9 | |
| 10 | Nevada-Las Vegas | DNP | 222 | NR | |
| 11 T | Central Oklahoma | DNP | 217 | NR | |
| 11 T | Robert Morris | 6-1-0 | 217 | 6 | |
| 13 | Illinois | 2-0-0 | 193 | NR | |
| 14 | Aquinas | 7-6-1 | 191 | 10 | |
| 15 | Arizona | DNP | 181 | NR | |
| 16 | Stony Brook | DNP | 180 | NR | |
| 17 | Davenport | 3-7-0 | 154 | NR | |
| 18 | Calvin | 4-8-1 | 150 | NR | |
| 19 | Maryville | 10-7-0 | 122 | NR | |
| 20 | Arizona State | DNP | 107 | NR | |
| 21 | Missouri State | 6-9-2 | 88 | NR | |
| 22 | Pittsburgh | DNP | 76 | NR | |
| 23 | Oklahoma | DNP | 75 | NR | |
| 24 | Drexel | DNP | 41 | NR | |
| 25 | Delaware | DNP | 29 | NR | |
Others receiving votes: Niagara, Midland, McKendree, Colorado, Rhode Island, Canisius, Syracuse, Colorado State, Lawrence Tech, Navy, Illinois State, Indiana Pennsylvania, Oakland, and Roosevelt.
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