PROVIDENCE, R.I.—The Babson College men's ice hockey team was picked to finish runner-up in the Little East Conference (LEC) preseason coaches' poll released on Tuesday morning.
Norwich, which captured the inaugural LEC championship last winter, received eight of the 10 first-place votes and finished atop the poll with 79 points. Babson captured the final two first-place votes and finished second in the poll with 70 points, just ahead of last year's preseason favorite Plymouth State, which was third this year with 68 points. UMass Boston (56) and Southern Maine (49) rounded out the top half of the poll.
The Beavers return 11 players from a team that finished 20-5-2 overall and 14-3-1 in the LEC last year. Led by 23rd-year head coach
Jamie Rice '90, Babson advanced to the conference championship game back in March, falling to No. 15 Norwich in the final, 4-1.
The Green and White open the 2026-27 season with three straight home games, beginning with a non-conference affair against Saint Michael's on October 31 at the Babson Skating Center. The conference opener is slated for November 6 against Keene State in Babson Park.
2026-27 LEC Men's Ice Hockey Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank |
School (first-place votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Norwich (8) |
79 |
| 2 |
Babson (2) |
70 |
| 3 |
Plymouth State |
68 |
| 4 |
UMass Boston |
56 |
| 5 |
Southern Maine |
49 |
| 6 |
VTSU Castleton |
41 |
| 7 |
New England College |
29 |
| 8 |
UMass Dartmouth |
25 |
| 9 |
Keene State |
24 |
| 10 |
Western Connecticut |
9 |
