ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine women's ice hockey team received votes in the USCHO.com preseason poll for the 2018-19 season, released Monday.
 
The Black Bears rose to ninth in the national poll twice last season, first from Jan. 15 to Jan. 22, and again for the week of Feb. 5. In the final ten weeks of the season, the team was either ranked or received votes in nine polls.
 
Maine first received votes in the 2017-18 USCHO poll on Oct. 16; the first time since the 2005-06 season that Maine was in the weekly rankings.
 
Other Hockey East competition in the top ten are Boston College in fourth, with one first place vote and Northeastern in eighth. Connecticut and Providence received two and one votes, respectively.
 
Reigning national champion Clarkson took the first place spot, with perennial powers Wisconsin taking second and Minnesota taking third.
 
The Black Bears host an exhibition against the University of New Brunswick at Alfond Arena on Sept. 29 before traveling to Quinnipiac University for the first regular season games of 2018-19.
 
-UMaine-