The Union College men’s hockey team held its media day Monday at Messa Rink.

The Dutchmen begin their 18th Division I season Saturday at 7:30 p.m. when they host the U.S. Under-18 National team. It will reunite Union coach Nate Leaman with Under-18 coach Ron Rolston, his good friend. The two were assistant coaches at Harvard under Mark Mazzoleni from 1999-2002.

One of the things that surprised me about media day that there was an actual press conference with Leaman. Instead of trying to wedge your way in with other reporters and videographers behind the benches at Messa Rink, we talked with Leaman downstairs in the Garnet Room. And I have video to prove it.

To view Union men’s hockey coach Leaman’s press conference, click here.

Some other thoughts:

— I will have a story on Union sophomore Brock Matheson in Tuesday’s Daily Gazette and here on the Web site. Matheson lost close to 20 pounds last year, but it wasn’t a good thing. He caught a cold, and was never able to shake it. Leaman had high praise for Matheson after Saturday’s Garnet-White scrimmage, and expanded on that Monday.

— Union received three points in the first USCHO.com poll of the season. The Dutchmen were one of 10 ECACH teams to get a vote. Princeton (No. 12), Clarkson (No. 13), Cornell (No. 17) and Harvard (No. 19) made the top 20. Also receiving votes were Yale (six points), RPI, Dartmouth and Quinnipiac (three points each) and St. Lawrence (two points). Only Brown and Colgate didn’t get a vote.

Here is the USCHO.com poll.
Team (First Place) Record Pts
1 Boston College (36) 25-11-8 969
2 Michigan ( 5) 33- 6-4 922
3 Colorado College ( 7) 28-12-1 874
4 Notre Dame ( 1) 27-16-4 829
5 North Dakota ( 1) 28-11-4 789
6 Denver 26-14-1 707
7 New Hampshire 25-10-3 648
8 Miami 33- 8-1 613
9 Boston University 19-17-4 565
10 Minnesota 19-17-9 503
11 Michigan State 25-12-5 440
12 Princeton 21-14-0 427
13 Clarkson 22-13-4 375
14 Wisconsin 16-17-7 358
15 St. Cloud State 19-16-5 299
16 Northern Michigan 20-20-4 257
17 Cornell 19-14-3 186
18 Minnesota State 19-16-4 170
19 Harvard 17-13-4 134
20 Vermont 17-15-7 90
Others Receiving Votes: Northeastern 74, Air Force 59,
Niagara 58, Ferris State 42, Mass.-Lowell 30,
Massachusetts 21, Minnesota-Duluth 17, Providence 8,
Yale 6, Maine 5, Bowling Green 3, Dartmouth 3,
Quinnipiac 3, RPI 3, Union 3, Bemidji State 2,
RIT 2, Robert Morris 2, St. Lawrence 2, Mercyhurst 1,
Michigan Tech 1.

— Former Union forward Augie DiMarzo scored a power-play goal for St. Lawrence in the first period of its 2-2 exhibition tie with Guelph on Sunday.

— RPI sophomore goalie Sonja van der Bliek was named ECAC Hockey goalie of the week Monday. Van der Bliek made 23 saves in shutting out Boston University, 2-0, Saturday at Houston Field House. It was her fifth career shutout.