Sept. 17, 2008

DETROIT - The Wayne State University women's hockey team was selected to finish second by the league coaches in the 2008-09 College Hockey America preseason poll.

Wayne State received 13 points and one first-place vote in the poll, behind Mercyhurst which garnered 16 points and four first-place votes. The two schools were CHA co-champions of the 2007-08 regular season, while the Lakers emerged as the tournament champions.

Niagara received 10 points to come in third, followed by Robert Morris (seven points) and Syracuse (four points), which is entering its inaugural season of women's hockey.

Three WSU student-athletes were chosen to the Preseason All-CHA Team as well. Seniors Melissa Boal (Pakenham, Ont./Ottawa Raiders) and Natalie Payne (Mississauga, Ont./Mississauga Jr. Chiefs), along with junior Chelsea Burnett (Ridgeway, Ont./Stoney Creek Sabres), were among the six players selected.

Last season, Boal earned her second straight First Team All-CHA selection in addition to being a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award and the first All-American in the history of the Wayne State women's hockey program. She totaled a nation-best 69 points and finished third in the country in goals (35) and second in assists per game (1.06).

Payne will finish her collegiate career at Wayne State following three seasons at Mercyhurst. She was a First Team All-CHA and CHA All-Tournament Team selection a year ago and collected 28 points, 10th in the league and most among CHA defensemen. Payne was also tied for seventh in the league with 23 assists.

Burnett led all WSU defensemen with a career-high 19 points last season and earned Second Team All-CHA and CHA All-Academic Team honors. She finished 24th in the country among blueliners in points per game (0.56).

Wayne State will meet the University of Windsor in an exhibition game at City Ice Arena on Friday, Sept. 26, before opening the regular season with a home series against Bemidji State the following weekend.