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[email protected] Monday, November 23, 2020 For Immediate Release North Dakota Picked to Repeat as Penrose Cup Champions in 2020 NCHC Preseason Poll UND earns 27 of 28 first-place votes from media; Denver, UMD round out top three COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After hoisting the Penrose Cup as NCHC regular-season champions in 2019-20, North Dakota has been selected to do the same in 2020-21, as the Fighting Hawks topped the 2020 National Collegiate Hockey Conference Preseason Media Poll, revealed Monday. North Dakota received 27 of a possible 28 first-place votes, totaling 223 points to sit comfortably in first in the poll. Denver was tabbed to finish as the runner-up in the NCHC, garnering the lone other first-place vote in the poll, while compiling 185 points. Min- nesota Duluth (173 points) claimed the third spot 12 points back of DU. St. Cloud State came in fourth in the Preseason Poll with 126 points, 10 more than fifth-place Western Michigan. Omaha landed sixth in the poll with 96 points, while Colorado College (45 points) edged Miami (44) by a point for seventh place in the Preseason Poll. The Fighting Hawks captured the program’s third Penrose Cup to close the 2019-20 campaign and would become the only NCHC team to win it four times if UND repeats as NCHC regular-season champions.