BOSTON – Defending America East champion New Hampshire, which advanced to the NCAA tourney for the second time in three years in 2000, has been named the preseason favorite to repeat this year.

New Hampshire received four first-place votes and 75 points in the poll of league coaches, edging Boston University (71 points, three first-place votes), Northeastern (67, two) and Delaware (59, one).

Drexel was voted fifth while Maine was sixth. Hofstra, Albany, Vermont and Towson rounded out the voting.