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December
7, 2003
INCH Power Rankings
Talk about a
wild weekend in college hockey.
We had snow.
We had upsets. We had hat tricks. And in three different series
we had a team get shut out one night and score a half-dozen goals
in the other game. Shake it all up like a snow globe, and the top
four is unchanged.
Here's how the
Inside College Hockey editors and staff ranks the nation's top teams.
You can let
us know what you think and we'll share your thoughts below.
| No. |
Team |
|
Notes |
| 1. |
 North
Dakota |
– |
No. 1 in
hockey, and football's playing for the national title. Colgate
(I-AA semifinals) and Rensselaer (III semifinals) are the other
pucks schools in the race for a pigskin title. |
| 9-2-0
(5-1-0 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. U.S. Under-18 Team, 4-1 (Ex.).
THIS WEEK: vs. Minnesota Duluth, vs. Minnesota Duluth. |
| 2. |
 Boston
College |
– |
Only the
snow slowed the Eagles, who are 7-0-2 in their last nine. |
| 10-2-3
(6-0-2 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W vs. Boston University, 5-2;
PPD at Providence. THIS WEEK: vs. Harvard. |
| 3. |
 Maine |
– |
Four Black
Bears clustered atop the team's scoring chart with 13 or 14
points in 14 games. |
| 11-2-1
(6-2-1 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W at Merrimack, 3-1; PPD at
Merrimack. THIS WEEK: vs. Dartmouth. |
| 4. |
 Colorado
College |
– |
A cast
on his hand can't slow Brett Sterling, as the sophomore scored
twice Saturday night. |
| 9-2-3
(4-2-2 WCHA). LAST WEEK: L vs. St. Cloud State, 2-0; W vs. St.
Cloud State, 6-1. THIS WEEK: at Alaska Anchorage, at Alaska
Anchorage. |
| 5. |
 Wisconsin |
 5 |
Badgers
say they know there may still be doubters. Don't count INCH
among that group. |
| 9-3-4
(4-2-4 WCHA). LAST WEEK: T at Denver, 2-2 ot; W at Denver, 3-1.
THIS WEEK: vs. Minnesota State, vs. Minnesota State. |
| 6. |
 St.
Cloud State |
– |
Four goals
allowed in Saturday's first period was awfully strange for a
team allowing fewer than two per game. |
| 10-4-2
(8-2-2 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W at Colorado College, 2-0; L at Colorado
College, 6-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Denver, vs. Denver. |
| 7. |
 New
Hampshire |
 2 |
Wildcats
won't miss playing St. Lawrence next season, as the Saints hand
UNH an upset for the second straight year. |
| 10-4-1
(5-2-1 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W at Clarkson, 4-3; L at St.
Lawrence, 3-2. THIS WEEK: at Massachusetts, vs. Merrimack. |
| 8. |
 Brown |
1 |
Yann Danis
usually allows nine goals per month, not just a single weekend. |
| 6-2-2
(6-2-1 ECAC). LAST WEEK: T at Cornell, 3-3 ot; L at Colgate,
6-1. THIS WEEK: Off. |
| 9. |
 Denver |
1 |
Chippy
series with Wisconsin leaves the Pioneers 0-4-1 in WCHA home
games. |
| 9-5-2
(3-5-2 WCHA). LAST WEEK: T vs. Wisconsin, 2-2 ot; L vs. Wisconsin,
3-1. THIS WEEK: at St. Cloud State, at St. Cloud State. |
| 10. |
 Michigan |
3 |
2-0 2-0
vision: you can clearly see that the Wolverines and Spartans
are having trouble finding consistent offense. |
| 10-6-0
(6-4-0 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Michigan State, 2-0; L at Michigan
State, 2-0. THIS WEEK: at Nebraska-Omaha, at Nebraska-Omaha. |
| 11. |
 Massachusetts |
1 |
We're still
dreaming about the great day on the couch that might have been:
UMass-BU on FOX Sports New England followed by the Pats game. |
| 9-3-2
(5-2-1 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: PPD at Boston University. THIS
WEEK: vs. New Hampshire, at Harvard. |
| 12. |
 Dartmouth |
2 |
With so
many upsets taking place, the Big Green were fortunate to have
the weekend off. |
| 4-1-4
(3-0-3 ECAC) LAST WEEK: L at Boston College, 4-1; T at Boston
University, 2-2 ot. THIS WEEK: at Maine. |
| 13. |
 Ohio
State |
2 |
Back-to-back
losses knock Buckeyes from the top of the CCHA standings. |
| 11-7-0
(8-5-0 CCHA). LAST WEEK: L vs. Miami, 2-1; L at Miami, 4-2.
THIS WEEK: Off. |
| 14. |
 Cornell |
6 |
Looked
like last year's Frozen Four team with a 1-0 win against Harvard. |
| 4-2-5
(4-0-2 ECAC). LAST WEEK: T vs. Brown, 3-3 ot; W vs. Harvard,
1-0. THIS WEEK: Off. |
| 15. |
 Miami |
NR |
RedHawks
own the best power play in the league. Makes us wonder if Coach
Blasi is sneaking Ben Roethlisberger in to quarterback it. |
| 10-6-2
(8-3-1 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W at Ohio State, 2-1; W vs. Ohio State,
4-2. THIS WEEK: Off. |
| 16. |
 Notre
Dame |
7 |
12 goals
against a rude awakening to David Brown's dream season. |
| 8-5-2
(7-5-2 CCHA). LAST WEEK: L at Western Michigan, 8-6; L at Western
Michigan, 6-4. THIS WEEK: Off. |
| 17. |
 Harvard |
2 |
We'll move
them up, despite the loss. No shame in a close defeat at Cornell. |
| 5-4-1
(4-4-1 ECAC). LAST WEEK: W at Colgate, 4-2; L at Cornell, 1-0.
THIS WEEK: at Boston College, vs. Massachusetts. |
| 18. |
 Minnesota
Duluth |
2 |
Three-game
winning streak snapped on Friday, but Saturday's win builds
much needed momentum ahead of weekend trip to No. 1 North Dakota. |
| 9-6-2
(7-3-0 WCHA). LAST WEEK: L at Michigan Tech, 6-5; W at Michigan
Tech, 4-0. THIS WEEK: at North Dakota, at North Dakota. |
| 19. |
 Minnesota |
2 |
Just when
the Gophers start to roll, a 6-4 loss at Anchorage makes for
an even longer flight home. |
| 7-8-1
(4-7-1 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W at Alaska Anchorage, 4-0; L at Alaska
Anchorage, 6-4. THIS WEEK: vs. Latvia (Ex.). |
| 20. |
 Michigan
State |
NR |
Hoops will
copy hockey and face Kentucky in the "BasketBowl."
Now Izzo's troops just need to show the resiliency the hockey
team had Saturday night. |
| 9-8-1
(7-4-1 CCHA). LAST WEEK: L at Michigan, 2-0; W vs. Michigan,
2-0. THIS WEEK: Off. |
Dropped
out: Rensselaer, Clarkson
Bubble-licious:
Colgate, Rensselaer, UMass Lowell, Quinnipiac
Feedback
I
can't believe that the Badger hockey would be ranked 5 in your poll.
If you would asked me earlier in the season if the badgers had a
chance to even be in the top 15 I would of said no. The Badger hockey
team was picked to finish 7 in the WCHA by the coaches. It just
goes to show you how great coaching and freshman and sophmores playing
up to there ability. Go red! Thanks for the great website much to
read about that I couldn't find on other sites.
—
Mark Hamachek
It
is understandable that you dropped Holy Cross after the lost one
out of eight. But not giving them at least bubble-licious after
the went back to their winning ways this week-end it too bad. Do
the Minnesota's and Michigan State's of the world really deserve
praise for going sub .500? Give these kids some credit for what
they are doing (even if they aren't BCS eligible).
—
Mark M. Chicago, Ill.
As
University of North Dakota (UND) alumni, I'm happy to see that we
are ranked No. 1. But I don't see how St. Cloud State is ranked
lower than Colorado College and Wisconsin. Remember that UND's only
WCHA loss was to St. Cloud State. And based on their last meeting
it seems that St. Cloud State and UND are evenly matched.
—
Perry Rector, Long Beach, Calif.
Is
Brown a little overrated or what, I saw them get overmatched by
Dartmouth earlier this year. Last week they tied Cornell and lost
to Colgate. I think it's time for the Bears to move down.
—
Rich Stanley
How
can you put Denver, CC, and WI ahead of Duluth? WCHA points are
all that matters when it comes to WCHA tourney time. Conference
points should have more of a pull in National Rankings. Especially
agianst those in the same conference. Just because you have a better
overall record you shouldn't be ranked ahead of a conference foe
if they have a better conference record. National Rankings dont
mean much when it comes to crunch time. Screw the polls, look a
the facts. All that matters is conference rankings. So they should
do more for you in the National Rankings.
—
Mike Godfrey
Everybody
just keep doubting Wisconsin. Granted they started slow, but they're
hot now, unbeaten in their last 12 games. As long as they keep winning
the doubters will fall by the wayside.
—
BJ, Madison, Wisc.
Forget
Denver, CC, and WI, how the hell is Duluth behind Harvard, Ohio
State, Miami, Notre Dame, and Brown?
—
Chris McCarron, Madison, Wisc.
I
agree with Mark from Chicago, Holycross came back to win over the
weekend and didn't receive notice. The hockey being played in the
Atlantic is better than given credit for.
—
David, Pittsburgh
HA!!
Are you people serious that are asking whether the Minnesota's or
MSU's of the world deserve recognition when they are sub .500?!
Let's compare schedules, let's see what the strength of schedule
is for Minnesota and the teams you think deserve the recognition
instead. I can tell you right now that Minnesota has possibly played
the toughest scedule IN THE NATION up to this point.
You
put those little teams up against the likes of Maine, Minnesota
Duluth, Denver, #1 North Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Michigan
and let's see if they could even win one game against those teams.
Minnesota has played OVER TEN games against those teams, and struggled
with injuries & having to break in a new young goalie against
those top-ranked teams, yet once we got our injured players back,
we won five games in a row, and in dominating fashion.
Do
NOT forget that Minnesota is the TWO-TIME defending national champs,
and returned the vast majority of their team from last year. Minnesota
will be right in the mix of things come March, and could very easily
win a third national title in a row. And with all of the tremendous
underclassmen on the team, we could be talking a dynasty here.
—
Jason Kaltved, Minnesota
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