| No. |
Team |
|
All
I want for Christmas ... |
| 1. |
 North
Dakota |
– |
A personal
travel agent to help the Sioux navigate these strange things
called road trips (they took only one in the first half). |
| 11-2-0
(7-1-0 WCHA). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. Findlay, vs. Brown/Wayne
State (Subway Holiday Classic). |
| 2. |
 Boston
College |
– |
There could
be no better gift than a few more Christmas Eaves. |
| 11-2-3
(6-0-2 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. Michigan,
vs. Michigan State/Michigan Tech (Great Lakes Invitational). |
| 3. |
 Maine |
– |
A way to
warm up without pucks. Can’t risk another injury like
Jimmy Howard’s, who got hurt stepping on a stray biscuit
before the Dartmouth game. |
| 12-2-1
(6-2-1 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. Ohio State,
vs. Cornell/Notre Dame (Everblades College Classic). |
| 4. |
 Wisconsin |
– |
Another
recruiting class (or two or three) like the one Mike Eaves brought
in this year. |
| 11-3-4
(6-2-4 WCHA). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. Union, vs. Ferris
State/UMass Lowell (Badger Hockey Showdown). |
| 5. |
 Colorado
College |
 1 |
A clean
bill of health for the remainder of the year would suffice for
the injury-riddled Tigers, as would continued positive progress
for assistant coach Norm Bazin. |
| 9-4-3
(4-4-2 WCHA). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: Off. |
| 6. |
 Denver |
 1 |
A nice
frame for the big sign Coach Gwozdecky is probably hanging in
the locker room right now: "Boys, no lead is safe!"
Holding leads had plagued the Pioneers even before Saturday's
implosion at Minnesota State. |
| 11-6-3
(5-6-3 WCHA). LAST WEEK: T at Minnesota State, 4-4 ot; L at
Minnesota State, 8-7. THIS WEEK: vs. Niagara, vs. Nebraska-Omaha/Yale
(Wells Fargo Denver Cup). |
| 7. |
 Brown |
– |
An egg
nog latte from the Thayer Street Starbucks. No less of an authority
than Sports Illustrated's Peter King says they're the
best around. |
| 6-2-2
(6-2-1 ECAC). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. Wayne State, vs.
North Dakota/Findlay (Subway Holiday Classic). |
| 8. |
 Michigan |
– |
A late
decision by the NCAA to move the 2004 Midwest Regional from
Grand Rapids to Ann Arbor. |
| 11-6-1
(7-4-1 CCHA). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. Boston College,
vs. Michigan State/Michigan Tech (Great Lakes Invitational). |
| 9. |
 New
Hampshire |
– |
As everyone
else gets new calendars, the Wildcats ask to keep the (Preston)
Callander who scored three goals in the Dodge Holiday Classic. |
| 11-6-2
(5-3-2 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W vs. Miami, 3-1; L at Minnesota,
4-2. THIS WEEK: Off. |
| 10. |
 St.
Cloud State |
– |
A nice
brozne statue of Herb Brooks to put out front of the National
Hockey Center, since the rink, and D-I hockey, wouldn't exist
there without him. |
| 10-6-2
(8-4-2 WCHA). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. Harvard, vs. Clarkson/Providence
(Dunkin' Donuts Coffee Pot). |
| 11. |
 Ohio
State |
– |
They'd
like to see the OSU band spell out the script "Ohio"
on the ice more often, and let members of the media dot the
"i". Oh wait ... that's what we want. |
| 11-7-0
(8-5-0 CCHA). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. Maine, vs. Cornell/Notre
Dame (Everblades College Classic). |
| 12. |
 Cornell |
– |
A few more
recruits from Texas, if they all play as solidly as freshman
goaltender David McKee has. |
| 4-2-5
(4-0-2 ECAC). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. Notre Dame, vs.
Maine/Ohio State (Everblades College Classic). |
| 13. |
 Massachusetts |
– |
Umlauts
for the entire team. It seems to work well for terrific defenseman
Thomas Pöck. |
| 9-4-3
(5-2-2 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. Dartmouth,
at Vermont (Sheraton/Banknorth Classic). |
| 14. |
 Miami |
– |
A group
hypnotism session, in order to block all memories of the team's
history of falling to pieces after the holidays. |
| 11-7-2
(8-3-1 CCHA). LAST WEEK: L vs. New Hampshire, 3-1; W vs. Princeton,
5-3. THIS WEEK: Off. |
| 15. |
 Minnesota |
3 |
A third
national title. Seriously, anything less would be like buying
Bill Gates a laptop for Christmas. |
| 9-8-1
(4-7-1 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Princeton, 9-0; W vs. New Hampshire,
4-2. THIS WEEK: Off. |
| 16. |
 Dartmouth |
1 |
We don't
know, but the Big Green are glad it's Christmas and not Fathers
Day. They've got plenty of ties. |
| 4-2-4
(3-0-3 ECAC) LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. Massachusetts, vs.
Minnesota State (Sheraton/Banknorth Classic). |
| 17. |
 Notre
Dame |
1 |
A nationally
televised plea from alum Regis Philbin for contributions for
a new on-campus rink. That, and a nationally televised performance
of Rob Globke's post-victory, "Hey Ya" locker room
dance. |
| 8-5-2
(7-5-2 CCHA). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. Cornell, vs. Maine/Ohio
State (Everblades College Classic). |
| 18. |
 Michigan
State |
1 |
Consistent
scoring from someone other than the top line of Jim Slater,
Mike Lalonde and Tom Goebel. And maybe one of those great ice
cream sandwiches they sell at Munn. |
| 9-8-1
(7-4-1 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. U.S. Under-18 Team, 2-1 (Ex.).
THIS WEEK: vs. Michigan Tech, vs. Boston College/Michigan (Great
Lakes Invitational). |
| 19. |
 Minnesota
Duluth |
1 |
A giant
color mural of Brett Hull to put in the DECC concourse. They
could put it right over that somewhat dated mural of Adam Coole
(in a Bulldog uniform) that they have there now. |
| 9-8-2
(7-5-0 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. HC Riga 2000, 5-2 (Ex.). THIS
WEEK: Off. |
| 20. |
 Harvard |
3 |
An early
gift: no more games against nemesis Princeton. |
| 6-6-1
(4-5-1 ECAC). LAST WEEK: L at Princeton, 3-2. THIS WEEK: vs.
St. Cloud State, vs. Clarkson/Providence (Dunkin' Donuts Coffee
Pot). |
