| No. |
Team |
|
Of
Note |
| 1. |
 Denver |
 1 |
The Pioneers
are back. We hope they don't mind if the streets of Columbus
don't require a police escort to get to the rink. |
| 30-9-2
(19-7-2 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Bemidji State, 4-3 ot; W vs.
New Hampshire, 4-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Colorado College. |
| 2. |
 Colorado
College |
3 |
Odds are
the Tigers and Pioneers won't share a charter flight to Columbus,
since one of them will be heading home Thursday night. |
| 31-8-3
(19-7-2 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Colgate, 6-5; W vs. Michigan,
4-3. THIS WEEK: vs. Denver. |
| 3. |
 Cornell |
 2 |
Not in
the Frozen Four, they get No. 3 here. In a seven-game series
on neutral ice, we think this is where they'd belong. |
| 27-5-3
(18-2-2 ECACHL). LAST WEEK: W vs. Ohio State, 3-2; L at Minnesota,
2-1 ot. |
| 4. |
 Minnesota |
2 |
That said,
don't discount the Gophers' ability to bring their game together
when it mattered most. We shouldn't be surprised with a Don
Lucia team. |
| 28-14-1
(17-10-1 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Maine, 1-0 ot; W vs. Cornell,
2-1 ot. THIS WEEK: vs. North Dakota. |
| 5. |
 North
Dakota |
5 |
The Fighting
Sioux put on the most impressive show of the regionals. And
to think, a month ago they were on the tournament bubble, at
best. |
| 24-14-5
(13-12-3 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Boston University, 4-0; W vs.
Boston College, 6-3. THIS WEEK: vs. Minnesota. |
| 6. |
 Boston
College |
3 |
After this
weekend at the East Regional, will big-game performances dog
another BC goalie in Cory Schneider? |
| 26-7-7
(14-3-7 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W vs. Mercyhurst, 5-4; L vs.
North Dakota, 6-3. |
| 7. |
 Michigan |
2 |
"Just
a bad way to go out," captain Eric Nystrom said after the
Wolverines squandered a three-goal lead to Colorado College
in front of a partisan crowd in Grand Rapids. |
| 31-8-3
(23-3-2 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Wisconsin, 4-1; L vs. Colorado
College, 4-3. |
| 8. |
 New
Hampshire |
1 |
Imagine how many goals Sean Collins would have
scored if he wasn't "oh-for-the-century", in his words,
on breakaways. |
| 27-12-5
(15-5-4 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W vs. Harvard, 3-2 ot; L vs.
Denver, 4-2. |
| 9. |
 Ohio
State |
1 |
Like their
maize-and-blue clad CCHA counterparts, the Buckeyes let a lead
slip away – OSU took a 2-0 lead against Cornell, but the
Big Red got the next three. |
| 27-12-4
(21-5-2 CCHA). LAST WEEK: L vs. Cornell, 3-2. |
| 10. |
 Harvard |
1 |
Harvard
seniors will graduate with four straight first-round exits.
But hey, they're graduating from Harvard. |
| 21-10-3
(15-5-2 ECACHL). LAST WEEK: L vs. New Hampshire, 3-2 ot. |
| 11. |
 Maine |
– |
Jimmy Howard's
last two starts – 150:53 minutes played, 73 saves, three
goals against, two losses. |
| 20-13-7
(13-6-5 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: L at Minnesota, 1-0 ot. |
| 12. |
 Colgate |
– |
Usually
a month of Raider games won't produce 11 goals, but the likes
of Adam Mitchell and Jon Smyth did their best to extend the
season against CC. |
| 25-11-3
(14-5-3 ECACHL). LAST WEEK: L vs. Colorado College, 6-5. |
| 13. |
 Boston
University |
– |
The Terriers'
woeful performance in their last two games clouds a much-improved
season. |
| 23-14-4
(15-5-4 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: L vs. North Dakota, 4-0. |
| 14. |
 Wisconsin |
– |
Hey, the
WCHA couldn't have been perfect in the tournament. The NCAA
only brings four teams to its final weekend. |
| 23-13-4
(16-9-3 WCHA). LAST WEEK: L vs. Michigan, 4-1. |
| 15. |
 Vermont |
– |
If the
Catamounts were scouting their future Hockey East opponents
this weekend, they probably like their chances in the new league. |
| 21-14-4
(13-6-3 ECACHL). |
| 16. |
 UMass
Lowell |
– |
Why Not
Us? We wouldn't be surprised if the River Hawks recycled Curt
Schilling's favorite saying while watching BU Friday night. |
| 20-12-4
(11-10-3 Hockey East). |
| 17. |
 Dartmouth |
– |
No joy
in Hanover, as the Big Green finish fourth at the NCAA Women's
Frozen Four. |
| 20-13-2
(14-8-0 ECACHL). |
| 18. |
 Bemidji
State |
1 |
The Beavers
almost knocked off the defending champs and didn't even play
their best game. They've got a catchy fight song, too. |
| 23-13-0
(16-4-0 CHA). LAST WEEK: L vs. Denver, 4-3 ot. |
| 19. |
 Northern
Michigan |
1 |
Wildcats
will lose Tuomas Tarkki, but none of their top eight scorers
were seniors. |
| 22-11-7
(17-7-4 CCHA). |
| 20. |
 Mercyhurst |
– |
Inspired
effort against BC may have been the best first-round game, and
it exposed the Eagles' weaknesses. |
| 18-16-4
(14-7-3 Atlantic Hockey). LAST WEEK: L vs. Boston College, 5-4. |
