October 16, 2005
INCH Power Rankings

Related Links
Preseason rankings
USA Today/American Hockey Magazine Poll
USCHO.com/CSTV Poll

We're a couple weeks in, and if anything, the college hockey landscape looks even more jumbled than it did before the season began. Some key games ahead – including the beginning of most conference action – should help sort things out.

For now, here's how the Inside College Hockey editors and staff rank the nation's top teams (along with a note for each team).

No. Team

Of Note
1. Michigan Step aside, Reggie. With 27 points in 19 career games in the month – including 10 in four contests this season – T.J. Hensick is Mr. October.
4-0-0 (0-0-0 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Boston College, 3-2; W vs. Merrimack, 9-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Michigan State.
2. North Dakota With a pair of shutouts to start the season, goaltender Jordan Parise has put up more zeroes than the White Sox pitching staff.
3-1-0 (0-0-0 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Northeastern, 6-0; W vs. Northeastern, 2-1. THIS WEEK: at New Hampshire, at New Hampshire.
3. Minnesota Gophers didn't look bad, but were within one homer no-call on Saturday night from being swept in their opening series.
0-1-1 (0-0-0 WCHA). LAST WEEK: L vs. Alaska-Fairbanks, 4-3 ot; T vs. Alaska-Fairbanks, 3-3 ot. THIS WEEK: vs. Minnesota State, vs. Minnesota State.
4. Ohio State Instant karma: Rod Pelley guests on INCH's weekly ESPN.com chat Thursday, picks up goal and assist in win at Colorado College Friday.
1-1-0 (0-0-0 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W at Colorado College, 4-2; L at Colorado College, 1-0. THIS WEEK: at Bowling Green, vs. Bowling Green.
5. Colorado College Zaba dabba doo! Junior goalie Matt Zaba leads Tigers to split with Ohio State by making 34 saves in a 1-0 win Saturday.
3-1-0 (0-0-0 WCHA). LAST WEEK: L vs. Ohio State, 4-2; W vs. Ohio State, 1-0. THIS WEEK: vs. Notre Dame, vs. Air Force.
6. Cornell Wait 'til next year: Chris Fontas, a transfer from UMass Lowell, scored in the Red-White scrimmage.
0-0-0 (0-0-0 ECACHL). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. U.S. Under-18 Team (Ex.)
7. Maine The supposedly offensively challenged Black Bears scored as many goals against Denver as the Pioneers' last seven 2004-05 opponents combined.
3-1-0 (0-0-0 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W vs. Denver, 5-1; W vs. Denver, 4-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Alabama-Huntsville, vs. Alabama-Huntsville.
8. Denver Back-to-back national champions suffer back-to-back losses. Something tells us we won't be seeing that on the title of their press releases this week.
0-2-0 (0-0-0 WCHA). LAST WEEK: L at Maine, 5-1; L at Maine, 4-2. THIS WEEK: at Air Force, vs. Notre Dame.
9. Boston College Nine players had multiple-point games in Saturday's 9-6 win at Bowling Green.
1-1-0 (0-0-0 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: L at Michigan, 3-2; W at Bowling Green, 9-6. THIS WEEK: at Northeastern.
10. Vermont Brady's back: Leisenring scored two goals in his debut.
2-0-0 (0-0-0 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W vs. Michigan Tech, 4-3 ot; W at Alaska Anchorage, 2-0. THIS WEEK: vs. Minnesota Duluth, vs. Minnesota Duluth.
11. Wisconsin Remember the days when the hockey team used to score in bunches and the football team couldn't?
1-1-0 (0-0-0 WCHA). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: at St. Cloud State, at St. Cloud State.
12. Michigan State The next five games set the tone for the rest of the season – one at Michigan, a series at Cornell, and two games at home with Northern Michigan.
2-0-0 (0-0-0 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Western Ontario, 4-2 (Ex.). THIS WEEK: at Michigan.
13. New Hampshire Football is upstaging hockey in Durham this fall. What next, a winter without snow?
1-1-0 (0-0-0 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W vs. Ferris State, 4-2; L at Nebrkaska-Omaha, 5-3. THIS WEEK: vs. North Dakota, vs. North Dakota.
14. Bemidji State If the season ended today, Bemidji State would be hoisting the MacNaughton Cup.
4-0-0 (0-0-0 CHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Minnesota State, 4-3; W vs. Minnesota State, 7-3. THIS WEEK: Off.
15. Alaska-Fairbanks All eyes were on Phil Kessel this weekend, but we came away most impressed with the Nanooks' tenacity. They'll shoot up this list if they can maintain that after repeated 12-hour trips to the continental U.S.
1-0-1 (0-0-0 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W at Minnesota, 4-3 ot; T at Minnesota, 3-3 ot. THIS WEEK: at Alaska Anchorage, at Alaska Anchorage.
16. Boston University The Terriers are the only team in the nation with a conference win already. So if the season ended today, they'd get all six automatic bids.
1-0-0 (1-0-0 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W vs. UMass Lowell, 3-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Rensselaer.
17. Dartmouth When McGill comes to Thompson Arena on Saturday, keep an eye on Doug Orr. He's the nephew of some guy that New England hockey fans have probably heard of.
0-0-0 (0-0-0 ECACHL). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. McGill (Ex.).
18. Northern Michigan Wildcats were seven seconds from a three-point weekend, but Joe Jensen's OT goal at 4:53 Saturday allowed St. Cloud State to escape with a split.
1-1-0 (0-0-0 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. St. Cloud State, 3-0; L vs. St. Cloud State, 3-2 ot. THIS WEEK: vs. Michigan Tech, at Michigan Tech.
19. St. Lawrence

Four of the Saints' seven goals this weekend were scored on the power play, by four different players.

3-1-0 (0-0-0 ECACHL). LAST WEEK: W vs. Massachusetts, 2-1; W vs. Providence, 5-3. THIS WEEK: vs. Western Ontario (Ex.)
20. Nebraska-Omaha The first goal scorer of the season is supposed to be good luck. So buy a lottery ticket featuring Alex Nikiforuk's No. 9, since he scored the Mavs' first four goals of the year.
2-0-0 (0-0-0 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Army, 3-2; W vs. New Hampshire, 5-3. THIS WEEK: vs. Miami, vs. Miami.

Bubble-licious: Brown, Colgate, Lake Superior State