It was another turbulent weekend in the INCH
Power Rankings, with big movers in the top 10 and three new
entrants at Nos. 17 through 19. Holding firm through it all
was Wisconsin, still at No. 1 after its impressive sweep of
Minnesota.
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. |
 Wisconsin |
– |
Surf's up on Lake Mendota. "We're trying to stay
on top of this wave as long as we can," says Bucky's
coach as the unbeaten streak hits 14. |
| 13-1-2
(10-0-2 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W at Minnesota, 4-3; W at Minnesota,
4-0. THIS WEEK: vs. Michigan Tech, vs. Michigan Tech. |
| 2. |
 Vermont |
 3 |
Win over UMass Lowell snapped uncharacteristic 0-2-1
stretch at Gutterson. |
| 11-3-1
(5-3-1 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: T vs. New Hampshire, 3-3
ot; W vs. UMass Lowell, 5-2. THIS WEEK: vs. U.S. Under-18
Team (Ex.). |
| 3. |
 Miami |
5 |
Following their impressive sweep, the RedHawks now have
17 wins against Michigan since the series started in 1981
– with all but two coming at Goggin Ice Arena. |
| 11-2-1
(10-1-1 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Michigan, 4-2; W vs. Michigan,
4-3. THIS WEEK: vs. St. Lawrence, vs. Clarkson. |
| 4. |
 North
Dakota |
5 |
Hat tricks in Houghton come in "import" and
"domestic" varieties as Rastislav Spirko and
Drew Stafford combine for six of NoDak's 14 weekend goals. |
| 10-5-1
(6-4-0 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W at Michigan Tech, 6-1; W at
Michigan Tech, 8-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Minnesota, vs. Minnesota. |
| 5. |
 Colorado
College |
 3 |
Did we touch a nerve? "There are more important
things to worry about," said Brett Sterling, the
nation's leading point-getter, after getting skunked for
the 13th time in 14 games against in-state rival Denver. |
| 12-5-1
(6-3-1 WCHA). LAST WEEK: L vs. Denver, 4-2; L at Denver,
5-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Minnesota Duluth, vs. Minnesota Duluth. |
| 6. |
 Minnesota |
3 |
Minnesota hadn't suffered a home shutout to archrival
Wisconsin since 1970. How long ago was that? Well, Erik
Westrum wasn't born, and his father was skating for the
Gophers. |
| 7-5-4
(6-4-2 WCHA). LAST WEEK: L vs. Wisconsin, 4-3; L vs. Wisconsin,
4-0. THIS WEEK: at North Dakota, at North Dakota. |
| 7. |
 Michigan |
3 |
The Wolverines are in the midst of their longest losing
streak since dropping six straight in 1988, a skid that
ended about a month before current U-M freshman Tyler
Swystun celebrated his first birthday. |
| 9-5-1
(5-3-1 CCHA). LAST WEEK: L at Miami, 4-2; L at Miami,
4-3. THIS WEEK: vs. Nebraska-Omaha, vs. Nebraska-Omaha. |
| 8. |
 Maine |
2 |
Black Bears are winless since handing down suspensions
for an off-campus fight, but it's not that simple –
they were 1-2-0 in the three games before the incident. |
| 9-5-0
(4-4-0 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: L at Providence, 4-2.
THIS WEEK: vs. Brown, vs. Northeastern. |
| 9. |
 Boston
College |
2 |
Among the messages BC's 50th-ranked penalty killing
won't be hearing this week in practice: "Take heart,
boys, we're better than UConn, Canisius and Bentley." |
| 7-4-1
(6-2-1 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W vs. Boston University,
2-1; L at Boston University, 6-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Massachusetts,
at Massachusetts. |
| 10. |
 Denver |
3 |
Matt Carle had seven assists on Denver's nine goals
on the weekend. And he helped hold CC's skaters, combined,
to eight points. |
| 8-6-2
(5-3-2 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W at Colorado College, 4-2; W
vs. Colorado College, 5-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Alaska Anchorage,
vs. Alaska Anchorage. |
| 11. |
 Colgate
|
– |
Colgate enjoys two weeks off at 10-2-3, its best
start since the 1962-63 team started 14-1-0. |
| 10-2-3
(6-1-1 ECACHL). LAST WEEK: W vs. Quinnipiac, 4-3; W vs.
Princeton, 3-2. THIS WEEK: Off. |
| 12. |
 New
Hampshire |
2 |
St. Lawrence, 340 miles from Durham, must've felt like
a long way from home for the Wildcats. The exception was
Potsdam, N.Y., native Joe Charlebois, whose game-winning
goal was the first of his college career. |
| 8-5-3
(6-3-2 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: L at Merrimack, 1-0; T
at Vermont, 3-3 ot ;W at St. Lawrence, 4-3. THIS WEEK:
vs. Harvard, vs. UMass Lowell. |
| 13. |
 Clarkson
|
3 |
Coach George Roll returns to his alma mater this weekend
when the Golden Knights visit Bowling Green on Friday. |
| 9-4-1
(5-2-1 ECACHL). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: at Bowling
Green, at Miami. |
| 14. |
 St.
Lawrence |
– |
With Saturday's loss, St. Lawrence coach Joe Marsh is
now 3-11-1 all-time against UNH, his alma mater. |
| 11-5-0
(6-3-0 ECACHL). LAST WEEK: W vs. UMass Lowell, 4-2; L
vs. New Hampshire, 4-3. THIS WEEK: at Miami, at Bowling
Green. |
| 15. |
 Cornell |
2 |
Mark McCutcheon had nine points in his first two years.
He has seven this year and scored the game-winning goal
in the final minute on Saturday. |
| 8-3-1
(5-2-1 ECACHL). LAST WEEK: W vs. Princeton, 4-1; W vs.
Quinnipiac, 2-1. THIS WEEK: Off. |
| 16. |
 Harvard |
4 |
The Crimson have lost in Hartford and New Haven. It's
probably a good thing that Connecticut schools Sacred
Heart and UConn aren't on the schedule. |
| 7-4-1
(6-3-0 ECACHL). LAST WEEK: L at Yale, 4-3. THIS WEEK:
vs. Quinnipiac, at New Hampshire. |
| 17. |
 Providence |
NR |
Not convinced that Tim Army's up-tempo approach is working?
Friars put 41 shots on goal vs. Maine and 48 vs. Brown. |
| 8-6-1
(7-2-1 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W vs. Maine, 4-2; W vs.
Brown, 5-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Boston University. |
| 18. |
 Lake
Superior State |
NR |
Long-time college hockey fans remember when the Lakers
and Bemidji State, this weekend's opponent, were fierce
rivals who met in the NAIA national title game four times
between 1968-74. |
| 8-5-3
(5-5-2 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Alaska Fairbanks, 4-2;
W vs. Alaska Fairbanks, 3-2. THIS WEEK: at Bemidji State,
at Bemidji State. |
| 19. |
 Nebraska-Omaha
|
NR |
The best player you've never heard of, sophomore wing
Bill Thomas, extended his scoring streak to 10 games against
Ferris State this weekend, scoring 2-1—3 in both
ends of a sweep. |
| 9-6-0
(5-5-0 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Ferris State, 5-2; W vs.
Ferris State, 5-3. THIS WEEK: at Michigan, at Michigan. |
| 20. |
 Bemidji
State |
2 |
Wondering if the Beavers are for real? We'll know by
the end of the month, after games vs. Lake Superior State
(two), North Dakota (two), Clarkson and either Dartmouth
or Vermont. |
| 9-3-0
(4-2-0 CHA). LAST WEEK: L vs. Niagara, 4-3; W vs. Niagara,
8-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Lake Superior State, vs. Lake Superior
State. |