Only six of the 20 teams ranked this week posted
perfect 2-0-0 records. It allowed Minnesota to maintain the
top spot, while New Hampshire and St. Cloud State propelled
themselved up six spots in the Inside College Hockey Power
Rankings. Those results also helped Denver and Boston University
into the top ten, and Niagara into the 20th spot.
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. |
 Minnesota |
— |
In nine home matches, the Gophers have averaged an even
five goals per game while allowing 1.78 goals per contest. |
| 12-1-2 (6-0-2
WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Michigan State, 5-4; W vs. Michigan,
8-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Minnesota State, at Minnesota State. |
| 2. |
 New
Hampshire |
 6 |
UNH hasn't gotten even a sniff of the attention that
BC and Maine have received this season, but the Wildcats
have quietly put together a five-game win streak and eight-game
unbeaten streak (7-0-1). |
| 9-2-1 (7-1-1 Hockey
East) LAST WEEK: W at Boston College, 6-3; W at Northeastern,
3-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Merrimack, vs. Vermont. |
| 3. |
 Maine |
 1 |
Before the bridges in Orono start filling up, remember
the Black Bears got off to a hot start before cooling
off in late November last year, too. It's safe to say
Maine rebounded nicely. |
| 8-3-1 (3-3-1
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: L at Vermont, 3-2. THIS WEEK:
vs. Providence. |
| 4. |
 Notre
Dame |
— |
The Fighting Irish won their 10th game of the season
at Nebraska-Omaha Friday. Last season, win no. 10 came
on Feb. 10. |
| 10-3-1 (5-2-1
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Nebraska-Omaha, 4-2; L at Nebraska-Omaha,
3-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Alaska, vs. Alaska. |
| 5. |
 Boston
College |
2 |
The highs have been high and the lows have been low.
BC fans are hoping The Heights will plateau. |
| 7-4-1 (5-1-1 Hockey
East) LAST WEEK: L vs. New Hampshire, 6-3. THIS WEEK:
vs. Boston University, at Boston University. |
| 6. |
 Michigan |
1 |
Saturday's drubbing by Minnesota not only snapped the
Wolverines' seven-game win streak, but also extended U-M's
losing streak against the Gophers to five. |
| 11-4-0 (7-2-0
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Michigan State, 2-1; W at Wisconsin,
4-3; L at Minnesota, 8-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Western Michigan,
vs. Western Michigan. |
| 7. |
 Miami |
1 |
Making a State-ment? RedHawks' next three league series
are against Ferris State, Ohio State, and Michigan State
... and they could face Bowling Green State and Ohio State
in the Ohio Hockey Classic holiday tournament. |
| 11-5-0 (7-3-0
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W at St. Lawrence, 4-3; L at Clarkson,
4-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Ferris State, vs. Ferris State. |
| 8. |
 Denver |
1 |
Ryan Dingle has 7-3—10 during the Pioneers'
current unbeaten streak, which reached seven games with
wins against Air Force and Robert Morris. |
| 9-4-1 (5-2-1 WCHA)
LAST WEEK: W vs. Air Force, 2-1; W vs. Robert Morris,
6-2. THIS WEEK: at Colorado College, vs. Colorado College. |
| 9. |
 Boston
University |
1 |
The Terriers have had eight months to think about that
5-0 whitewashing handed to them by BC in the Northeast
Regional Final. If there is any weekend they'd like to
jumpstart their season, this one is it. |
| 5-2-4 (3-2-3 Hockey
East) LAST WEEK: W vs. Harvard, 2-1; W vs. Yale, 2-1 ot.
THIS WEEK: vs. Massachusetts, at Boston College, vs. Boston
College. |
| 10. |
 North
Dakota |
1 |
Goaltender Philippe Lamoureux made 15 saves in the Fighting
Sioux's 5-2 win against Colorado College Saturday, his
first victory since Oct. 13. |
| 7-6-1 (5-4-1 WCHA)
LAST WEEK: L vs. Colorado College, 4-3; W vs. Colorado
College, 5-2. THIS WEEK: vs. US Under-18s (Ex.). |
| 11. |
 Michigan
State |
6 |
Losses at Michigan, at Minnesota, and at Wisconsin dropped
the Spartans' road mark this season to 1-6-0. |
| 6-6-1 (4-4-1 CCHA)
LAST WEEK: L at Michigan, 2-1; L at Minnesota, 5-4; L
at Wisconsin, 2-0. THIS WEEK: vs. Ohio State, vs. Ohio
State. |
| 12. |
 Colorado
College |
2 |
Opponents should probably keep an eye on forward Scott
McCulloch when the Tigers are on the power play. Of his
11 goals, seven have come with the extra man. |
| 8-5-1 (5-3-0 WCHA)
LAST WEEK: W at North Dakota, 4-3; L at North Dakota,
5-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Denver, at Denver. |
| 13. |
 St.
Cloud State |
6 |
Freshman Andreas Nodl has 3-6—9 in the Huskies'
last four games, while linemate Nate Day has 4-5—9
during that same stretch. |
| 6-3-3 (4-3-3 WCHA)
LAST WEEK: W at Minnesota Duluth, 4-0; W at Minnesota
Duluth, 4-2. THIS WEEK: at Michigan Tech, at Michigan
Tech. |
| 14. |
 Alaska |
3 |
He's a natural: Forward Kyle Greentree scored the game's
first three goals — and the only tallies the Nanooks
would need — in a 3-1 win Saturday against Lake
Superior State. |
| 6-2-4 (4-1-3 CCHA)
LAST WEEK: T vs. Lake Superior State, 2-2 ot; W vs. Lake
Superior State, 3-1. THIS WEEK: at Notre Dame, at Notre
Dame. |
| 15. |
 Cornell |
2 |
Cornell's loss to Wayne State was its first against
a current College Hockey America member since dropping
a 4-3 decision against Niagara six years ago. |
| 7-3-0 (4-2-0 ECACHL)
LAST WEEK: L vs. Wayne State, 5-4; W vs. Wayne State,
2-0. THIS WEEK: vs. Rensselaer, vs. Union. |
| 16. |
 Yale |
1 |
After playing four straight on the road,
Yale plays five of its next six games at home. |
| 6-2-1 (3-1-0 ECACHL)
LAST WEEK: T at Mercyhurst, 4-4 ot; L at Boston University,
2-1 ot. THIS WEEK: vs. Clarkson, vs. St. Lawrence. |
| 17. |
 Massachusetts |
5 |
Backs are against the wall for the first time this season
after a poor showing last week. Should be interesting
to see how the young Minutemen respond. |
| 6-3-1 (4-2-0 Hockey
East) LAST WEEK: L vs. Vermont, 2-0; L at Union, 4-3.
THIS WEEK: at Boston University, vs. Niagara. |
| 18. |
 Dartmouth |
— |
Dartmouth doesn't play again until Dec. 16, when it
faces Harvard. In the meantime, the rest of the ECACHL
teams can catch up to the nine league games that Dartmouth
and Harvard have played. |
| 5-3-2 (4-3-2 ECACHL)
LAST WEEK: T vs. Princeton, 3-3 ot; T vs. Quinnipiac,
3-3 ot. THIS WEEK: Off. |
| 19. |
 Quinnipiac |
3 |
Quinnipiac plays two games in the entire month of December,
but has nine scheduled in February. |
| 7-4-3 (4-2-2
ECACHL) LAST WEEK: L at Harvard, 4-2; T at Dartmouth,
3-3 ot. THIS WEEK: Off. |
| 20. |
 Niagara |
NR |
By winning Rensselaer's Bank of America Holiday Tournament,
the Purple Eagles extended their unbeaten streak to seven
straight (5-0-2). |
| 8-5-3 (4-1-3 CHA) LAST WEEK:
W at Rensselaer, 5-3; W vs. Colgate 3-1 (RPI Holiday Tournament).
THIS WEEK: at Massachusetts. |