The Power Rankings keep an eye on the latest
happenings, but also take the overall picture into consideration.
While St. Cloud State was the most powerful team in the country
this past weekend, they're only 6-3-3 since Jan. 12, whereas
Notre Dame is 10-2-2. Only five of our top 20 teams picked
up two wins last week.
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. |
 Notre
Dame |
— |
"Watching that banner come down was awesome,"
said goaltender David Brown after the Irish celebrated
its first CCHA
championship of any kind following Saturday's win against
Ferris State, "but there is so much more for us to
do this season." |
| 27-6-3 (21-4-3
CCHA) LAST WEEK: L vs. Ferris State, 5-2; W vs. Ferris
State, 2-0. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 2. |
 St.
Cloud State |
 3 |
SoCal native Ryan Lasch's two goals and an assist on
Friday give him 31 points in 26 conference games —
best among WCHA rookies. He chose the Huskies over the
clothing-optional club team at USC. |
| 20-6-6 (14-6-6
WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Minnesota, 5-1; W at Minnesota,
5-3. THIS WEEK: vs. North Dakota, vs. North Dakota |
| 3. |
 Minnesota |
 1 |
Golden Gophers will be at home for the next two weekends,
which may or may not be a good thing. Minnesota is 1-4-0
in its last five home games, and has lost three in a row
at Mariucci Arena. |
| 25-7-3 (17-6-3
WCHA) LAST WEEK: L at St. Cloud State, 5-1; L vs. St.
Cloud State, 5-3. THIS WEEK: vs. Michigan Tech, vs. Michigan
Tech |
| 4. |
 New
Hampshire |
1 |
New Hampshire will get to celebrate its Hockey East
title with a bag skate, after Saturday's clunker against
Providence. |
| 23-7-2 (18-5-2
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: W vs. Providence, 6-4; L at Providence,
7-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Boston College, at Boston College |
| 5. |
 Boston
University |
1 |
The loss to Vermont on Saturday night was just the second
in BU's last 18 games (12-2-4). |
| 18-6-9 (13-5-4
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: W vs. Vermont, 3-1; L vs. Vermont,
3-2. THIS WEEK: at Northeastern |
| 6. |
 Clarkson |
— |
Clarkson allowed a league-best 53 goals in 22 league
games — the stingiest defense in the ECACHL. |
| 21-8-5 (13-5-4
ECACHL) LAST WEEK: L at Princeton, 7-4; W at Quinnipiac,
4-1. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 7. |
 Denver |
— |
J.D. Corbin's first goal of the season came at the perfect
time — overtime — as the Pioneers cooled off
North Dakota just a bit, and clinched home ice. |
| 21-12-3 (13-10-3
WCHA) LAST WEEK:W vs. North Dakota, 4-3 ot; L vs. North
Dakota, 3-0. THIS WEEK: vs. Colorado College, at Colorado
College |
| 8. |
 North
Dakota |
1 |
The tandem of Ryan Duncan and T.J. Oshie had a hand
in five of NoDak's six goals over the weekend, with Duncan
scoring three of them. |
| 18-12-4 (12-10-4
WCHA) LAST WEEK: L at Denver, 4-3 ot; W at Denver, 3-0.
THIS WEEK: at St. Cloud State, at St. Cloud State |
| 9. |
 Miami |
1 |
Junior forward Ryan Jones scored his 27th goal of the
year in the RedHawks' 4-1 loss at Northern Michigan Saturday,
tying him for the 10th-best single season total in that
category in school history. |
| 23-11-4 (16-8-4
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Northern Michigan, 4-1; L at Northern
Michigan, 4-1. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 10. |
 Boston
College |
1 |
BC's top line of Nathan Gerbe, Brian Boyle, and Brock
Bradford has combined for nine goals and 24 points in
the Eagles' last four games. |
| 20-11-1 (16-8-1
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: W vs. UMass Lowell, 3-0; W at
UMass Lowell, 4-3. THIS WEEK: at New Hampshire, vs. New
Hampshire |
| 11. |
 Michigan |
1 |
The Wolverines closed the season with a 2-3-1 record
in their last six games, with each of the three losses
and one of the wins decided by one goal. |
| 23-12-1 (18-9-1
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Ohio State, 4-3; L at Ohio State,
6-5. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 12. |
 St.
Lawrence |
— |
St. Lawrence last won the regular season in the 1999-2000
season. They also won the league tournament and advanced
to the Frozen Four. |
| 20-12-2 (16-5-1
ECACHL) LAST WEEK: W at Quinnipiac, 4-1; L at Princeton,
4-1. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 13. |
 Maine |
— |
The Black Bears proved one of college hockey's long-standing
beliefs: There's nothing like a two-game homestand against
Merrimack to cure your woes. |
| 21-10-2 (14-10-1
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: W vs. Merrimack, 3-0; W vs. Merrimack,
5-1. THIS WEEK: at Massachusetts, at Massachusetts |
| 14. |
 Vermont |
2 |
Kevin Sneddon said his Catamounts played their best
game of the season after dropping a 3-1 decision to BU
Friday night. It makes you wonder what he thought after
Saturday's 3-2 win. |
| 17-13-4 (12-9-4
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: L at Boston University, 3-1; W
at Boston University, 3-2. THIS WEEK: vs. UMass Lowell,
vs. UMass Lowell |
| 15. |
 Michigan
State |
1 |
The Spartans have become the Britney Spears of college
hockey — unpredictable, disappointing, and it doesn't
look like things are going to change for the better. |
| 19-12-3 (15-10-3
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Bowling Green, 5-3; L vs. Bowling
Green, 2-1. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 16. |
 Dartmouth |
NR |
Goaltender Mike Devine stopped 54 of 56
shots he faced this weekend. |
| 16-10-3 (12-7-3
ECACHL) LAST WEEK: W vs. Cornell, 5-1; W vs. Colgate,
3-1. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 17. |
 Niagara |
3 |
Sophomore forward Ted Cook scored two goals in the Purple
Eagles' win and tie against Robert Morris this past weekend,
giving him 31 for the season. He's the first Division
I player to surpass the 30-goal plateau this year. |
| 18-11-5 (9-4-5
CHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Robert Morris, 7-3; T vs. Robert
Morris, 3-3 ot. THIS WEEK: :at Alabama-Huntsville, at
Alabama-Huntsville |
| 18. |
 RIT |
— |
Now that RIT has conquered Atlantic Hockey, it's hoping
to move back up to the ECAC West. |
| 21-11-2 (20-7-1
Atlantic Hockey) LAST WEEK: W at Bentley, 3-0; L at Bentley,
7-6. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 19. |
 Sacred
Heart |
— |
Sacred Heart will open the Atlantic Hockey playoffs
against either Canisius or American International, two
teams that SHU had a combined 5-1-0 record against this
season. |
| 20-10-4 (17-7-4
Atlantic Hockey) LAST WEEK: W at Army, 5-3; L vs. Army,
4-2. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 20. |
 Massachusetts |
NR |
The Minutemen can earn home ice for the Hockey East
opening round for the second time in program history if
things go their way this weekend. |
| 16-11-5 (13-9-3 Hockey East)
LAST WEEK: W vs. Northeastern, 2-0; W at Northeastern,
5-3. |