The top two teams in the INCH Power Rankings
took care of business and advanced to the Frozen Four. Things
weren't so easy for many other teams during a wild weekend
of NCAA Tournament action.
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 |
— |
Of its nine national championships, Michigan won six
in Colorado Springs and one in Denver. Of course, Colorado
was still a territory back then. |
| 33-5-4. LAST WEEK:
W vs. Niagara, 5-1; W vs. Clarkson, 2-0. FROZEN FOUR:
vs. Notre Dame (April 10). |
| 2. |
 North
Dakota |
— |
Before they drop the puck in the semifinals, should
we have the Sioux and Eagles wrap up that two period,
0-0 game from October? |
| 28-10-4. LAST
WEEK: W vs. Princeton, 5-1; W vs. Wisconsin, 3-2 ot. FROZEN
FOUR: vs. Boston College (April 10). |
| 3. |
 Boston
College |
 4 |
Joe Whitney's name goes hand-in-hand with Bobby Orr's
after Sunday's high-flying winner. The good news is that
he gets to go to the Frozen Four; the bad is that he'll
have to leave Boston. |
| 23-11-8. LAST
WEEK: W vs. Minnesota, 5-2; W vs. Miami, 4-3 ot. FROZEN
FOUR: vs. North Dakota (April 10). |
| 4. |
 Miami |
 1 |
Don't feel too bad for the RedHawks. Though they just
missed the Frozen Four this year, they'll be prime candidates
for D.C. in '09 with Camper, Martinez, and Zatkoff among
the 18 returnees. |
| 33-8-1. LAST WEEK:
W vs. Air Force, 3-2 ot; L vs. Boston College, 4-3 ot. |
| 5. |
 Colorado
College |
1 |
Likewise, the Tigers lose just four seniors from this
year's WCHA regular-season championship squad, although
the prospect-poor Toronto Maple Leafs could take a run
at signing junior forward Chad Rau. |
| 28-12-1. LAST
WEEK: L vs. Michigan State, 3-1. |
| 6. |
 Notre
Dame |
8 |
The Fighting Irish have won four CCHA and NCAA playoff
games in the last three weeks after winning a total of
six games over the final two months of the regular season. |
| 26-15-4. LAST
WEEK: W vs. New Hampshire, 7-3; W vs. Michigan State,
3-1. FROZEN FOUR: vs. Michigan (April 10). |
| 7. |
 Michigan
State |
1 |
The Spartans lost all four of their neutral-site games
in 2007-08 and were outscored by a 17-7 margin in those
defeates. In its 12 losses this season, MSU scored a total
of 18 goals. |
| 25-12-5. LAST
WEEK: W vs. Colorado College, 3-1; L vs. Notre Dame, 3-1. |
| 8. |
 New
Hampshire |
2 |
Jerry Pollastrone got the Wildcats off to a good start
1:04 into the game, but four straight UNH penalties proved
to be their undoing. |
| 25-10-3. LAST
WEEK: L vs. Notre Dame, 7-3. |
| 9. |
 Denver |
4 |
Replacing goaltender Peter Mannino will be difficult,
but the Pioneers bring back just about everyone else next
year, including high-scoring forwards Bozak, Ostrow, Rakhshani,
and Ruegsegger. |
| 26-14-1. LAST
WEEK: L vs. Wisconsin, 6-2. |
| 10. |
 Clarkson |
3 |
Clarkson's graduating senior class was
a part of a 13-23-3 season in their freshman year, but
won 18, 25, and 22 games the next three years and made
two trips to the NCAA Tournament. |
| 22-13-4. LAST
WEEK: W vs. St. Cloud State, 2-1; L vs. Michigan, 2-0. |
| 11. |
 Princeton |
— |
Princeton fans might always wonder how the game would've
turned out if not for two eye-popping saves by North Dakota's
J-P Lamoureux on Mark Magnowski during the second period. |
| 21-14-0. LAST
WEEK: L vs. North Dakota, 5-1. |
| 12. |
 Minnesota
State |
2 |
The Mavs had only three seniors on its roster this season,
but they'll also have to replace forward Jon Kalinski,
who
signed with the Philadelphia Flyers last week. |
| 19-16-4. LAST
WEEK: Off. |
| 13. |
 St.
Cloud State |
4 |
The Huskies suffered 16 defeats this season. Ten of
them were one-goal losses, and three were two-goal losses
with an empty-netter added for insurance in the last minute. |
| 19-16-5. LAST
WEEK: L vs. Clarkson, 2-1. |
| 14. |
 Minnesota |
2 |
Freshman goaltender Alex Kangas finished the season
with an odd-looking 12-10-9 record, but set single-season
school records for GAA (1.98) and save percentage (.930)
in the process. |
| 19-17-9. LAST
WEEK: L vs. Boston College, 5-2. |
| 15. |
 Wisconsin |
NR |
Sophomore forward Blake Geoffrion scored 30 points in
36 games for the Badgers this season, up from six points
in 36 games during his rookie campaign. |
| 16-17-7. LAST
WEEK: W vs. Denver, 6-2; L vs. North Dakota, 3-2 ot. |
| 16. |
 Air
Force |
3 |
Eric Ehn's return was more than a compelling storyline
– he was a factor all night and nearly helped goaltender
Andrew Volkening lead the Falcons to the upset of the
tournament. |
| 21-12-6. LAST
WEEK: L vs. Miami, 3-2 ot. |
| 17. |
 Harvard |
2 |
Texan: "Where are you from?"
Harvard graduate: "I come from a place where we do
not end our sentences with prepositions."
Texan: "OK, where are you from, jackass?" |
| 17-13-4. LAST
WEEK: Off. |
| 18. |
 Niagara |
1 |
The Purple Eagles were undone by the combination of
Kevin Porter and Chad Kolarik. Let's make this clear:
there's absolutely no shame in that. |
| 22-10-4. LAST
WEEK: L vs. Michigan, 5-1. |
| 19. |
 Boston
University |
2 |
It's painful not to make the tournament, but it's just
a flesh wound unless your archrival makes it to the Frozen
Four. |
| 19-17-4. LAST WEEK: Off. |
| 20. |
 Cornell |
2 |
Raymond Sawada signed a pro contract with Dallas last
week and was assigned to the Stars' AHL affiliate in Iowa.
He scored a goal in his first pro game on Friday night. |
| 19-14-3. LAST WEEK: Off. |