There were plenty of movers and shakers among
the top-five teams in the INCH Power Rankings. Even though
last week's top team, Boston College, was shaken on the road
at South Bend, they didnt move. We still think they're the
best team in the nation, and that's reflected this 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. |
 Boston
College |
— |
The number-one team in the INCH Power Rankings lost
last weekend, but we still give the defending national
champs the benefit of the doubt this week. |
| 3-1-0 (1-0-0
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: L at Notre Dame, 2-1. THIS WEEK:
vs. Merrimack, at Merrimack |
| 2. |
 Miami |
 2 |
In this very space last week, we offered our RedHawk
advance scouting report for the world to see: Keep an
eye on No. 11. Based on Carter Camper’s weekend
numbers (1-7—8), we’re guessing Northern Michigan
chose to not heed our advice. |
| 4-1-1 (2-0-0
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Northern Michigan, 4-0; W vs. Northern
Michigan, 9-1 |
| 3. |
 Minnesota
Duluth |
2 |
Based on Bulldog fans’ tweets, freshman forward
J.T. Brown is the new favorite among that group. He’s
scored nine points in six games, one of them being the
winning goal in Friday’s OT triumph against Alaska
Anchorage. |
| 5-0-1 (2-0-0
WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Alaska Anchorage, 3-2 ot; W vs.
Alaska Anchorage, 6-0. THIS WEEK: at Bemidji State, at
Bemidji State |
| 4. |
 Michigan |
 1 |
Senior winger Scooter Vaughn, a former defenseman,
scored two goals in Saturday’s 6-1 rout of Nebraska-Omaha.
He’s got four goals in six games this season;
coming into the year, Vaughn had two goals in 93 career
games. |
| 3-1-2 (2-0-0
CCHA) LAST WEEK: L vs. Nebraska-Omaha, 4-2; W vs. Nebraska-Omaha,
6-1. THIS WEEK: at Ferris State, vs. Ferris State |
| 5. |
 Boston
University |
4 |
Living dangerously is just fine - the operative word
is living. The Terriers are unbeaten thanks to four one-goal
wins and a tie. |
| 4-0-1 (2-0-1
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: W at Massachusetts, 4-3; W vs.
Providence, 2-1. THIS WEEK: at UMass Lowell, vs. UMass
Lowell |
| 6. |
 Maine |
7 |
The Black Bears delivered the statement of the young
season and did it with a chorus of voices -- eight players
had goals and two goalies got wins. |
| 3-1-2 (1-0-0
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: W vs. North Dakota, 7-3; W vs.
North Dakota, 4-2. THIS WEEK: at Vermont |
| 7. |
 North
Dakota |
5 |
The last time the Fighting Sioux got swept by a non-conference
opponent? Why, that was Oct. 20-21, 2006, when Maine won
two games at Engelstad Arena. |
| 3-2-1 (2-0-0
WCHA) LAST WEEK: L at Maine, 7-3; L at Maine, 4-2. THIS
WEEK: vs. Denver, vs. Denver |
| 8. |
 Yale |
2 |
Yale hosts the Ivy Shootout this weekend to start the
year. This year it takes on a tournament format, with
Friday's winners meeting Saturday night at The Whale. |
| 0-0-0 (0-0-0
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. Brown, vs.
Dartmouth/Princeton (Ivy Shootout) |
| 9. |
 Union |
1 |
Union has scored 29 goals in four home games this year.
Needless to say, they're 4-0-0 at Messa Rink. |
| 5-1-0 (0-0-0
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W vs. Niagara, 6-1; W vs. RIT,
7-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Connecticut, vs. Rensselaer (Lake
Placid, N.Y.) |
| 10. |
 Michigan
State |
2 |
After giving up four goals in the Spartans’
season opener against Maine, junior goalie Drew Palmisano
has allowed a total of four goals in three games since. |
| 2-0-2 (1-0-1
CCHA) LAST WEEK: T vs. Alaska, 1-1 ot; W vs. Alaska, 4-1.
THIS WEEK: vs. Alabama-Huntsville, vs. Alabama-Huntsville |
| 11. |
 New
Hampshire |
3 |
The Wildcats visit Ithaca seven months and three days
after bouncing Cornell from the NCAA Tournament, in the
Big Red's first non-exhibition action since then. |
| 1-1-2 (0-0-1
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: T at Northeastern, 2-2 ot. THIS
WEEK: at Cornell |
| 12. |
 Denver |
1 |
With a name like Zucker, he has to be good: Freshman
Jason Zucker scored twice in the Pioneers’ 4-2 defeat
of Wisconsin Friday. |
| 2-2-2 (1-0-1
WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Wisconsin, 4-2; T vs. Wisconsin,
2-2 ot. THIS WEEK: at North Dakota, at North Dakota |
| 13. |
 Notre
Dame |
1 |
"To win a game like that, you have to have a difference-maker
in goal," coach Jeff Jackson said following his team’s
2-1 win over visiting Boston College. That difference
maker would be Irish sophomore Mike Johnson (28 saves). |
| 4-1-0 (2-0-0
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Boston College, 2-1. THIS WEEK:
vs. Western Michigan, at Western Michigan |
| 14. |
 Nebraska-Omaha |
2 |
Nebraska-Omaha suffered its first loss of the year,
a 6-1 setback at Michigan. Next up, 12 straight WCHA games
between now and Christmas. |
| 5-1-0 (2-0-0
WCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Michigan, 4-2; L at Michigan, 6-1.
THIS WEEK: Off |
| 15. |
 Alaska |
8 |
Scott Greenham is good – real good – in
goal, but he can’t score. Neither can the Nanooks
for that matter, with just seven goals in their last five
games. |
| 3-2-1 (0-1-1
CCHA) LAST WEEK: T at Michigan State, 1-1 ot; L at Michigan
State, 4-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Bowling Green, vs. Bowling
Green |
| 16. |
 Rensselaer |
1 |
RPI remained perfect at Houston Field House with weekend
wins over RIT and Niagara. Freshman Brock Higgs had three
goals and an assist in those games, including the OT-winner
against Niagara. |
| 3-1-2 (0-0-0
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W vs. RIT, 4-1; W vs. Niagara,
4-3 ot. THIS WEEK: vs. Union (Lake Placid, N.Y.) |
| 17. |
 Wisconsin |
2 |
We're still trying to find out about Wisconsin, the
same status we're mired in regarding this week's upcoming
opponent, Michigan Tech. Proving-ground weekend in Madison. |
| 3-2-1 (0-1-1
WCHA) LAST WEEK: L at Denver, 4-2; T at Denver, 2-2 ot.
THIS WEEK: vs. Michigan Tech, vs. Michigan Tech |
| 18. |
 Cornell
|
— |
Freshman goalie Andy Iles got his second start in the
last year at Lynah Rink Saturday night in a 6-0 exhibition
shutout over the US NTDP Under-18 team, the team he played
for last year in beating the Big Red. |
| 0-0-0 (0-0-0
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W vs. Trois-Rivieres, 6-3 (Ex.);
W vs. US NTDP Under-18s, 6-0 (Ex.). THIS WEEK: vs. New
Hampshire, vs. RIT |
| 19. |
 Robert
Morris |
1 |
One factoid lost in the mire of Robert Morris' undefeated
start to the year. Senior forward Nathan Longpre has passed
the 100-point mark for his career. |
| 4-0-0 (3-0-0
Atlantic Hockey) LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: at RIT, at
Niagara |
| 20. |
 Western
Michigan |
NR |
The Broncos are 3-0-1 in their first four road games
this season, pretty heady stuff considering they were
2-14-2 away from Kalamazoo last season. |
| 4-1-1 (0-0-0
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W at St. Lawrence, 3-1; T at St. Lawrence,
3-3 ot. THIS WEEK: at Notre Dame, vs Notre Dame |