The midseason break inches toward us with a
very light schedule next week before holiday tournaments and
series take center stage. As a result, this is the final installment
of the INCH Power Rankings until Jan. 2.
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. |
 Yale |
— |
How good has Yale's offense been? Four players are averaging
better than a point and a half per game — Broc Little
and Andrew Miller (19 points in 12 games) and Denny Kearney
and Brian O'Neill (18 points in 12 games). |
| 11-1-0 (6-0-0
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W vs. Vermont, 3-0. THIS WEEK:
Off |
| 2. |
 New
Hampshire |
 3 |
Paul Thompson (5 g, 4 a) and Mike Sislo (1 g, 8 a) each
have nine points during UNH's current four-game winning
streak. |
| 10-2-4 (8-1-2
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: W at Maine, 4-3 ot. THIS WEEK:
Off |
| 3. |
 North
Dakota |
1 |
With its sweep of Minnesota State in Mankato this weekend,
the Fighting Sioux improved to 8-1-1 in their last 10
games. |
| 13-5-2 (11-3-0
WCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Minnesota State, 4-3; W at Minnesota
State, 4-2. THIS WEEK: vs. US NTDP Under-18s (Ex.) |
| 4. |
 Minnesota
Duluth |
 2 |
The Bulldogs had a marvelous first half, but their margin
of error seems pretty slim. Of their 15 games to date,
three have ended in ties and nine have been decided by
one goal. |
| 12-3-3 (9-3-2
WCHA) LAST WEEK: L at Minnesota, 3-2; T at Minnesota,
2-2 ot. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 5. |
 Boston
College |
1 |
BC's current three-game winning streak matches its longest
win streak of the year, when the Eagles started the year
3-0-0. |
| 11-5-0 (9-4-0
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 6. |
 Maine |
3 |
After coughing up a two-goal lead and losing in overtime
Friday, the Black Bears scored three goals in the third
period to end the first half on a positive note with a
win over UMass. Brian Flynn had a hat trick for Maine. |
| 8-4-4 (6-3-2
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: L vs. New Hampshire, 4-3 ot; W
vs. Massachusetts, 4-1. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 7. |
 Nebraska-Omaha |
— |
The Mavericks have one of the shorter holiday breaks
in the nation—just 10 free days between Sunday’s
game at Colorado College and a Dec. 30 contest at Quinnipiac. |
| 11-4-1 (8-3-1
WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Michigan Tech, 5-2; W vs. Michigan
Tech, 3-1. THIS WEEK: at Colorado College, at Colorado
College |
| 8. |
 Union |
1 |
Union's two-win weekend was the team's third this season,
and they've done it emphatically each time. The Dutchmen
scored 16 goals in a sweep of Sacred Heart; 13 in wins
over RIT and Niagara; and 14 most recently against AIC
and Army. |
| 10-3-3 (3-2-1
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W vs. American International,
8-1; W vs. Army, 6-2. THIS WEEK: at Western Michigan,
at Western Michigan |
| 9. |
 Michigan |
2 |
Lost in the hoopla surrounding Saturday’s record-setting
“Big Chill at The Big House” is that the Wolverines
played their best game of the season, completely dominating
Michigan State in front of 113,000-plus fans. |
| 10-5-4
(9-3-1 CCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Michigan State, 5-0 (Big
Chill). THIS WEEK: Off |
| 10. |
 Miami |
— |
One part of Miami's success that probably doesn't get
mentioned as much as it should? The RedHawks penalty-killing,
which ranks third nationally at 89.4 percent and has scored
three short-handed goals. |
| 10-5-3 (8-4-2
CCHA) LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 11. |
 Denver |
1 |
Freshman forward Jason Zucker scored his 13th and 14th
goals of the season Friday at Alaska Anchorage, good for
first among NCAA rookies and tied for third nationally
in that category. |
| 12-5-3 (9-3-2
WCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Alaska Anchorage, 5-3; T at Alaska
Anchorage, 2-2 ot. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 12. |
 Rensselaer |
3 |
RPI remained perfect at home this year (7-0-0) with
a 4-1 win over BU on Saturday afternoon. All four Engineer
goals came on special teams with three power-play goals
and one short-handed. |
| 9-4-3 (3-3-0
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W vs. Boston University, 4-1.
THIS WEEK: vs. USA Under-20s (Ex.) |
| 13. |
 Boston
University |
5 |
BU was outshot by Northeastern 41-20, but
Kieran Millan made 37 saves and Alex Chiasson scored the
game-winning goal with 3:27 remaining to help the Terriers
get back in the win column. |
| 8-4-5 (6-3-4
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: W vs. Northeastern, 5-4; L at
Rensselaer, 4-1. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 14. |
 Wisconsin |
2 |
The Badgers are in the midst of a stretch during which
they play 12 of 14 games in Madison, but they have yet
to capitalize. Even after sweeping Bemidji State this
weekend, Bucky has a paltry 4-5-1 mark 10 games into that
run. |
| 10-7-3 (6-6-2
WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Bemidji State, 3-2; W vs. Bemidji
State, 2-0. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 15. |
 Notre
Dame |
2 |
Leading scorer T.J. Tynan has scored 17 of his 23 points
in the Fighting Irish’s last 12 games and has notched
nine of his team-high 11 goals during that same span. |
| 11-6-2 (9-4-1
CCHA) LAST WEEK: L vs. Northern Michigan, 3-2; W vs. Northern
Michigan, 5-2. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 16. |
 Alaska |
2 |
Now that’s what we call a break—the Nanooks
played their last game of 2010 last Saturday (Dec. 11)
at Ferris State. They get back at it when they welcome
Western Michigan to Fairbanks Jan. 7. |
| 9-6-3 (6-5-3
WCHA) LAST WEEK: L at Ferris State, 4-2; W at Ferris State,
4-3 ot. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 17. |
 Merrimack
|
— |
Fast starts have been a key for Merrimack this season.
The Warriors are outscoring opponents 16-7 in the first
period of their games, including a 14-6 margin in Hockey
East contests. |
| 7-4-4 (5-4-3
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 18. |
 Robert
Morris |
2 |
Four of the Colonials 10 wins have come by one goal,
and two others were two-goal victories salted away by
an empty-net goal. When the game has been close, more
often than not Robert Morris has gotten it done. |
| 10-4-2 (7-4-2
Atlantic Hockey) LAST WEEK: W at Alabama-Huntsville, 4-3;
W at Alabama-Huntsville, 2-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Colgate,
vs. Colgate |
| 19. |
 Ferris
State |
1 |
Only two Bulldog skaters have reached double digits
in points through 19 games, but 22 players have at least
one point and 16 different players have scored a goal. |
| 9-7-3 (6-6-3
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Alaska, 4-2; L vs. Alaska, 4-3
ot. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 20. |
 Clarkson |
NR |
Clarkson's nine-goal outing Sunday was the team's highest
goal-output since the 1998-99 season in a 9-3 win over
Brown. The Golden Knights have 10 wins, which surpasses
the team's total all of last year. |
| 10-5-2 (4-2-1
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W at Sacred Heart, 9-2. THIS WEEK:
Off |