If the INCH Power Rankings could be measured
by a seismograph, last week’s certainly would’ve
caused a spike in the reading with all the changes that took
place. This week, however, can be considered an aftershock
with just some minor rumbling here and there. Minnesota was
the biggest mover this week, shooting up four spots to no.
16. And while we’re on the tectonic theme, don’t
blame us if you think your favorite team is unfairly ranked—we
just analyze the readings, so it’s not our fault (pun
intended).
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. |
 North
Dakota |
— |
Matt Frattin scored his 25th, 26th, and 27th goals of
the season in the Fighting Sioux's sweep of Bemidji State.
In the last 10 seasons, the only NoDak players with more
goals in a single season are Bryan Lundbohm (32 in 2000-01),
Brandon Bochenski (35 in 2002-03), and Ryan Duncan (31
in 2006-07). |
| 24-8-3 (19-6-1
WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Bemidji State, 5-2; W vs. Bemidji
State, 5-1. THIS WEEK: at Michigan Tech, at Michigan Tech |
| 2. |
 Boston
College |
— |
As if Boston College needed more scoring depth, winger
Barry Almeida pitched in with a goal in each game as the
Eagles picked up a pair of one-goal wins against UMass.
Almeida now has five goals on the year. |
| 24-7-1 (18-6-1
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: W at Massachusetts, 4-3; W vs.
Massachusetts, 2-1. THIS WEEK: vs. New Hampshire, at New
Hampshire |
| 3. |
 Union |
 1 |
Union's first ECAC Hockey regular-season championship
has historic significance for that program, but the most
impressive part of this season was its closing stretch
with a 14-1-1 record over the final eight weekends and
36 points from 22 league games. For a comparison ... |
| 25-7-4 (17-3-2
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: T vs. Quinnipiac, 2-2 ot; W vs.
Princeton, 5-0. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 4. |
 Yale |
 1 |
... Yale totaled three more points in ECAC Hockey play
than they did in each of the last two seasons, when they
won the Cleary Cup with 32 points and a 15-5-2 conference
record each season. |
| 23-5-1 (17-4-1
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: T vs. Colgate, 1-1 ot; W vs. Cornell,
4-1. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 5. |
 Miami |
1 |
The RedHawks extended their current unbeaten streak
to a season-high nine games (6-0-3) with a sweep of Lake
Superior State. During that span, Miami has outscored
its opponents by a 36-15 margin. |
| 19-9-6 (16-7-5
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Lake Superior State, 8-1; W at Lake
Superior State, 4-1. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 6. |
 New
Hampshire |
1 |
For the second year in a row, UNH controls its own destiny
in the final weekend of Hockey East play to win the league
title during a home-and-home with Boston College. The
Wildcats hold a one-point lead over the Eagles and play
at BC on Friday followed by a return match at the Whitt
on Saturday. |
| 19-7-6 (17-4-4
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: T vs. Northeastern, 2-2 ot; W
at Northeastern, 6-3. THIS WEEK: at Boston College, vs.
Boston College |
| 7. |
 Merrimack |
2 |
The initial drafts of this week's INCH Power Rankings
had Merrimack dropping a little further after being swept
at Maine. After we reviewed some of the data, we saw that
Merrimack lost back-to-back games for the first time this
season. In the 31st and 32nd games of the year. Whoa. |
| 21-7-4 (15-7-3
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: L at Maine, 4-0; L at Maine, 7-1.
THIS WEEK: vs. Providence, at Providence |
| 8. |
 Michigan |
2 |
The Wolverines earned their 11th CCHA regular-season
title by winning their last six games after being swept
at Miami earlier this month. Four of those six wins were
by one goal. |
| 23-9-4 (20-7-1
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Northern Michigan, 3-2; W at Northern
Michigan, 5-0. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 9. |
 Denver |
1 |
Forwards Drew Shore and Jason Zucker extended lengthy
point streaks in the Pioneers' split at Nebraska-Omaha.
Shore had two goals and an assist against the Mavs to
move his streak to eight games, while Zucker, with two
goals and two assists, now has at least one point in nine
straight games. |
| 20-9-5 (16-7-3
WCHA) LAST WEEK: L at Nebraska-Omaha, 5-2; W at Nebraska-Omaha,
4-2. THIS WEEK: vs. St. Cloud State, vs. St. Cloud State |
| 10. |
 Notre
Dame |
1 |
Should T.J. Tynan score a goal and Anders
Lee record an assist in one of the team's remaining games,
the rookie duo will become the first Fighting Irish teammates
to eclipse the 20-goal, 20-assist plateau in the same
season since Brent Chapman and Tim Reilly did it in 1984-85.
|
| 21-10-5
(18-7-3 CCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Western Michigan, 3-2; L
vs. Western Michigan, 2-0. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 11. |
 Minnesota
Duluth |
2 |
The Bulldogs hit Thanksgiving with an 11-1-2 overall
record and an 8-1-1 mark in WCHA play. Since then, UMD
has gone 8-7-4 overall , 6-6-4 against conference opponents,
and hasn't won consecutive home games. |
| 19-8-6 (14-7-5
WCHA) LAST WEEK: L at Colorado College, 5-4; T at Colorado
College, 3-3 ot. THIS WEEK: vs. Nebraska-Omaha, vs. Nebraska-Omaha |
| 12. |
 Nebraska-Omaha |
1 |
When the Mavericks beat Denver Friday, it was their
16th WCHA win of the season. That's the most ever by a
UNO team in conference play, surpassing the 15 wins the
Mavs piled up during the 2000-01 CCHA campaign. |
| 20-12-2
(16-8-2 WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Denver, 5-2; L vs. Denver,
4-2. THIS WEEK: at Minnesota Duluth, at Minnesota Duluth |
| 13. |
 Boston
University |
1 |
The Terriers are usually a lock to pick up wins in the
Beanpot, but things went differently this year. Two Beanpot
losses are BU's only setbacks since Jan. 22. The Terriers
are 7-0-2 in Hockey East play since then and have vaulted
into third place in the league standings. |
| 17-9-8 (14-5-6
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: T vs. Vermont, 3-3 ot; W vs. Vermont,
3-1. THIS WEEK: at Northeastern, vs. Northeastern |
| 14. |
 Western
Michigan |
2 |
The Broncos snapped a four-game losing streak and five-game
winless streak with a win at Notre Dame Saturday. The
win also locked WMU into fourth place in the CCHA standings;
the Broncos will host Ferris State in a best-of-three
quarterfinal series in two weeks. |
| 16-10-10
(10-9-9 CCHA) LAST WEEK: L vs. Notre Dame, 3-2; W at Notre
Dame, 2-0. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 15. |
 Rensselaer |
3 |
RPI was one of four ECAC Hockey teams vying for two
first-round bye spots entering the final weekend. Those
four teams went a combined 2-4-1, and Princeton got one
of those wins in a head-to-head against the Engineers.
Dartmouth and Cornell were the beneficiaries and finished
third and fourth in the league. |
| 19-10-5
(11-9-2 ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: L vs. Princeton, 4-3;
T vs. Quinnipiac, 2-2 ot. THIS WEEK: vs. Colgate (ECAC
Hockey First Round Series) |
| 16. |
 Minnesota |
4 |
The Gophers' current five-game unbeaten streak is the
team's longest since starting the 2008-09 season with
a 7-0-4 mark. That club closed the year with a 10-13-3
record and missed the NCAA Tournament. |
| 15-12-5
(12-10-4 WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Michigan Tech, 5-2; W
vs. Michigan Tech, 5-2. THIS WEEK: at Bemidji State, at
Bemidji State |
| 17. |
 Wisconsin |
2 |
When the Badgers lose, they lose in bunches. Nine of
their 13 defeats this season have come during different
six-game winless streaks—the first was an 0-4-2
skid from Nov. 6-27, the second is their current 0-5-1
slide that started Feb. 11 and was extended when St. Cloud
State swept Wisconsin at the National Hockey Center this
past weekend. |
| 19-13-4
(11-12-3 WCHA) LAST WEEK: L at St. Cloud State, 4-2; L
at St. Cloud State, 7-3. THIS WEEK: vs. Colorado College,
vs. Colorado College |
| 18. |
 Maine |
NR |
The Black Bears convincingly swept Merrimack, and might
have also fired a psychological salvo, as Merrimack and
Maine currently stand fourth and fifth in Hockey East.
They would meet in the first round of the playoffs, barring
a standings shake-up on the final week of the regular
season. |
| 16-10-6
(13-8-4 Hockey East) LAST WEEK: W vs. Merrimack, 4-0;
W vs. Merrimack, 7-1. THIS WEEK: at Massachusetts, at
Massachusetts |
| 19. |
 Colorado
College |
NR |
This weekend's series against Wisconsin at the Kohl
Center could serve as a preview of a WCHA first-round
playoff series. If the current standings hold, the Tigers
would host the Badgers for a best-of-three set starting
March 11. |
| 18-15-3
(12-12-2 WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Minnesota Duluth, 5-4;
T vs. Minnesota Duluth, 3-3 ot. THIS WEEK: at Wisconsin,
at Wisconsin |
| 20. |
 Dartmouth |
NR |
Dartmouth didn't do much this weekend to earn the 20th
spot in the Power Rankings, but their overall body of
work is impressive. To finish third in a very strong ECAC
Hockey and also grab a non-league win over UNH is a testament
to a fine regular season for the Big Green. |
| 16-10-3
(12-8-2 ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W vs. St. Lawrence, 4-2;
L vs. Clarkson, 4-1. THIS WEEK: Off |