The INCH Power Rankings check in one more time
before the start of the NCAA Tournament. We've got a look
at some of the notes from conference tournaments, a look ahead
at some of the NCAA trends for given teams, and wrap up the
year on nice seasons for Dartmouth, BU, RIT and Wisconsin.
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 |
— |
The Fighting Sioux have played 60 NCAA Tournament games
in their program’s history. They’ve won 40
of them for a .667 winning percentage, tops among all
schools, and only Minnesota (50), Michigan (47), and Boston
College (41) have more total tournament victories. |
| 30-8-3 LAST
WEEK: W vs. Colorado College, 4-3; W vs. Denver, 3-2 2ot
(WCHA Final Five). THIS WEEK: vs. Rensselaer (NCAA Midwest
Regional) |
| 2. |
 Boston
College |
— |
Boston College leads the nation with 13 short-handed
goals. Their first-round for in the NCAAs, Colorado College,
has yielded 11 shorties. |
| 30-7-1 LAST
WEEK: W vs. Northeastern, 5-4; W vs. Merrimack, 5-3 (Hockey
East Championship). THIS WEEK: vs. Colorado College (NCAA
West Regional) |
| 3. |
 Miami |
— |
The RedHawks are making their sixth straight trip to
the NCAA Tournament. Only Michigan (21 in a row), New
Hampshire (10), and North Dakota (nine) have longer streaks
intact. |
| 23-9-6 LAST
WEEK: W vs. Notre Dame, 6-2; W vs. Western Michigan, 5-2
(CCHA Championship). THIS WEEK: vs. New Hampshire (NCAA
Northeast Regional) |
| 4. |
 Yale |
 1 |
Saturday's ECAC Hockey title game was the 100th career
game for junior forward Kevin Limbert, and he celebrated
the century mark by scoring the first two goals of the
championship game victory. |
| 27-6-1 LAST
WEEK: W vs. Colgate, 4-0; W vs. Cornell, 6-0 (ECAC Hockey
Championship). THIS WEEK: vs. Air Force (NCAA East Regional) |
| 5. |
 Michigan |
 1 |
We think of him as one of the best coaches in college
hockey. In St. Louis, site of the NCAA West Regional,
Red Berenson is remembered as one of the greatest players
to ever don a Blues sweater; he ranks among the top 10
in all of the franchise’s major offensive categories. |
| 26-10-4
LAST WEEK: L vs. Western Michigan, 5-2; W vs. Notre Dame,
4-2 (CCHA Championship). THIS WEEK: vs. Nebraska-Omaha
(NCAA West Regional) |
| 6. |
 Merrimack |
1 |
Mike Collins had three points in the Hockey East championship
weekend and earned conference Rookie of the Week honors. |
| 25-9-4 LAST
WEEK: W vs. New Hampshire, 4-1; L vs. Boston College,
5-3 (Hockey East Championship). THIS WEEK: vs. Notre Dame
(NCAA Northeast Regional) |
| 7. |
 Union |
— |
Union and first-round NCAA opponent Minnesota Duluth
played four common opponents this year — Alaska
Anchorage, Bemidji State, Clarkson and Minnesota. The
Dutchmen were 4-1-0 in games against those teams, and
Minnesota Duluth was 6-2-3. |
| 26-9-4 LAST
WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. Minnesota Duluth (NCAA East
Regional) |
| 8. |
 Denver |
1 |
The Pioneers are making their fourth straight NCAA Tournament
appearance, but have been knocked out in the first round
in each of their previous three visits. DU’s last
NCAA win? The 2005 championship game in Columbus. |
| 24-11-5
LAST WEEK: W vs. Bemidji State, 6-2; L vs. North Dakota,
3-2 2 ot (WCHA Final Five). THIS WEEK: vs. Western Michigan
(NCAA Midwest Regional) |
| 9. |
 New
Hampshire |
1 |
This is UNH's 10th straight tournament. In the Wildcats'
first games of tournament play the previous nine years,
they are 5-0 against teams from ECAC Hockey and the WCHA.
They are 0-4 against teams from the CCHA. |
| 21-10-6
LAST WEEK: L vs. Merrimack, 4-1 (Hockey East Championship).
THIS WEEK: vs. Miami (NCAA Northeast Regional) |
| 10. |
 Western
Michigan |
2 |
Just wondering: Will the Broncos stay in
a hotel in Green Bay this weekend, or will WMU grad and
current Packer star Greg Jennings just leave the key to
his place under the door mat? |
| 19-12-10
LAST WEEK: W vs. Michigan, 5-2; L vs. Miami, 5-2 (CCHA
Championship). THIS WEEK: vs. Denver (NCAA Midwest Regional) |
| 11. |
 Colorado
College |
2 |
Blues fans are encouraged to check out one part of their
team’s future—CC forward Jaden Schwartz, the
Blues’ first-round pick in last year’s draft—at
this weekend’s West Regional. We guarantee you’ll
like what you see. |
| 22-18-3
LAST WEEK: W vs. Alaska Anchorage, 4-2; L vs. North Dakota,
4-3 (WCHA Final Five). THIS WEEK: vs. Boston College (NCAA
West Regional) |
| 12. |
 Minnesota
Duluth |
2 |
The Bulldogs have been to the Frozen Four on three occasions.
The other three teams in the East Regional—Yale,
Union, and Air Force—have combined for a total of
three NCAA Tournament victories. |
| 22-10-6
LAST WEEK: L vs. Bemidji State, 3-2 ot (WCHA Final Five).
THIS WEEK: vs. Union (NCAA East Regional) |
| 13. |
 Notre
Dame |
2 |
The two defeats at Joe Louis Arena marked just the third
time all year the Irish dropped back-to-back contests.
They haven't had a three-game losing streak. |
| 23-13-5
LAST WEEK: L vs. Miami, 6-2; L vs. Michigan, 4-2 (CCHA
Championship). THIS WEEK: vs. Merrimack (NCAA Northeast
Regional) |
| 14. |
 Dartmouth |
— |
The Big Green finished with 19 wins and were not invited
to the NCAA Tournament, the third time in the last six
seasons that they were six games or more over .500 and
not a part of the NCAA field. |
| 19-12-3
LAST WEEK: L vs. Cornell, 3-0; W vs. Colgate, 5-3 (ECAC
Hockey Championship). THIS WEEK: Off |
| 15. |
 Nebraska-Omaha |
— |
Last week, Dean Blais was named coach of the U.S. team
that will compete in the 2012 World Junior Championship.
Mavs fans hope Blais can use the magic touch he had with
the U.S. team that won the 2010 WJC, as he leads UNO in
St. Louis this weekend. |
| 21-15-2
LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. Michigan (NCAA West Regional) |
| 16. |
 Boston
University |
— |
By posting a 19-12-8 mark this year, Boston University
finished with a winning record for the seventh year in
a row. |
| 19-12-8
LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 17. |
 Air
Force |
3 |
Remember me? Forward Jacques Lamoureux popped back into
the spotlight at last weekend’s Atlantic Hockey
tournament, scoring the game-winning goals against both
Holy Cross and RIT to lead the Falcons to their fourth
NCAA Tournament bid in five years. |
| 20-11-6
LAST WEEK: W vs. Holy Cross, 3-2; W vs. RIT, 1-0 (Atlantic
Hockey Championship). THIS WEEK: vs. Yale (NCAA East Regional) |
| 18. |
 RIT |
1 |
Tyler Brenner led RIT in scoring as a junior with 26
goals and 41 points, and signed a professional contract
with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization earlier this
week. |
| 19-11-8
LAST WEEK: W vs. Connecticut, 4-2; L vs. Air Force, 1-0
(Atlantic Hockey Championship). THIS WEEK: Off |
| 19. |
 Rensselaer |
— |
RPI and North Dakota have met before in the NCAA Tournament.
The Engineers hosted the Sioux in a quarterfinal series
in 1984, which North Dakota won with 5-4 and 4-2 victories.
The next year, RPI won the national title. |
| 20-12-5
LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. North Dakota (NCAA Midwest
Regional) |
| 20. |
 Wisconsin |
2 |
Nice weekend for ex-Badger Blake Geoffrion, who scored
a goal in Nashville’s 3-1 win against Detroit Friday
and scored three goals in the Predators’ 4-3 OT
win at Buffalo the following night. |
| 21-16-4
LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: Off |