We entered the past weekend with five undefeated
teams. After four of them suffered their first losses of the
season, only one unbeaten team remains, and Merrimack moved
up to fourth in the Inside College Hockey Power Rankings.
There's also a new No. 1 team, it's the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Following a home sweep of North Dakota, the Gophers have nine
wins on the season, most of any team in the country.
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. |
 Minnesota |
 2 |
Goaltender Kent Patterson needed just nine starts to
match the school’s single-season shutout record
of five set by Robb Stauber in 1987-88. He tied the record
by making 24 saves in Friday’s 2-0 whitewash of
North Dakota. |
| 9-1-0 (6-0-0
WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. North Dakota, 2-0; W vs. North
Dakota, 3-2. THIS WEEK: at Wisconsin, at Wisconsin |
| 2. |
 Boston
College |
 1 |
Duffers on the golf course aren't the only people screaming
"FORE!" The Eagles rallying cry is "FOUR!"
as BC is 8-0-0 when scoring four goals or more, and both
defeats have come when the Eagles have allowed four goals. |
| 8-2-0 (6-1-0
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: W vs. Maine, 5-1; L at Massachusetts,
4-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Northeastern, vs. Boston University |
| 3. |
 Colorado
College |
1 |
One night after goalie Joe Howe struggled in a 7-5 loss
at Nebraska-Omaha, little-used backup Josh Thorimbert
made 45 saves as the Tigers earned a split with a 5-2
win. |
| 5-1-0 (3-1-0
WCHA) LAST WEEK: L at Nebraska-Omaha, 7-5; W at Nebraska-Omaha,
5-2. THIS WEEK: at Denver |
| 4. |
 Merrimack |
2 |
Some say that a shot on goal is never a bad play,
and Merrimack is proving that theory to be true. The
nation's only undefeated team has outshot its opponents
in every game this season. |
| 7-0-1 (5-0-1
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: T vs. Northeastern, 1-1 ot; W
at Northeastern, 3-2 ot. THIS WEEK: at Boston University |
| 5. |
 Michigan |
1 |
Friday’s loss to Western Michigan ended the Wolverines’
20-game home winning streak, a run comprised of 19 matches
at Yost Arena and last December’s Big Chill at the
Big House against Michigan State. |
| 7-2-1 (3-2-1
CCHA) LAST WEEK: L vs. Western Michigan, 3-2; W vs. Western
Michigan, 5-2. THIS WEEK: at Miami, at Miami |
| 6. |
 Union |
1 |
Union is an example of a team with defined roles. Three
players have seven or more assists and just two goals
each. Two others (Wayne Simpson and Jeremy Welsh) have
six goals and two assists. |
| 5-1-3 (2-0-0
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W at St. Lawrence, 2-0; W at Clarkson,
3-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Brown, vs. Yale |
| 7. |
 Western
Michigan |
3 |
Dane Walters’ goal with 57 seconds left in regulation
propelled the Broncos to a 3-2 win at Michigan Friday,
WMU’s first at Yost Arena since Nov. 14, 2008. |
| 6-1-3 (4-1-1
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Michigan, 3-2; L at Michigan, 5-2.
THIS WEEK: vs. Michigan State, vs. Michigan State |
| 8. |
 Yale |
3 |
Sophomore Clinton Bourbonais appeared in 15 games last
year and had four points. He's got a goal and two assists
in four games already this year. |
| 2-1-1 (1-1-0
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: L vs. Cornell, 6t-2; W vs. Colgate,
2-0. THIS WEEK: at Rensselaer, at Union |
| 9. |
 Ferris
State |
2 |
Sweep or be swept: Each of the Bulldogs’ five
series have resulted in a sweep.. Four of them—including
this past weekend’s set at Bowling Green—have
ended in FSU’s favor. |
| 8-2-0 (4-2-0
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Bowling Green, 4-0; W at Bowling
Green, 5-3. THIS WEEK: vs. Lake Superior State, vs. Lake
Superior State |
| 10. |
 Notre
Dame |
1 |
Couple of firsts this weekend for the incomparable
Anders Lee: Friday’s tie at Northern Michigan was
the first game this season in which he failed to register
a goal, and Saturday’s draw with the Wildcats marked
his first pointless effort of the year. |
| 5-2-2 (3-1-2
CCHA) LAST WEEK: T at Northern Michigan, 2-2 ot; T at
Northern Michigan, 1-1 ot. THIS WEEK: vs. Alaska, vs.
Alaska |
| 11. |
 Dartmouth |
4 |
Dartmouth, along with Union, was one of just two teams
to get through the first weekend of ECAC Hockey conference
play with two wins. The Big Green scored five goals each
night in wins over Quinnipiac and Princeton. |
| 3-1-0 (2-0-0
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W vs. Quinnipiac, 5-4; W vs. Princeton,
5-3. THIS WEEK: vs. Colgate, vs. Cornell |
| 12. |
 Lake
Superior State |
— |
Eight of the Lakers’ 10 games this season have
been decided by one goal, including both ends of this
past weekend’s split with visiting Bemidji State.
|
| 8-2-0 (5-1-0
CCHA) LAST WEEK: L vs. Bemidji State, 3-2 ot; W vs. Bemidji
State, 2-1. THIS WEEK: at Ferris State, at Ferris State |
| 13. |
 Denver |
5 |
A tie and loss to Minnesota Duluth this past weekend
extended the Pioneers’ winless streak to four games
(0-2-2). It’s DU’s longest winless stretch
since ending the 2006-07 season with four losses and a
tie. |
| 3-3-2 (2-2-2
WCHA) LAST WEEK: T vs. Minnesota Duluth, 3-3 ot; L vs.
Minnesota Duluth, 4-0. THIS WEEK: vs. Colorado College |
| 14. |
 Colgate |
1 |
The INCH Power Rankings are a popular place to learn
about Anders Lee, and also about Austin Smith. He's got
nine goals and only trails Lee's 10 in Division I hockey.
He also has yet to commit a penalty. |
| 5-3-1 (1-1-0
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W at Brown, 5-3; L at Yale, 2-0.
THIS WEEK: at Dartmouth, at Harvard |
| 15. |
 Quinnipiac |
1 |
Loren Barron scored a third-period goal to give Quinnipiac
a 4-3 lead in the third period at Dartmouth, but the Big
Green scored twice in the last two minutes to win it.
The next night, Quinnipiac got a tie at Harvard to finish
its first three games in ECAC Hockey with a win, loss
and draw. |
| 7-3-1 (1-1-1
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W at Princeton, 5-2; L at Dartmouth,
5-4; T at Harvard, 2-2 ot. THIS WEEK: vs. Clarkson, vs.
St. Lawrence |
| 16. |
 Minnesota
Duluth |
NR |
After starting the season by losing three of their first
four, the Bulldogs have gone 4-0-2 in their last six.
With Alaska Anchorage and Minnesota State visiting Amsoil
Arena the next two weekends, UMD has a good chance to
extend the unbeaten streak. |
| 5-3-2 (3-2-1
WCHA) LAST WEEK: T at Denver, 3-3 ot; W at Denver, 4-0.
THIS WEEK: vs. Alaska Anchorage, vs. Alaska Anchorage |
| 17. |
 Michigan
Tech |
1 |
In their six wins this season, the most recent a 1-0
shutout of Minnesota State Friday, the Huskies have allowed
a total of nine goals. In it’s three losses, the
latest a 6-3 decision in favor of the Mavericks Saturday,
MTU has given up 15 goals. |
| 6-3-1 (4-3-1
WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Minnesota State, 1-0; L vs. Minnesota
State, 6-3. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 18. |
 Ohio
State |
NR |
Goaltenders Cal Heeter and Brady Hjelle enter this weekend’s
series against visiting Northern Michigan with a combined
scoreless streak of 195:51. The Buckeyes’ three
straight shutouts against Alaska and Alabama-Huntsville
(twice) are a first for the program. |
| 6-3-1 (3-2-1
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Alabama-Huntsville, 5-0; W at Alabama-Huntsville,
2-0. THIS WEEK: vs. Northern Michigan, vs. Northern Michigan |
| 19. |
 Clarkson |
— |
Clarkson has allowed the first goal in four of its 10
games this year, including both this weekend, but got
its first win in that situation this weekend in a win
over RPI. When the Golden Knights score the first goal,
Clarkson is 5-0-1. |
| 6-2-2 (1-1-0
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W vs. Rensselaer, 4-1; L vs. Union,
3-1. THIS WEEK: at Quinnipiac, at Princeton |
| 20. |
 Northern
Michigan |
— |
In this economy, who doesn’t like a little more
bang for the buck? Five of the Wildcats’ 10 games
this season have gone into overtime, including three in
a row and four of the last five. |
| 4-3-3 (1-2-3
CCHA) LAST WEEK: T vs. Notre Dame, 2-2 ot; T vs. Notre
Dame, 1-1 ot. THIS WEEK: at Ohio State, at Ohio State |