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 |
 1 |
Gophers beware. The last time Michigan Tech swept a
Winter Carnival series was 1998, versus Minnesota. |
| 18-6-4
(13-5-2 WCHA). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: at Michigan
Tech, at Michigan Tech. |
| 2. |
 Miami |
 1 |
Before you send your "I told you so" e-mails,
Minnesota fans, remember that the Gophers couldn't beat
the UAF team the RedHawks split with on the weekend. |
| 20-5-4
(17-4-2 CCHA). LAST WEEK: L vs. Alaska Fairbanks, 4-3;
W vs. Alaska Fairbanks, 2-1. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 3. |
 Cornell |
2 |
Saturday's game was delayed by 20 minutes when someone
forgot to pack the Big Red's jerseys and socks in the
equipment room. |
| 16-4-3
(11-3-2 ECACHL). LAST WEEK: W vs. Colgate, 4-1; W at Colgate,
3-2. THIS WEEK: at Clarkson, at St. Lawrence. |
| 4. |
 Boston
College |
1 |
Quick and the Dead: UMass freshman goalie Jon Quick
made 47 saves as the Minutemen upset the Eagles Friday.
Oh, Chris Collins scored a goal for BC, but you probably
just assumed that. |
| 17-6-2
(15-4-1 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: L at Massachusetts, 3-2.
THIS WEEK: vs. Northeastern at Beanpot Tournament, vs.
Providence. |
| 5. |
 Wisconsin |
1 |
Good news: Badgers re-take sole possession of WCHA lead.
Bad news: Bulldogs deliver Bucky's first road loss of
the season. |
| 19-7-2
(14-6-2 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W at Minnesota Duluth, 7-2;
L at Minnesota Duluth, 4-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Ohio State
at Frozen Tundra Classic, Green Bay, Wis. |
| 6. |
 Vermont |
2 |
Vermont is 14-0-2 when scoring three goals or more,
which they did twice against Providence this weekend. |
| 17-8-3
(9-7-3 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W at Providence, 4-2;
T at Providence, 3-3 ot. THIS WEEK: vs. Maine, vs. Maine. |
| 7. |
 Maine |
1 |
The Black Bears held serve with a split against New
Hampshire in the first series of their three-week death
march. Next up: a trip to Vermont for two games this weekend. |
| 18-10-0
(11-8-0 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W vs. New Hampshire,
4-1; L vs. New Hampshire, 7-4. THIS WEEK: at Vermont,
at Vermont. |
| 8. |
 Colorado
College |
1 |
The Tigers present the Bob Johnson Award to the team's
outstanding freshman each season. Chad Rau (8-9=17) can
start preparing an acceptance speech. The rest of his
classmates have just one point combined. |
| 18-11-1
(10-9-1 WCHA). LAST WEEK: L vs. North Dakota, 4-2; W vs.
North Dakota, 3-2. THIS WEEK: at St. Cloud State, at St.
Cloud State. |
| 9. |
 Denver |
– |
The Glenn Fisher v. Peter Mannino debate can be waged
again as the two have nearly identical numbers. Mannino
(.911 save pct. and 2.42 GAA) is slightly ahead of Fisher
(.908 save pct. and 2.44 GAA). |
| 16-10-2
(13-5-2 WCHA). LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: vs. Minnesota
State Mankato, vs. Minnesota State Mankato. |
| 10. |
 Michigan
State |
1 |
David Booth has helped the Spartans' resurgence.
He has a nine-game point streak, best on the team. |
| 16-10-7
(10-7-6 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W at Notre Dame, 3-2; W vs.
Notre Dame, 2-1. THIS WEEK: at Ohio State. |
| 11. |
 Michigan |
1 |
The Wolverines held a 4-3 lead at the second intermission
against Ohio State Friday, but gave up four goals in the
third as the Buckeyes stole a 7-5 win. Insert your own
Lloyd Carr joke here. |
| 16-10-3
(11-7-3 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Western Michigan 7-3;
L vs. Ohio State, 7-5; W vs. Ohio State, 3-2. THIS WEEK:
vs. Western Michigan, vs. Lake Superior, vs. Lake Superior. |
| 12. |
 Boston
University |
3 |
Let's see...the red-hot Terriers have won eight straight, and the Beanpot starts Monday. Anyone else sense a theme developing here? |
| 15-8-2
(13-6-1 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W at UMass Lowell, 5-1.
THIS WEEK: vs. Harvard at Beanpot Tournament, vs. Massachusetts.
|
| 13. |
 North
Dakota |
1 |
The Sioux get the upcoming weekend off, then have two
eminently winnable home series (against Minnesota Duluth
and Michigan Tech) sandwiched around a trip to Denver. |
| 18-13-1
(11-11-0 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W at Colorado College, 4-2;
L at Colorado College, 3-2. THIS WEEK: Off. |
| 14. |
 St.
Cloud State |
3 |
Since a few years ago the WCHA changed its award from
"Freshman of the Year" to "Rookie of the
Year" does that make Bobby Goepfert eligible? |
| 16-9-3
(11-8-1 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Alaska Anchorage, 4-2;
W vs. Alaska Anchorage, 6-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Colorado College,
vs. Colorado College. |
| 15. |
 Providence |
2 |
After winning six straight from Dec. 2-Jan. 6, last
weekend's loss and tie against visiting Vermont dropped
the Friars' record in their last seven games to 2-4-1. |
| 14-10-2
(11-6-2 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: L vs. Vermont, 2-4; T
vs. Vermont, 3-3 ot. THIS WEEK: at Boston College, vs.
Massachusetts. |
| 16. |
 New
Hampshire |
– |
UNH: Forward Brett Hemingway, one of the Suspended Seven
who sat out Friday's game at Maine, scored two goals and
added an assist in Saturday's 7-4 Wildcat victory. |
| 14-10-4
(10-6-3 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: L at Maine, 4-1; W at
Maine, 7-4. THIS WEEK: vs. Merrimack, at Merrimack. |
| 17. |
 Lake
Superior State |
3 |
The Lakers gave up eight goals in a shutout loss to
Nebraska-Omaha Friday. Prior to that shellacking, LSSU
hadn't allowed more than seven goals during an entire
weekend. |
| 14-8-6
(10-8-4 CCHA). LAST WEEK: L at Nebraska-Omaha, 8-0; T
at Nebraska-Omaha, 2-2 ot. THIS WEEK: at Michigan, at
Michigan. |
| 18. |
 Harvard |
2 |
Nothing was settled in a 2-2 tie against BU on Nov.
22. There won't be a tie in Monday's Beanpot game against
the Terriers. |
| 12-8-2
(9-7-1 ECACHL). LAST WEEK: W at Brown, 2-1 ot. THIS WEEK:
vs. Boston University at Beanpot Tournament, vs. Princeton. |
| 19. |
 Nebraska-Omaha
|
NR |
The Mavericks have earned a point in eight of their
last nine games (4-1-4), an impressive streak until you
consider... |
| 15-11-4
(9-9-4 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Lake Superior, 8-0; Tied
vs. Lake Superior, 3-3. THIS WEEK: at Northern Michigan,
at Northern Michigan. |
| 20. |
 Alabama-Huntsville
|
NR |
...the Chargers are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. This
weekend's sweep of Bemidji State moved Alabama-Huntsville
into first in the CHA. |
| 14-8-2
(10-3-1 CHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Bemidji State, 2-1, W.
vs. Bemidji State, 4-2. THIS WEEK: vs. RIT, vs. RIT. |