It's Minnesota on top for a third straight week
on the strength of a pair of wins against visiting Denver
last weekend. Wisconsin slides into the second position, moving
ahead of Miami – the RedHawks drop after losing two
of three last week, but the one they won allowed them to clinch
the CCHA regular-season title – and Boston College,
which lost all three of its games over the last seven days.
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 |
– |
Gophers sweep, combined with two St. Cloud State losses,
gives Minnesota the first DQ Cup. The MacNaughton's within
reach too. |
| 21-6-5
(16-5-3 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Denver, 3-2; W vs. Denver,
5-1. THIS WEEK: at Alaska Anchorage, at Alaska Anchorage. |
| 2. |
 Wisconsin |
 2 |
Bucky becomes the latest member of Houghton's Saturday
Tie Club as two late goals by Michigan Tech cost the Badgers
a much-needed point in the WCHA race. |
| 21-7-3
(15-6-3 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W at Michigan Tech, 5-0; T at
Michigan Tech, 4-4 ot. THIS WEEK: at Minnesota State Mankato,
at Minnesota State Mankato. |
| 3. |
 Miami |
 1 |
A couple firsts for the RedHawks last week – Tuesday's
win vs. Ohio State made them the nation's first team to
clinch a regular season title, while the weekend sweep
at Michigan State was their first back-to-back losses
of the year. |
| 21-7-4
(18-6-2 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Ohio State, 6-3; L at
Michigan State, 3-2; L at Michigan State, 3-1. THIS WEEK:
at Bowling Green, vs. Bowling Green. |
| 4. |
 Maine |
2 |
The Black Bears, 7-1-1 in their last nine, have the
most favorable schedule down the stretch among top six
teams in Hockey East, travelling to Merrimack this week
and closing with a pair against UMass. |
| 21-10-1
(14-8-1 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W vs. Boston College,
4-1; W vs. Boston College, 3-1. THIS WEEK: at Merrimack,
at Merrimack. |
| 5. |
 Boston
College |
2 |
Sure, the Eagles dropped three games last week, but
at least the
BC sailing team has regained its perch atop the national
rankings. |
| 19-9-2
(16-6-1 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: L vs. Boston University,
3-2 (Beanpot Tournament); L at Maine, 4-1; L at Maine,
3-1. THIS WEEK: vs. UMass Lowell; at UMass Lowell. |
| 6. |
 Cornell |
1 |
The Big Red hold on to first place in the ECACHL but
it must have been a sour Senior Night ceremony after losing
to Harvard |
| 17-6-4
(12-5-3 ECACHL). LAST WEEK: W vs. Dartmouth, 3-1; L vs.
Harvard, 4-3. THIS WEEK: at Rensselaer, at Union. |
| 7. |
 Colorado
College |
1 |
Congratulations to Brett Sterling, whose Friday night
hat trick earned him a spot in the Tigers' exclusive 100-goal
club. He'd seemingly been stuck with 99 longer than Wayne
Gretzky. |
| 21-12-1
(13-10-1 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Alaska Anchorage, 6-1;
W vs. Alaska Anchorage, 3-1. NEXT WEEK: at Minnesota Duluth,
at Minnesota Duluth. |
| 8. |
 Michigan
State |
1 |
"This team has worked their tails off and I'm proud of them," coach
Rick Comley said following the Spartans' sweep of Miami.
The wins guarantee MSU a first-round bye in the revamped
CCHA playoff format. |
| 19-10-7
(13-7-6 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Miami, 3-2; W vs. Miami,
3-1. THIS WEEK: at Lake Superior State, vs. Lake Superior
State (at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit). |
| 9. |
 Boston
University |
1 |
On the same day New Hampshire ended the Terriers' 11-game
win streak, satellite radio giant Sirius – the employer
of BU alum Howard Stern – announced losses of $311.4
million for the fourth quarter of '05. |
| 19-9-2
(15-7-1 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W vs. Boston College,
3-2 (Beanpot Tournament); L vs. New Hampshire, 7-4; W
at New Hampshire, 3-2. THIS WEEK: at Vermont, at Vermont. |
| 10. |
 Denver |
3 |
Pioneers' odds to win another league title, and Matt
Carle's odds to win the Hobey, both got longer over the
weekend. |
| 18-12-2
(15-7-2 WCHA). LAST WEEK: L at Minnesota, 3-2; L at Minnesota,
5-1. THIS WEEK: vs. North Dakota, vs. North Dakota. |
| 11. |
 North
Dakota |
1 |
Sioux do it with defense, as Jordan Parise turns aside
50 of the 51 shots sent his way by Minnesota Duluth. They'll
need more of the same in Denver. |
| 20-13-1
(13-11-0 WCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Minnesota Duluth, 4-0;
W vs. Minnesota Duluth, 5-1. THIS WEEK: at Denver, at
Denver. |
| 12. |
 Nebraska-Omaha
|
5 |
No minor niner: With BU's loss to New Hampshire, the
Mavs' nine-game unbeaten streak (6-0-3) currently stands
as the nation's longest. |
| 18-11-5
(12-9-5 CCHA). LAST WEEK: W vs. Michigan, 4-3; T vs. Michigan,
4-4 ot. THIS WEEK: at Western Michigan, at Western Michigan. |
| 13. |
 New
Hampshire |
3 |
Brad Zancanaro's goal in the second period of Friday's
game ended a streak of 22 consecutive penalties killed
by the Wildcats. UNH still held the Terriers to just 1-for-10
on the PP this weekend. |
| 16-11-5
(12-7-4 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: W at Boston University,
7-4; L vs. Boston University, 3-2. THIS WEEK: at Providence,
vs. Providence. |
| 14. |
 Vermont |
2 |
What's better than scoring the game-tying goal with
12 seconds left? Getting the game-winner in overtime.
Rookie Peter Lenes did both on Saturday at UMass. |
| 18-10-4
(10-9-4 Hockey East). LAST WEEK: L at Massachusetts, 0-3;
W at Massachusetts, 3-2 ot. THIS WEEK: vs. Boston University;
vs. Boston University. |
| 15. |
 Michigan |
2 |
Unless they sweep a home-and-home series with Ferris
State this weekend, the plodding Wolverines (9-11-3 since
Thanksgiving) will become the first Michigan team to win
fewer than 20 regular-season games since 1986-87. |
| 18-12-4
(13-9-4 CCHA). LAST WEEK: L at Nebraska-Omaha, 4-3; T
at Nebraska-Omaha, 4-4 ot. THIS WEEK: at Ferris State;
vs. Ferris State. |
| 16. |
 St.
Cloud State |
2 |
After letting four precious WCHA points slip by, the
Huskies may be pondering last weekend's back-to-back OT
losses at Minnesota State Mankato while traveling to a
first-round playoff series in a couple weeks. |
| 17-12-3
(12-11-1 WCHA). LAST WEEK: L at Minnesota State Mankato,
2-1; L at Minnesota State Mankato, 3-2 ot. THIS WEEK:
vs. Michigan Tech, vs. Michigan Tech. |
| 17. |
 Dartmouth
|
2 |
Overheard outside of the Big Green dressing room on
Saturday: "We're the best team that nobody knows
about." Keep winning and that statement won't be
true. |
| 14-11-2
(12-6-2 CCHA). LAST WEEK: L at Cornell, 3-1; W at Colgate,
3-0. THIS WEEK: vs. Clarkson, vs. St. Lawrence. |
| 18. |
 Harvard |
2 |
Captain Peter Hafner left the ice bloodied from a check
from behind. He returned later and scored the game-winning
goal at rival Cornell. |
| 15-10-2
(11-8-1 ECACHL). LAST WEEK: W vs. Northeastern, 5-0 (Beanpot
Tournament); L at Colgate, 4-1; W at Cornell, 4-3. THIS
WEEK: vs. St. Lawrence, vs. Clarkson. |
| 19. |
 Lake
Superior State |
4 |
UP-per hand: The Lakers' losses to Upper Peninsula rival
Northern Michigan extend their losing streak against the
Wildcats to seven. |
| 15-11-6
(11-11-4 CCHA). LAST WEEK: L vs. Northern Michigan, 4-3
ot; L at Northern Michigan, 5-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Michigan
State, vs. Michigan State (at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit). |
| 20. |
 St.
Lawrence |
NR |
Good goaltending is needed at this time of year, and
Justin Pesony's halo is shining after making 45 saves
on 46 shots this weekend. |
| 18-12-2
(12-7-1 ECACHL). LAST WEEK: W vs. Brown, 4-1; W vs. Yale,
3-0. THIS WEEK: at Harvard, at Dartmouth. |