The stretch run of the season is set to begin
and the following 20 teams have prominently placed themselves
so far this season - including Bemidji State and Ferris State,
who lead the nation with 17 wins on the year.
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. |
 Miami |
 1 |
Strange but true: The RedHawks last lost to a CCHA opponent
on Oct. 24 when Michigan State beat them in overtime,
but they’ve dropped three games to College Hockey
America members Bemidji State and Robert Morris during
that span. |
| 16-4-6 (13-1-4
CCHA) LAST WEEK: T at Alaska, 1-1 ot; W at Alaska, 5-0.
THIS WEEK: vs. Western Michigan, vs. Western Michigan |
| 2. |
 Wisconsin |
1 |
Despite taking three points from Denver at the Kohl
Center last weekend, the Badgers trail the Pioneers and
two other teams in the WCHA standings. They can help their
cause by taking out first-place Minnesota Duluth this
weekend. |
| 14-6-4 (10-4-4
WCHA) LAST WEEK: T vs. Denver, 3-3 ot; W vs. Denver, 4-3.
THIS WEEK: at Minnesota Duluth, at Minnesota Duluth |
| 3. |
 Denver |
 2 |
Saturday’s loss at Wisconsin was a rarity for
the Pioneers, who entered the weekend with a 13-2-2 all-time
mark at the Kohl Center. The defeat also snapped DU’s
six-game unbeaten streak against the Badgers. |
| 14-6-4 (10-4-4
WCHA) LAST WEEK: T at Wisconsin, 3-3 ot; L at Wisconsin,
4-3. THIS WEEK: at North Dakota, at North Dakota |
| 4. |
 North
Dakota |
3 |
We mentioned it in this space last week, but it bears
repeating: the Fighting Sioux have eight losses this season
and all but one of them have been by one goal. The latest
was a 1-0 loss at Cornell Friday, but NoDak salvaged the
non-conference series with a 3-1 win Saturday. |
| 13-8-5 (8-7-3
WCHA) LAST WEEK: L at Cornell, 1-0; W at Cornell, 3-1.
THIS WEEK: vs. Denver, vs. Denver |
| 5. |
 Cornell
|
— |
Ben Scrivens' 28-save shutout of North Dakota was the
14th of his career and moved him into second place in
Big Red history, one ahead of a fellow named Ken Dryden. |
| 10-5-3 (7-2-2
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W vs. North Dakota, 1-0; L vs.
North Dakota, 3-1. THIS WEEK: vs. St. Lawrence, vs. Clarkson |
| 6. |
 Yale |
— |
The Bulldogs' loss to St. Lawrence leaves Yale, St.
Lawrence and Cornell in a second-place tie in ECAC Hockey,
one point behind Union. Those four teams meet Friday when
Yale hosts Union and St. Lawrence visits Cornell. |
| 11-5-3 (7-3-2
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W at Clarkson, 3-2; L at St. Lawrence,
4-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Union, vs. Rensselaer |
| 7. |
 St.
Cloud State |
6 |
Sophomore forward Jared Festler scored three goals and
added an assist as the Huskies, now in third place in
the WCHA standings, swept Minnesota in a home-and-home
series. |
| 16-7-3 (11-5-2
WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Minnesota, 4-3; W at Minnesota,
4-1. THIS WEEK: at Colorado College, at Colorado College |
| 8. |
 Bemidji
State |
6 |
"We didn’t let up at all," Beaver goalie
Dan Bakala told Duluth News Tribune scribe Kevin
Pates following Saturday’s come-from-behind OT win
at Minnesota Duluth, giving BSU the non-conference sweep.
"To get two wins will give us more confidence." |
| 17-5-2 (9-1-0
CHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Minnesota Duluth, 4-1; W at Minnesota
Duluth, 5-4 ot; THIS WEEK: vs. Robert Morris, vs. Robert
Morris |
| 9. |
 Michigan
State |
1 |
Spartan fans have gotten used to going home happy this
season; MSU hadn’t lost a CCHA match at Munn Ice
Arena until Saturday, when Ohio State scored twice in
the last 1:07 of the third period to steal a 4-2 win. |
| 16-8-4 (11-5-4
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Ohio State, 5-2; L vs. Ohio State,
4-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Michigan, vs. Michigan (Joe Louis
Arena) |
| 10. |
 Minnesota
Duluth |
6 |
Think this is what Bill Simmons was talking about when
describing the "Stomach Punch" in his legendary
column on the 13
levels of losing? The Bulldogs led Bemidji State most
of the way Saturday, but allowed the game-tying goal with
two seconds left in regulation. The Beavers’ Jordan
George got the winner 36 seconds into OT. |
| 16-9-1 (12-5-1
WCHA) LAST WEEK: L at Bemidji State, 4-1; L vs. Bemidji
State, 4-3. THIS WEEK: vs. Wisconsin, vs. Wisconsin |
| 11. |
 Colorado
College |
1 |
Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Alaska Anchorage could
be a critical blow to the Tigers, the most vulnerable
team in the top half of the WCHA standings. CC’s
remaining conference slate is rugged, with series against
St. Cloud State, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Denver. |
| 14-9-3 (10-7-3
WCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Alaska Anchorage, 6-1; L at Alaska
Anchorage, 2-1. THIS WEEK: vs. St. Cloud State, vs. St.
Cloud State |
| 12. |
 Ferris
State |
— |
Typically, it’s Michigan that strikes with the
late-game dagger to its opponent’s heart, but the
Bulldogs took a page from the Wolverines’ script
Saturday, as Zach Redmond’s power-play goal with
24 seconds left in the third period propelled FSU to a
3-2 win in Big Rapids. |
| 17-7-2 (11-5-2
CCHA) LAST WEEK: L at Michigan, 2-0; W vs. Michigan, 3-2.
THIS WEEK: at Ohio State, at Ohio State |
| 13. |
 New
Hampshire |
2 |
The Wildcats are 10-1-2 in their last 13 games and have
a five-point lead atop Hockey East with one less game
played than second-place Boston College and Massachusetts. |
| 12-7-4 (11-2-3
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: W at Providence, 3-2 ot; W at
Boston University, 4-1. THIS WEEK: at Merrimack, vs. Merrimack |
| 14. |
 Boston
College |
5 |
The Eagles are just 2-5-0 in seven January games and
have allowed three or more goals in all five defeats. |
| 12-8-2 (9-6-2
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: L vs. Boston University, 5-4 ot;
W L at UMass Lowell, 3-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Providence |
| 15. |
 Union |
4 |
The Dutchmen fired 88 shots at opposing netminders Ryan
Carroll of Harvard and James Mello of Dartmouth, but only
scored one goal each game and suffered their first losses
in conference play. |
| 13-6-5 (7-2-3
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: L vs. Harvard, 4-1; L vs. Dartmouth,
3-1. THIS WEEK: at Yale, at Brown |
| 16. |
 UMass
Lowell |
2 |
The River Hawks' weekend sweep of Merrimack and Boston
College marked the team's first back-to-back wins since
Dec. 5 and 11 over UMass and Princeton. |
| 14-9-2 (8-6-2
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: W vs. Merrimack, 5-4; W at Boston
College, 3-1. THIS WEEK: at Northeastern |
| 17. |
 St.
Lawrence |
NR |
St. Lawrence goalie Kain Tisi has a .959 save percentage
and 1.23 goals-against average in the Saints' last four
games, in which they are 3-0-1. |
| 13-8-4 (7-3-2
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W vs. Brown, 5-2; W vs. Yale,
4-2. THIS WEEK: at Cornell, at Colgate |
| 18. |
 Massachusetts |
2 |
The Minutemen allowed a total of five goals during a
recent four-game winning streak, before being shutout
by Vermont Sunday. |
| 15-9-0 (10-7-0
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: W vs. Vermont, 3-1; L vs. Vermont,
3-0. THIS WEEK: at Boston University, at Providence |
| 19. |
 Maine |
— |
The Black Bears won a pair of exhibition
games to build momentum for the stretch run in Hockey
East. Senior David de Kastrozza, who has three career
goals, scored twice against New Brunswick. |
| 11-9-2 (8-6-1
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: W vs. New Brunswick, 4-1 (Ex.);
W vs. US NTDP Under-18s, 4-0 (Ex.). THIS WEEK: at Vermont,
at Vermont |
| 20. |
 Vermont |
— |
Sophomore defenseman Drew MacKenzie scored his first
goal of the year and it stood up as the game-winner in
the Cats' 3-0 win over UMass on Sunday. |
| 12-8-2 (6-7-2
Hockey East) LAST WEEK: L at Massachusetts, 3-1; W at
Massachusetts, 3-0. THIS WEEK: vs. Maine, vs. Maine |