Denver and Miami continue to reign atop the
Inside College Hockey Power Rankings. Northern Michigan clinched
a first-round bye in the CCHA playoffs and moved into the
rankings this week.
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. |
 Denver |
— |
Rhett Rakhshani's overtime goal Saturday clinched the
WCHA regular-season title for the Pioneers, their first
since 2005, third under George Gwozdekcy, and the 12th
in school history. |
| 24-6-4 (18-4-4
WCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Minnesota State, 3-1; W at Minnesota
State, 4-3. THIS WEEK: vs. Colorado College, at Colorado
College |
| 2. |
 Miami |
— |
The RedHawks closed out the regular season with a scoreless
tie at Ohio State, the third 0-0 final in school history.
The others occurred in 1994 against Notre Dame and in
1998 against Michigan State. |
| 24-5-7 (21-2-5
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Ohio State, 6-2; T at Ohio State,
0-0 ot. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 3. |
 Wisconsin |
 1 |
Gretzky said you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't
take. The Badgers didn't score on 91 percent of the shots
they took at Michigan Tech last weekend, but when you
launch a total of 113 shots on goal over two games, it
leads to 10 goals and a series sweep. |
| 21-8-4 (16-7-3
WCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Michigan Tech, 5-2; W at Michigan
Tech, 5-2. THIS WEEK: at Minnesota (Target Center), at
Minnesota |
| 4. |
 St.
Cloud State |
1 |
The Huskies close out the regular season against Minnesota
State this weekend, so in honor of alums and U.S. Olympians
Ryan Malone (SCSU) and David Backes (MSU), we suggest
the two teams hit everything in sight. |
| 20-10-4
(15-8-3 WCHA) LAST WEEK: Off. THIS WEEK: at Minnesota
State, vs. Minnesota State |
| 5. |
 Yale |
 2 |
Yale trailed 4-1 to Princeton before scoring six straight
goals, the last two by Antoine Laganiere in Friday's win.
That victory clinched Yale's second-straight ECAC Hockey
title. |
| 19-7-3 (15-5-2
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W at Princeton, 7-4; L at Quinnipiac,
4-3. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 6. |
 North
Dakota |
— |
Forward Matt Frattin, who didn't score a goal in his
first 11 games after returning from a first-half suspension,
has five in the Sioux's last five outings including the
game-winner in overtime Friday at Colorado College. |
| 18-11-5
(13-10-3 WCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Colorado College, 3-2 ot;
W at Colorado College, 3-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Michigan Tech,
vs. Michigan Tech |
| 7. |
 Cornell
|
— |
Olympic ceremonies weren't the only place you could
hear international anthems. The Cornell band played the
naitonal anthem of Germany prior to defenseman Justin
Krueger being honored during Senior Night festivities. |
| 17-8-4 (14-5-3
ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: W vs. Union, 4-1; T vs. Rensselaer,
1-1 ot. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 8. |
 Boston
College |
3 |
UMass slowed down BC's juggernaut offense - who scored
seven goals in each game of back-to-back wins - but the
Eagles still won in overtime on Chris Kreider's goal. |
| 20-10-2
(15-8-2 Hockey East) LAST WEEK: W vs. Merrimack, 7-0;
W vs. Massachusetts, 2-1 ot. THIS WEEK: at New Hampshire,
vs. New Hampshire |
| 9. |
 Michigan
State |
1 |
Back where they belong: On the heels of last season's
11th-place showing in the CCHA regular-season standings,
the Spartans finished second this season. It's the 25th
time in 28 CCHA campaigns that MSU has finished among
the league's top four. |
| 19-11-6
(14-8-6 CCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Bowling Green, 5-2; T at
Bowling Green, 2-2 ot. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 10. |
 Bemidji
State |
1 |
Forward Matt Read needs just three points to become
the first BSU skater to record consecutive 40-point seasons
since Bernie Adlys did it in 1994-95 and 1995-96 –
four seasons before the Beavers joined the Division I
ranks. |
| 22-8-2 (13-3-0
CHA) LAST WEEK: W at Nebraska-Omaha, 3-1; L at Nebraska-Omaha,
3-2. THIS WEEK: at Alabama-Huntsville, at Alabama-Huntsville |
| 11. |
 New
Hampshire |
4 |
UNH holds a three-point lead over second-place Boston
College entering this weekend's home-and-home series to
close the regular season. The teams tied 4-4 in the first
meeting of this season. |
| 16-10-6
(15-5-5 Hockey East) LAST WEEK: T at Northeastern, 4-4
ot; W vs. Northeastern, 3-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Boston College,
at Boston College |
| 12. |
 Union |
2 |
Union is 1-17-1 all-time at Colgate's Starr Rink in
its Division I existence, including Saturday's 5-2 loss.
The good news, Union won't go back there until next season,
as the Dutchmen have clinched a home playoff series. |
| 18-10-6
(12-6-4 ECAC Hockey) LAST WEEK: L at Cornell, 4-1; L at
Colgate, 5-2. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 13. |
 Minnesota
Duluth |
1 |
The Bulldogs head to Anchorage this weekend for their
regular-season finale against the Seawolves, the first
WCHA team to wrap the regular season in Alaska since Colorado
College in 1998-99. |
| 19-14-1
(15-10-1 WCHA) LAST WEEK: L vs. Minnesota, 3-2; W vs.
Minnesota, 3-0. THIS WEEK: at Alaska Anchorage, at Alaska
Anchorage |
| 14. |
 Ferris
State |
— |
Seven of the Bulldogs' last nine games have been decided
by a goal or less, including a pair of ties against Western
Michigan last weekend. FSU is 2-3-4 during that stretch. |
| 19-11-6
(13-9-6 CCHA) LAST WEEK: T vs. Western Michigan, 2-2 ot;
T at Western Michigan, 1-1 ot. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 15. |
 Alaska |
3 |
The Nanooks run hot and cold, it seems, following up
a seven-game winless streak from Jan. 9-30 with an eight-game
unbeaten streak that includes two wins against in-state
rival Alaska Anchorage last weekend to give them the Governor's
Cup. |
| 16-9-9 (11-9-8
CCHA) LAST WEEK: W at Alaska Anchorage, 7-4; W vs. Alaska
Anchorage, 3-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Western Michigan (CCHA
First Round Series) |
| 16. |
 RIT |
3 |
Strong down the middle: Centermen Cameron Burt and Mark
Cornacchia each had a goal and two assists Friday, and
Adam Hartley did the same in Saturday's game. |
| 22-11-1
(22-5-1 CCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Canisius, 8-0; W vs. Canisius,
5-4. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 17. |
 Colorado
College |
4 |
Maybe the Tigers are better off opening the WCHA playoffs
on the road. After being swept by North Dakota at World
Arena last weekend, CC fell to 6-7-0 at home against league
opponents and has just one sweep in conference play (Oct.
23-24 vs. Michigan Tech) to its credit. |
| 17-14-3
(11-12-3 WCHA) LAST WEEK: L vs. North Dakota, 3-2 ot;
L vs. North Dakota, 3-2. THIS WEEK: at Denver, vs. Denver |
| 18. |
 Maine |
2 |
Freshman goalie Shawn Sirman made just his fourth start
of the season, and stopped 24 shots in Saturday's win
at Merrimack, the first win of his career. |
| 16-13-3
(13-10-2 Hockey East) LAST WEEK: L at Merrimack, 6-3;
W at Merrimack, 5-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Massachusetts, vs.
Massachusetts |
| 19. |
 Northern
Michigan |
NR |
By sweeping Lake Superior State last weekend,
the Wildcats earned the CCHA's fourth and final first-round
playoff bye. NMU is 7-1-2 in its last 10 games and 11-3-4
since being swept by Lake Superior State in Sault Ste.
Marie Dec. 11-12. |
| 17-11-2
(13-9-6 CCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Lake Superior State, 2-1
ot; W vs. Lake Superior State, 3-0. THIS WEEK: Off |
| 20. |
 Nebraska-Omaha |
3 |
Don't let the Mavericks' just-above-.500 record fool
you; they've been phenomenal at home this season. UNO
owns a 14-3-2 mark at Qwest Center this season and are
10-2-2 at home against CCHA foes. |
| 18-14-6
(13-12-3 CCHA) LAST WEEK: L vs. Bemidji State, 3-1; W
vs. Bemidji State, 3-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Bowling Green (CCHA
First Round Series) |