The final edition of the INCH Power Rankings
features Boston College at the top, of course, and also provides
recognition to 19 other clubs that had seasons worthy of recognition.
We'll take a look back at where we had them slotted in our
INCH Power Rankings Preseason Great 58, and talk about what
went right for them.
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 |
Preseason
Great 58 |
What
Went RIght |
| 1. |
 Boston
College |
16 |
The Eagles soared at the right time, going 12-0-1 over
the last 13 games of the season and capturing the program's
second national title in three years and fourth overall. |
| 29-10-3
(16-8-3 Hockey East, 2nd) |
| 2. |
 Wisconsin |
13 |
The Badgers shook off three straight ho-hum seasons
to return to the national championship game and forward
Blake Geoffrion won the school's first Hobey Baker Award.
|
| 28-11-4
(17-8-3 WCHA, 2nd) |
| 3. |
 Miami |
3 |
The Frozen Four loss to Boston College notwithstanding,
the RedHawks ran away with the CCHA regular-season title
and made a second Frozen Four appearance in as many years. |
| 29-8-7 (21-2-5
CCHA, 1st) |
| 4. |
 Denver |
1 |
Losing to RIT in the first round of the NCAA East Regional
will sting for a while; still, the MacNaughton Cup winners
will be remembered as one of the most talented teams in
school history. |
| 27-10-4
(19-5-4 WCHA, 1st) |
| 5. |
 St.
Cloud State |
12 |
Long the butt of jokes, the Huskies finally have an
NCAA Tournament win to their credit and gave Wisconsin
a pretty good run in the West Regional final. |
| 24-14-5
(15-9-4 WCHA, 3rd) |
| 6. |
 Yale |
11 |
The Bulldogs proved that last year was no fluke by backing
up its ECAC Hockey regular-season crown and getting a
great win over a tough North Dakota team in the NCAA Tournament. |
| 21-10-3
(15-5-2 ECAC Hockey, 1st) |
| 7. |
 North
Dakota |
6 |
Despite a rash of injuries including the loss of defenseman
Chay Genoway for the bulk of the season, the Sioux still
won the WCHA playoff championship and earned an NCAA Tournament
berth. |
| 25-13-5
(15-10-3 WCHA, 4th) |
| 8. |
 Cornell
|
7 |
Cornell added more hardware to its illustrious trophy
case with an ECAC Hockey playoff championship and two
more First Team All-Americans in Ben Scrivens and Brendon
Nash. |
| 21-9-4 (14-5-3
ECAC Hockey, 2nd) |
| 9. |
 RIT |
31 |
As if convincingly dominating the Atlantic Hockey regular-season
and playoffs weren't enough, RIT made this year memorable
by beating Denver and New Hampshire and making it to the
Frozen Four. |
| 28-12-1
(22-5-1 Atlantic Hockey, 1st) |
| 10. |
 Michigan |
5 |
The Wolverines in February were on the verge of missing
the NCAA Tournament for the first time in two decades,
but got hot, captured the CCHA playoff title, and were
one iffy whistle from advancing to the Frozen Four. |
| 26-18-1
(14-13-1 CCHA, 7th) |
| 11. |
 Northern
Michigan |
19 |
A perennial second-half team, the Wildcats got into
gear in early November this season, going 19-9-7 after
starting 1-4-1 and making trips to the CCHA championship
weekend and NCAA Tournament. |
| 20-13-8
(13-9-6 CCHA, 4th) |
| 12. |
 Union |
27 |
It was the best season in Union's Division I history
and featured 21 wins, a trip to the ECAC Hockey championship
weekend for the first time and record-breaking years and
careers for the likes of Jason Walters and Mike Schreiber. |
| 21-12-6
(12-6-4 ECAC Hockey, 3rd) |
| 13. |
 New
Hampshire |
18 |
Another Hockey East title for the Wildcats, who edged
the national champs for the regular-season conference
crown. They advanced to the NCAA East Regional Final. |
| 18-14-7
(15-6-6 Hockey East, 1st) |
| 14. |
 Bemidji
State |
20 |
The Beavers couldn't recapture their NCAA Tournament
magic from a year ago, but made a second straight trip
to the national tournament, cruised to the CHA regular-season
title, and scored non-conference wins against Miami, Minnesota,
and Minnesota Duluth. |
| 23-10-4
(14-3-1 CCHA, 1st) |
| 15. |
 Ferris
State |
36 |
A six-week swoon in mid-January and early February likely
cost the Bulldogs an NCAA Tournament berth, but FSU ended
the season with 21 wins, its best showing since capturing
the CCHA regular-season title in 2002-03. |
| 21-13-6
(13-9-6 CCHA, 5th) |
| 16. |
 Minnesota
Duluth |
22 |
The Bulldogs had a 16-7-1 record in mid-January and
were in contention for the WCHA title before being waylaid
by a 6-10-0 finish. If most of its remaining key contributors
return, UMD should be a factor next season. |
| 22-17-1
(16-11-1 WCHA, 5th) |
| 17. |
 Michigan
State |
39 |
After a dismal showing in 2008-09, the Spartans rebounded
to finish second in the CCHA regular-season standings.
Standout defenseman Jeff Petry left early for the pros
and senior forward Nick Sucharski moves on, but everyone
else returns. |
| 19-13-6
(14-8-6 CCHA, 2nd) |
| 18. |
 Alaska |
30 |
The Nanooks made their first trip to the NCAA Tournament
and, one could reasonably argue, came close to knocking
eventual national champion Boston College out in the first
round of the Northeast Regional. |
| 18-12-9
(11-9-8 CCHA, 5th) |
| 19. |
 Vermont |
15 |
The Catamounts played their best in the
big games, scoring big non-league wins in the regular
season against Minnesota Duluth, Yale and Denver before
knocking off top-seed New Hampshire in the Hockey East
playoffs. |
| 17-15-7
(9-11-7 Hockey East, 8th) |
| 20. |
 Maine |
34 |
Gustav Nyquist showed he's one of the best players in
the nation and was a Hobey Hat Trick finalist. The Black
Bears finished in a tie for third in Hockey East, much
higher than preseason projections placed them. |
| 19-17-3
(13-12-2 Hockey East, T-3rd) |