North Dakota reclaims top spot in national hockey polls

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The University of North Dakota officially opens the second half of the regular season this week and will do so as the top-ranked team in college hockey.

UND unseated Boston University as the No. 1 team in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls that were released on Monday afternoon. UND, previously ranked No. 2 in both, garnered 13 of 50 first-place votes in the USCHO poll and nine of 34 in the USA Today rankings.

UND’s next opponent, Minnesota Duluth, remained at No. 7 in the USCHO poll and climbed three spots to No. 7 in the USA Today poll.

The two teams will square off on Friday and Saturday at Ralph Englestad Arena. Friday’s game starts at 7:37 p.m. Central and can be seen live on Midco Sports Network and online via NCHC.tv. Saturday’s game begins at 7:07 p.m. and will be shown live nationally on CBS Sports Network.

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll

Rk.      School (First place votes)       Record           Pts.         PR

1.         North Dakota (13)                     13-4-2           933            2

2.         Boston University (18)                   11-3-3            915            1

3.         Harvard (15)                                    10-1-2            897            4

4.         Minnesota State (1)                        14-4-1            870            3

5.         Miami                                               14-6-0            752            6

6.         Massachusetts-Lowell                    14-3-3            747            9

7.         Minnesota Duluth (3)                      12-6-0            702            7

8.         Michigan Tech                                  15-5-0            641            5

9.         Minnesota                                        10-5-1            554            8

10.       Denver                                             11-5-1            514          11

11.       Bowling Green                                 12-3-3            452          13

12.       Vermont                                           14-5-1            448          10

13.       Omaha                                              12-5-3            442          12

14.       Providence                                       13-6-1            371          16

15.       Quinnipiac                                        13-6-1            304          14

16.       Boston College                               11-7-1            274          15

17.       Colgate                                            11-6-1            212          17

18.       Merrimack                                        11-6-2            183          18

19.       Yale                                                    8-3-2            155         NR

20.       Robert Morris                                  12-4-4              55          19

Others receiving votes: Union 35, Michigan 15, Alaska 9, Dartmouth 8, Penn State 6, Holy Cross 4, Northern Michigan 1, Notre Dame 1.

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll

Rk.      School (1^st place)                      Record           Pts.         PR

1.         North Dakota (9)                       13-4-2           470            2

2.         Boston University (12)                   11-3-3            442            1

3.         Harvard (13)                                    10-1-2            441            4

4.         Minnesota State                              14-4-1            416            3

5.         Massachusetts-Lowell                    14-3-3            358            7

6.         Miami                                               14-6-0            346            6

7.         Minnesota Duluth                            12-6-0            287          10

8.         Michigan Tech                                  15-5-0            282            5

9.         Minnesota                                        10-5-1            211            8

10.       Denver                                             11-5-1            153          11

11.       Vermont                                           14-5-1            148            9

12.       Omaha                                              12-5-3            113          12

13.       Providence                                       13-6-1            108         NR

14.       Bowling Green                                 12-3-3            105          13

15.       Quinnipiac                                        13-6-1              65          15

Others receiving votes: Boston College 46, Colgate 46, Yale 22, Merrimack 16, Robert Morris 5.