North Dakota reclaims top spot in national men’s hockey polls

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – For the fourth time since the start of December, the University of North Dakota is the top-ranked men’s hockey team in the nation.

In the latest USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls released this afternoon, North Dakota vaulted into the top spot on the strength of a NCHC sweep of Colorado College last weekend. UND earned 34 of 50 first-place votes in the USCHO poll and 21 of 34 first-place nods in the USA Today rankings.

Second-ranked Boston University and third-ranked Minnesota State also received first-place votes in both polls. Harvard was ranked fourth while UND’s next opponent, Omaha, was ranked fifth in both.

UND (18-5-2, 9-4-1-0 NCHC) will travel to Omaha this weekend to face the first-place Mavericks (15-6-3, 9-4-1-1 NCHC), who own a 1-point edge on UND in the NCHC standings.

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll

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

1.         North Dakota (34)                     18-5-2           982            2

2.         Boston University (5)                     15-4-4            933            3

3.         Minnesota State (11)                      19-5-1            931            1

4.         Harvard                                            12-4-2            816            4

5.         Omaha                                              15-6-3            741            8

6.         Bowling Green                                 15-5-4            686            6

7.         Minnesota Duluth                            14-9-1            639            7

8.         Michigan Tech                                  18-7-1            622          10

9.         Miami                                               15-9-0            595            9

10.       Massachusetts-Lowell                    15-7-3            584            5

11.       Denver                                             14-8-1            504          11

12.       Providence                                       16-8-1            448          18

13.       Michigan                                          15-7-0            440          16

14.       Boston College                               15-8-2            337          19

15.       Vermont                                           15-8-2            310          12

16.       Yale                                                  11-6-2            234          13

17.       Colgate                                            14-8-2            187          15

18.       Quinnipiac                                        15-8-1            158          20

19.       Merrimack                                        13-8-3            142          14

20.       Robert Morris                                  17-5-4              98         NR

Others receiving votes: Minnesota 46, Penn State 25, St. Lawrence 17, Western Michigan 9, Northeastern 7, Canisius 5, Bemidji State 3, Dartmouth 1.

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll

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

1.         North Dakota (21)                     18-5-2           497            2

2.         Boston University (7)                     15-4-4            479            3

3.         Minnesota State (6)                        19-5-1            461            1

4.         Harvard                                            12-4-2            379            4

5.         Omaha                                              15-6-3            313            8

6.         Bowling Green                                 15-5-4            310            6

7.         Minnesota Duluth                            14-9-1            305            7

8.         Miami                                               15-9-0            265            9

9.         Michigan Tech                                  18-7-1            240          10

10.       Massachusetts-Lowell                    15-7-3            204            5

11.       Providence                                       16-8-1            153         NR

12.       Denver                                             14-8-1            152          11

13.       Michigan                                          15-7-0            105         NR

14.       Vermont                                           15-8-2              71          12

15.       Boston College                               15-8-2              57         NR

Others receiving votes: Colgate 34, Yale 24, Quinnipiac 19, Robert Morris 8, Merrimack 2, Minnesota 2.