UND Hockey Falls From Top Spot In Polls

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – For the first time this season, North Dakota has fallen from the top spot in the national men’s hockey polls.

Following a pair of losses at Minnesota Duluth last weekend, the Fighting Hawks slipped from No. 1 to No. 3 in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls, while UMD jumped from No. 2 to No. 1. The losses were the first on the season for UND, now 5-2-0 overall and 0-2-0 in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC).

Fellow NCHC rival Denver also leapfrogged UND in this week’s polls, jumping from third to second in both. Fourth-ranked Boston University and fifth-ranked Boston College rounded out the top five in both polls.

UND’s next opponent, Minnesota, was ranked 13th in both polls. The Golden Gophers will host UND on Friday and Saturday at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis.

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll

Rk.      School (1st-place votes)         Record           Pts.         PR

1.         Minnesota Duluth (50)                      5-1-2          1000            2

2.         Denver                                               6-2-0            915            3

3.         North Dakota                                5-2-0           909            1

4.         Boston University                             3-2-0            829            4

5.         Boston College                                 6-2-1            765            8

6.         Quinnipiac                                          4-2-1            726            6

7.         Massachusetts-Lowell                      4-2-2            685            5

8.         St. Cloud State                                  4-2-0            557          10

9.         Notre Dame                                       4-3-1            544            7

10.       Minnesota State                                6-2-0            537            9

11.       Ohio State                                          5-0-2            509          15

12.       Harvard                                              2-0-0            452          13

13.       Minnesota                                          3-2-1            446          12

14.       Penn State                                          5-1-1            253          19

15.       Providence                                         3-3-1            247          14

16.       Yale                                                    1-0-0            223          17

17.       Michigan                                            3-3-1            209          11

18.       Bemidji State                                     6-2-0            188          20

19.       Vermont                                             4-1-1            145         NR

20.       Union                                                 6-1-1            110         NR

Others receiving votes: Northeastern 88, Lake Superior State 44, Wisconsin 42, Omaha 25, St. Lawrence 19, Miami 15, Dartmouth 6, Western Michigan 5, Air Force 4, Holy Cross 3.

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll

Rk.      School (1st-place votes)         Record           Pts.         PR

1.         Minnesota Duluth (33)                      5-1-2            509            2

2.         Denver (1)                                          6-2-0            461            3

3.         North Dakota                                5-2-0           449            1

4.         Boston University                             3-2-0            398            4

5.         Boston College                                 6-2-1            329            8

6.         Massachusetts-Lowell                      4-2-2            328            5

7.         Quinnipiac                                          4-2-1            321            7

8.         St. Cloud State                                  4-2-0            256          10

9.         Notre Dame                                       4-3-1            221            6

10.       Minnesota State                                6-2-0            189            9

11.       Ohio State                                          5-0-2            184          14

12.       Harvard                                              2-0-0            130          13

13.       Minnesota                                          3-2-1            125          12

14.       Providence                                         3-3-1              60          15

15.       Penn State                                          5-1-1              32         NR

Others receiving votes: Union 25, Michigan 14, Yale 13, Vermont 11, Bemidji State 9, Wisconsin 7, Northeastern 5, Omaha 3, Lake Superior State 1.