UND moves up in national hockey rankings

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Following last Saturday’s non-conference win at Union, the University of North Dakota has climbed one spot to No. 7 in both this week’s USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine men’s college hockey polls.

UND’s 3-1 in Schenectady opened the second half of the season for the Fighting Hawks and lifted their overall record to 10-6-3. National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) rival Minnesota Duluth stayed atop both polls, while Penn State leapfrogged Denver for the No. 2 spot in both.

UND’s next opponent, NCHC foe Omaha, moved from 20th to 18th in the USCHO rankings and received votes in the USA Today top 15. The Fighting Hawks and Mavericks square off Jan. 6-7 at Omaha’s Baxter Arena.

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll

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

1.         Minnesota Duluth (47)                    12-3-3            997            1

2.         Penn State (3)                                  13-1-1            918            3

3.         Denver                                             12-4-4            881            2

4.         Harvard                                              9-2-1            868            4

5.         Boston University                           10-5-2            779            5

6.         Massachusetts-Lowell                    12-5-3            752            7

7.         North Dakota                              10-6-3           676            8

8.         Boston College                               13-7-2            623            6

9.         Minnesota                                        11-5-2            572          11

10.       Union                                               14-4-2            516          10

11.       Ohio State                                          9-3-4            493            9

12.       Notre Dame                                     11-6-2            476          12

13.       Vermont                                           12-6-2            429          13

14.       Western Michigan                           10-5-3            342          16

15.       Quinnipiac                                        11-8-2            320          14

16.       St. Lawrence                                    10-5-4            230          17

17.       Bemidji State                                   14-7-3            195          15

18.       Omaha                                              11-6-3            157          20

19.       Minnesota State                              11-7-2              88          19

20.       St. Cloud State                                  9-8-1              76          18

Others receiving votes: Michigan Tech 30, Cornell 25, Providence 21, Army 15, Robert Morris 8, Northeastern 4, Air Force 3, Clarkson 2, Wisconsin 1.

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll

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

1.         Minnesota Duluth (33)                    12-3-3            509            1

2.         Penn State (1)                                  13-1-1            443            3

3.         Harvard                                              9-2-1            416            4

4.         Denver                                             12-4-4            402            2

5.         Boston University                           10-5-2            372            6

6.         Massachusetts-Lowell                    12-5-3            349            7

7.         North Dakota                              10-6-3           294            8

8.         Boston College                               13-7-2            257            5

9.         Minnesota                                        11-5-2            221          11

10.       Union                                               14-4-2            178            9

11.       Ohio State                                          9-3-4            160          10

12.       Notre Dame                                     11-6-2            155          12

13.       Vermont                                           12-6-2            118          14

14.       Western Michigan                           10-5-3              93         NR

15.       Quinnipiac                                        11-8-2              44          13

Others receiving votes: St. Lawrence 27, Omaha 19, Bemidji State 17, St. Cloud State 4, Robert Morris 2.