UND ranked eighth in most recent national polls

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota will return to Ralph Engelstad Arena for its regular-season home opener ranked No. 8 in the latest national polls, which were released on Monday afternoon.

UND was ranked eighth in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls this week after picking up a win and a tie over the weekend at non-conference for Alaska Anchorage. The Fighting Hawks and Seawolves skated to a 1-1 overtime tie on Friday, followed by UND’s 3-2 overtime win on Saturday.

It marked a slight drop for UND, which had previously been ranked No. 7 in both polls.

Denver, which opens its season this weekend, remained atop both polls and was the unanimous No. 1 in the USA Today rankings.

UND will host unranked St. Lawrence on Friday and Saturday. The puck drops at 7:37 p.m. Central on Friday and 7:07 p.m. on Saturday.

USCHO.com Poll:

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

1.         Denver (45)                                         0-0-0            995            1

2.         Boston University (5)                           2-0-0            947            2

3.         Harvard                                               0-0-0            849            4

4.         Notre Dame                                         2-0-0            743            8

5.         Minnesota Duluth                                1-1-0            726            6

6.         St. Cloud State                                    1-0-0            723            9

7.         Minnesota                                            1-1-0            708            3

8.         North Dakota                                  1-0-1           678            7

9.         Providence                                           2-0-0            670          11

10.       Wisconsin                                            2-1-0            424          12

11.       Penn State                                           1-1-0            410          10

12.       UMass Lowell                                       0-2-0            365            5

13.       Boston College                                    0-0-1            346          13

14.       Northeastern                                       2-0-0            291          20

15.       Clarkson                                              2-0-0            267         NR

            Michigan Tech                                     2-1-0            267         NR

17.       Quinnipiac                                           0-1-1            257          14

18.       Cornell                                                 0-0-0            226          15

19.       Air Force                                              1-0-1            161          17

20.       New Hampshire                                   2-0-0            134         NR

           

Others receiving votes: Ohio State 132, Minnesota State 61, Western Michigan 36, Colgate 24, Michigan 16, Union 14, Bemidji State 12, Vermont 6, Omaha 5, Army 4, Miami 2, Brown 1.

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll:

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

1.         Denver (34)                                         0-0-0            510            1

2.         Boston University                                2-0-0            467            2

3.         Harvard                                               0-0-0            373            4

4.         St. Cloud State                                    1-0-0            353            6

5.         Providence                                           2-0-0            338            5

6.         Notre Dame                                         2-0-0            316            8

7.         Minnesota                                            1-1-0            312            3

8.         North Dakota                                  1-0-1           246            7

9.         Minnesota Duluth                                1-1-0            233          12

10.       Wisconsin                                            2-1-0            172          10

11.       Penn State                                           1-1-0            126          11

12.       UMass Lowell                                       0-2-0              99            9

13.       Michigan Tech                                     2-1-0              98         NR

14.       Northeastern                                       2-0-0              93          13

15.       Clarkson                                              2-0-0              77         NR

           

Others receiving votes: Boston College 71, Quinnipiac 64, Cornell 46, Ohio State 39, New Hampshire 28, Air Force 16, Army 1, Colgate 1, Miami 1.