North Dakota climbs to No. 2 in USA Today national poll

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Following a non-conference win and tie against fifth-ranked Providence, the University of North Dakota improved to No. 2 in this week’s USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, while remaining No. 3 in the USCHO.com poll.

UND defeated the Friars 6-1 on Friday before skating to a 2-2 overtime tie on Saturday. It marks the third consecutive week in the No. 2 spot for UND in the USCHO poll. Top-ranked Minnesota held on to the top spot in both polls. Defending NCAA champion Union stayed at No. 2 in the USCHO poll while switching spots with UND in the USA Today poll.

UND (4-1-1, 2-0-0 NCHC) will conclude a 5-game non-conference stretch on Saturday when it hosts Air Force in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game at Ralph Engelstad Arena. The puck drops at 7:37 p.m. Central.

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll

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

1.         Minnesota (50)                                  4-0-0          1000            1

2.         Union                                                 5-1-0            901            2

3.         North Dakota                                4-1-1           900            3

4.         Colgate                                              5-1-0            870            4

5.         Boston College                                 3-1-0            788            6

6.         Boston University                             3-0-0            637          12

7.         St. Cloud State                                  2-2-0            628            9

8.         Massachusetts-Lowell                      3-1-1            601            7

9.         Providence                                         1-2-1            587            5

10.       Miami                                                 4-2-0            503          10

11.       Denver                                               3-1-0            422          11

12.       Minnesota State                                4-2-0            404          13

13.       Vermont                                             4-0-0            352          17

14.       Ferris State                                        2-3-0            338            8

15.       Michigan                                            2-3-0            285          14

16.       Alaska                                                5-1-0            254          16

17.       Michigan Tech                                    4-0-0            218         NR

18.       Cornell                                               0-0-0            137          18

19.       Minnesota Duluth                              3-3-0            128          19

20.       Notre Dame                                       4-2-0              80         NR

Others receiving votes: Robert Morris 79, Omaha 76, Bowling Green 65, Quinnipiac 59, Northern Michigan 56, Alaska Anchorage 34, Merrimac 33, New Hampshire 20, Ohio State 15, St. Lawrence 9, Dartmouth 8, Harvard 6, Yale 3, Mercyhurst 2, Bentley 1, Penn State 1.

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll

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

1.         Minnesota (33)                                  4-0-0            509            1

2.         North Dakota                                4-1-1           446            3

3.         Union (1)                                            5-1-0            429            2

4.         Colgate                                              5-1-0            421            4

5.         Boston College                                 3-1-0            374            6

6.         Boston University                             3-0-0            295          11

7.         St. Cloud State                                  2-2-0            294            9

8.         Providence                                         1-2-1            254            5

9.         Massachusetts-Lowell                      3-1-1            218            8

10.       Miami                                                 4-2-0            187          10

11.       Denver                                               3-1-0            142          13

12.       Minnesota State                                4-2-0            134          12

13.       Michigan                                            2-3-0              89          14

14.       Vermont                                             4-0-0              86         NR

15.       Ferris State                                        2-3-0              60            7

Others receiving votes: Michigan Tech 29, Alaska 23, Notre Dame 23, Cornell 22, Robert Morris 13, New Hampshire 7, Quinnipiac 7, Ohio State 6, Omaha 6, Minnesota Duluth 5, Bowling Green 2, Northern Michigan 2, St. Lawrence 1.

Sophomore defenseman Stecher claims NCHC weekly honor

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota sophomore defenseman Troy Stecher has been named National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Defenseman of the Week after his four-point series against Providence last weekend.

Stecher collected two assists in each game against the fifth-ranked Friars, helping lead UND to a 6-1 win on Friday and a 2-2 overtime tie on Saturday. In Friday’s win, Stecher assisted on even-strength goals by Michael Parks and Bryn Chyzyk while blocking one shot and tying for the team lead with a plus-2 rating. He assisted on both UND goals on Saturday, blocked a team-leading three shots and was a plus-1.

Stecher, a native of Richmond, British Columbia, also keyed a UND penalty killing unit that went 8-for-8 on Friday and 14-for-15 on the weekend.

In six games this season, Stecher is tied for the team lead in assists (6) and plus/minus (plus-4). His six points rank second among NCHC defensemen behind only teammate and classmate Paul LaDue, who has three goals and four assists.

UND’s NCHC Players of the Week
Oct. 20:   Mark MacMillan (Offensive)
               Paul LaDue (Defenseman)

Oct. 27:   Troy Stecher (Defenseman)