UND maintains grip on No. 1 national ranking

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – For the fifth consecutive week, and for the ninth time this season, the University of North Dakota is the nation’s top-ranked team according to the men’s hockey polls released on Monday.

North Dakota (27-7-3) captured 44 of 50 first-place votes in the USCHO.com poll and 33 of 34 first-place votes in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll. UND, the top seed in the NCHC playoffs, advanced to this week’s NCHC Frozen Faceoff with a 2-game sweep of Colorado College in their best-of-three quarterfinals series last weekend.

Minnesota State, Boston University and Michigan Tech held on to spots two through four in both polls, while Denver was No. 5 in the USCHO poll and Miami was No. 5 in the USA Today poll.

UND will face No. 18 and sixth-seeded St. Cloud State on Friday afternoon in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff semifinals at Target Center in Minneapolis. The puck drops at 4:08 p.m. Central.

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll

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

1.         North Dakota (44)                     27-7-3           993            1

2.         Minnesota State (3)                        27-7-3            942            2

3.         Boston University (3)                     23-7-5            895            3

4.         Michigan Tech                                  28-8-2            839            4

5.         Denver                                           22-12-2            788            7

6.         Miami                                             23-13-1            771            5

7.         Quinnipiac                                      23-10-4            629          11

8.         Minnesota Duluth                          20-15-3            597            6

9.         Bowling Green                               23-10-5            531          13

10.       Omaha                                            18-12-6            498            8

11.       Boston College                             21-13-3            466            9

12.       Massachusetts-Lowell                  20-11-6            429          14

13.       Minnesota                                      21-12-3            390          15

14.       Providence                                     22-13-2            368          10

15.       Colgate                                          21-11-4            273          16

16.       Vermont                                         22-14-4            252          17

17.       Harvard                                          19-12-3            251          18

18.       St. Cloud State                              18-17-1            195         NR

19.       Yale                                                  18-9-5            171          12

20.       Robert Morris                                  24-7-5              79          20

Others receiving votes: Michigan 64, St. Lawrence 60, New Hampshire 6, Canisius 4, Michigan State 4, RIT 3, Mercyhurst 2.

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll

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

1.         North Dakota (33)                     27-7-3           509            1

2.         Minnesota State                              27-7-3            473            2

3.         Boston University (1)                     23-7-5            441            3

4.         Michigan Tech                                  28-8-2            402            4

5.         Miami                                             23-13-1            353            5

6.         Denver                                           22-12-2            340            8

7.         Quinnipiac                                      23-10-4            252          11

8.         Minnesota Duluth                          20-15-3            248            6

9.         Bowling Green                               23-10-5            203          13

10.       Omaha                                            18-12-6            192            7

11.       Boston College                             21-13-3            134            9

12.       Massachusetts-Lowell                  20-11-6            117          14

13.       Minnesota                                      21-12-3              93          15

14.       Providence                                     22-13-2              81          10

15.       Harvard                                          19-12-3              57         NR

Others receiving votes: St. Cloud State 47, Vermont 45, Colgate 33, St. Lawrence 21, Yale 21, Robert Morris 13, New Hampshire 2.