UND Hockey enters regular-season home stretch ranked No. 2 nationally

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team will return to action from its week off in the same position in which it left: ranked No. 2 in both national men’s hockey polls.

UND received 12 of 50 first-place votes in the USCHO.com poll and four of 34 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, checking in behind only top-ranked Quinnipiac in both. Boston College took over the third spot from St. Cloud, which slipped to fourth in both polls. Defending national champion Providence was No. 5 in both.

The Fighting Hawks are back on the road this week and will face No. 13 Denver on Friday and Saturday. UND enters the week tied with St. Cloud State atop the NCHC standings, 12 points ahead of the third-place Pioneers.

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll

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

1.         Quinnipiac (37)                                21-1-6            984            1

2.         North Dakota (12)                     22-3-3           953            2

3.         Boston College (1)                         19-4-4            890            4

4.         St. Cloud State                                23-6-1            851            3

5.         Providence                                       19-5-4            793            6

6.         Michigan                                          17-4-4            748            5

7.         Boston University                           16-7-4            685            9

8.         Notre Dame                                     16-5-7            610          10

9.         Harvard                                            13-6-3            591            7

10.       Yale                                                  14-5-4            574          11

11.       Massachusetts-Lowell                    17-6-5            511            8

12.       Omaha                                              16-9-1            436          12

13.       Denver                                             13-8-5            418          13

14.       Michigan Tech                                  16-7-5            336          15

15.       Cornell                                             12-7-4            256          17

16.       Penn State                                        17-8-3            241          16

17.       Minnesota State                            15-10-5            144          18

18.       Rensselaer                                     14-10-6            123          14

19.       Bowling Green                                 16-9-6            119          19

20.       Clarkson                                        15-10-3              67         NR

Others receiving votes: Robert Morris 64, Dartmouth 52, St. Lawrence 22, Minnesota Duluth 14, Minnesota 6, Miami 4, Union 4, Ferris State 3, Air Force 1.

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll

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

1.         Quinnipiac (30)                                21-1-6            504            1

2.         North Dakota (4)                       22-3-3           476            2

3.         Boston College                               19-4-4            434            4

4.         St. Cloud State                                23-6-1            405            3

5.         Providence                                       19-5-4            376            6

6.         Michigan                                          17-4-4            352            5

7.         Boston University                           16-7-4            281            9

8.         Notre Dame                                     16-5-7            258          10

9.         Harvard                                            13-6-3            239            7

10.       Yale                                                  14-5-4            227          11

11.       Massachusetts-Lowell                    17-6-5            173            8

12.       Omaha                                              16-9-1            127          12

13.       Denver                                             13-8-5            105          13

14.       Michigan Tech                                  16-7-5              48          14

15.       Cornell                                             12-7-4              39         NR               

Others receiving votes: Penn State 20, Dartmouth 4, St. Lawrence 4, Clarkson 3, Minnesota Duluth 3, Northeastern 1, Rensselaer 1.