Unbeaten Minnesota-Duluth moved into the top spot in the USCHO.com/CSTV Division I men’s poll Monday, taking over the No. 1 ranking in the wake of Boston College’s upset loss Friday to Notre Dame.
The Bulldogs, 5-0-1 overall, swept Minnesota State at home and were rewarded with 31 of a possible 40 first-place nods from the voting panel. They were followed in second place in the rankings by the Eagles, who suffered their first loss of the year to the Irish but still claimed four first-place votes.
Michigan came in at No. 3, and the next three spots went to WCHA teams, with North Dakota down two spots at No. 4, unbeaten Wisconsin fifth and Minnesota sixth. The Gophers and Sioux split their series in Grand Forks, N.D., last weekend.
Maine posted the No. 7 slot, dropping two spots after a split with St. Lawrence. The Black Bears were trailed by Colorado College — the WCHA’s third unbeaten team — and then New Hampshire in ninth.
Miami, which lost a home-and-home pair to Ohio State, dropped from sixth to 10th; the RedHawks tied for that position with defending NCAA champion Denver, which hoisted its title banner Saturday, and then got over .500 for the first team this year by finishing a sweep St. Cloud State.
Dartmouth, has yet to open its regular-season schedule, remained 12th, followed by poll returnee OSU, still-idle Cornell and finally Northern Michigan, which debuted at No. 15 after sweeping Michigan State. The Spartans, as well as Colgate, fell out of the rankings this week.
