A sweep of then-No. 1 Michigan and Michigan State in the College Hockey Showcase extended Wisconsin’s unbeaten streak to 12 games and propelled the Badgers to the top of Monday’s USCHO.com/CSTV Networks Division I men’s poll.
The Badgers received all but one of 40 first-place votes to reach No. 1, with No. 2 Colorado College getting the other nod despite losing to Massachusetts Friday. The Tigers recovered to beat Boston University Saturday.
Third place belonged to Michigan, which fell out of the top spot after losing to both its WCHA opponents at the Showcase; Minnesota rose three spots to No. 4 after beating the Wolverines and tying the Spartans.
Vermont was steady at No. 5, losing to UMass in a Tuesday tilt before toppling Maine on Sunday, and Boston College was again No. 6 after winning its lone game against Merrimack last weekend. In seventh was Maine after its loss to UVM.
Miami, which has lost just once in its past 11 games, climbed to No. 8 in the wake of a sweep of Bowling Green, while idle North Dakota came in ninth. Rounding out the top 10 was New Hampshire, which tied Northeastern Sunday.
The next 10 spots in the poll were headed up by Cornell, followed by St. Lawrence, Colgate, Harvard and then No. 15 Denver, which ended a five-game winless streak by beating UMass Saturday.
Alaska-Fairbanks was No. 16, trailed by Bemidji State, Clarkson and Ferris State, which entered the poll at No. 19 after sweeping Mercyhurst. Finishing up the top 20 was Boston University.
Dropping out since last week’s poll was Michigan State, which saw its winless streak hit eight games after the Showcase’s results.
