A three-point weekend was plenty for Minnesota, which retained the No. 1 spot in the nation in Monday’s USCHO.com/CSTV Networks Division I men’s poll.
Voters preferred the Gophers with 24 of 40 first-place votes after Minnesota won and tied at Michigan Tech last weekend.
Again in second place was Miami, which earned 11 first-place votes in the poll after a weekend off. The remaining five first-place votes went to No. 3 Wisconsin, which beat Ohio State at Lambeau Field in the Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic, its only game of the weekend.
Boston College followed the Badgers at No. 4 after beating Northeastern last Monday in the Beanpot semifinals and then topping Providence Friday. The Eagles’ Beanpot title-game opponent, Boston University, was fifth after toppling Harvard in the other Beanpot semi, then shutting out Massachusetts Friday to extend its winning streak to 10 games.
No. 6 was Cornell, down three places after a one-point weekend in the North Country. The Big Red lost to Clarkson and tied St. Lawrence. In seventh place was Denver, up two spots after sweeping Minnesota State over the weekend.
Michigan finished at No. 8 this week in the wake of a split with Lake Superior State, while Colorado College split with St. Cloud State and ended up at No. 9. Finishing out the top 10 was Michigan State, which beat Ohio State Thursday in its lone game since last week’s poll to hold its position.
The next 10 teams in the rankings were headed by Maine, followed by North Dakota and then No. 13 Nebraska-Omaha — which rocketed up five slots after sweeping Northern Michigan to run its unbeaten streak to seven games. St. Cloud State was next, followed by No. 15 Vermont.
No. 16 was Providence, trailed by New Hampshire, Harvard, Lake Superior State and finally Colgate, which re-entered the poll at No. 20 despite taking just one of four points from Clarkson and St. Lawrence last weekend.
Dropping out since last week’s poll was Ferris State, which lost twice against Notre Dame.
