As much as things change . . . . Undoubtedly a common sentiment around the country as for the past couple of months a CCHA team has sat atop the national rankings. Three weeks ago it was Miami, last poll Michigan. Now again the RedHawks reign supreme. Not without some fight from the idle Wolverines, however.
Previously No. 1 Michigan garnered one more first place vote — 24 to 23 — but four fewer total tallies to cede the top ranking to a Miami team who convincingly swept No. 16 RPI on the road, 7-3 and 5-1. Also fresh off a road sweep (of the Seawolves in Anchorage), new No. 3 Denver nabbed the other three first place votes, leaping over conference (and in-state) brethren Colorado College, who split a series with host No. 17 St. Cloud.
Michigan State rounds out the top five.
Proving that last year’s meteoric rise was no fluke, Notre Dame, 16-4-0 on the season in a conference that features four of the top six teams, remains at No. 6 while idle schools North Dakota, Clarkson, and Massachusetts also remain in place at seventh, eighth, and ninth, respectively.
No. 10 New Hampshire remained motionless, too, despite shutting out arch rival Maine, 2-0.
Teams 11 through 13 — Northeastern, Minnesota, and Wisconsin — did not take the ice this week, but in an early Beanpot preview on Wednesday, No. 15 Boston College’s Nathan Gerbe put on a show, scoring four times including three on the power play and one 4-on-4, as the Eagles easily handled No. 14 Harvard, 7-2, in Cambridge.
After splitting a home series against then-third-ranked Colorado College, new No. 16 St. Cloud moved up a rung while Rensselaer’s sweep at the hands of Miami demoted to them to No. 17.
Minnesota-Duluth, Bowling Green, and UMass-Lowell round out the top 20.
