For the 10th consecutive poll, Plattsburgh is the top team in Division III college hockey. And this time there are no dissenters. After three wins this past week–over Williams, Brockport, and Geneseo–the Cardinals received all 20 first place votes.
The University of Wisconsin-Superior–by virtue of their two wins over in-state rivals Eau Claire and Stevens Point and previously second-ranked St. Scholastica’s loss at home to those same Pointers–ascended to No. 2, reclaiming a spot they held for much of the season.
Though the Saints did lose to Stevens Point, they rebounded to double up Eau Claire, 6-3, and only fell one spot to third.
UW-Stout, meanwhile, jumped up a rung to fourth after downing Lake Forest, 5-1, and edging St. Norbert on the road in overtime, 4-3. Middlebury and Hobart also each moved up one poll position (to fifth and sixth, respectively) as previously fourth ranked Elmira fell three spots to seventh after being upset at home by the Statesmen, 3-2.
Outscoring the Milwaukee School of Engineering 12-1 in a home sweep finally engendered some love for Adrian from D-III pollsters, as the Bulldogs moved up from ninth to their usual spot at No. 8.
Replacing them at No. 9 was Oswego, after the Lakers downed Morrisville in their only game to move up one position.
After yet another rough week, defending national champion St. Norbert fell two more spots to No. 10. The Green Knights downed UW-River Falls at home, 4-1, before losing to new-No. 3 Stout in overtime.
A road sweep of Lebanon Valley by Manhattanville kept the Valiants at No. 11.
Amherst bested Colby and Bowdoin (in overtime) to move up one position to No. 12. Nichols, after blanking Framingham State, 10-0, moved up into a tie at No. 13 with Norwich. After defeating unranked Williams, 4-0, the Cadets fell to new-No. 5 Middlebury, 4-2, at home. They are now 11-6-3 on the season.
A sweep of a home-and-home series with Bethel kept St. Olaf–the lone MIAC member in the poll–at No. 15.
