Three things I learned from Atlantic Hockey this weekend:
Rebounding isn’t just for basketball – This weekend saw several teams come back and earn a split after a tough Friday night loss. Robert Morris, Sacred Heart and Niagara all played much better in their second game to avoid a sweep. And Rochester Institute of Technology went from sweep victims at Air Force last weekend to getting out the brooms themselves against Canisius.
Air Force holds on to the top spot – For the first time in four weeks, the first-place team was able to stay at the top of the heap. The Falcons took three points at Niagara to stay a point ahead of RIT. Moving up quickly were RIT, Bentley and Holy Cross, all recording sweeps this weekend. That meant no points for Canisius, American International and Army.
Watch out for Sacred Heart – The Pioneers may be out of the running for home ice, but they’re undefeated in their last three games, earning more points in the past three weeks then they had the entire season. Odds are the team that finishes fifth will get Sacred Heart in the first round, and it might not be the cake-walk it looked like a month ago.
Getting my vote
Here’s my ballot for Monday’s USCHO.com Division I Men’s poll:
1. Ferris State
2. Boston University
3. Boston College
4. Minnesota-Duluth
5. Michigan
6. Minnesota
7. Mass-Lowell
8. Merrimack
9. Union
10. Cornell
11. Notre Dame
12. Denver
13. Maine
14. Colorado College
15. North Dakota
16. Ohio State
17. Michigan State
18. Western Michigan
19. Northern Michigan
20. Miami
