In the March 17 USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll, Union was ranked No. 2 for the first time in school history.
The Dutchmen outdid themselves even further with getting 31 first-place votes in the March 24 poll to finish atop the rankings after winning the ECAC Hockey playoffs.
Last week’s top-ranked team, Minnesota, bowed out in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament and is No. 2 this week. The Gophers earned 18 first-place votes.
Idle Boston College stays No. 3, while Big Ten champion Wisconsin is up two to No. 4 this week.
Massachusetts-Lowell, winners of the Hockey East playoff crown, are up two to No. 5 this week and also received a first-place vote.
WCHA runner-up Ferris, which lost to Minnesota State in the conference title game, drops two to No. 6, Quinnipiac falls two to No. 7 after losing to Colgate in the ECAC Hockey semifinals, idle St. Cloud State remains eighth, Notre Dame lost to Lowell in the Hockey East semifinals and moves up one to sit ninth and Providence moves down one to No. 10 after losing to New Hampshire in the Hockey East semifinals.
Minnesota State jumps four places to No. 11, Colgate is up two to No. 12 after losing in the ECAC Hockey final to Union, North Dakota slips two to No. 13 after an NCHC semifinal loss to Miami and subsequent win over Western Michigan in the third-place game, idle Vermont moves up two slots to No. 14 and Michigan, which lost in the Big Ten semifinals to Penn State, falls three to sit 15th.
Cornell drops three spots to No. 16 after losing to Union in the ECAC Hockey semifinals, previously-unranked Denver, which won the NCHC tournament, reenters the rankings at No. 17, New Hampshire stays 18th after losing the Hockey East final to Lowell, Northeastern was idle and falls two to No. 19, while Big Ten tournament runner-up Ohio State comes in at No. 20 after not being ranked last week.
The only conference playoff champion and NCAA tournament team to not make the top 20 is Atlantic Hockey’s Robert Morris, which did receive 31 voting points this week.
The final poll this season will be conducted after the Frozen Four on Monday, April 14.
The USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll consists of 50 voters, including 28 coaches from the Division I conferences and 22 beat writers and sports professionals from across the country.
