For the first time ever, Ferris State is the #1 ranked team in college hockey.  This from a team that was picked to finish ninth in its own conference by the CCHA coaches in the preseason poll.  Ferris State got there by sweeping Notre Dame, limiting them to only one goal scored against Ferris State on the weekend.  Notre Dame dropped out of the top ten, down five slots to the #14 ranking.  Boston University also dropped in the rankings, down a notch to #2, on a loss to Umass-Amherst; it was a close 3-2 game, but a loss nonethless.  And Monday night after the poll came out, BU dropped another game to Boston College in the Beanpot Championship game.  Boston College scored first in the first, and then late in the second, BU scored to tie it, 1-1.  But BC came back a few minutes later and scored, and the second ended 2-1, BC.  BU scored a few minutes into the third to tie it up at 2-2, and the game ended in regulation at 2-2.  In overtime BC dominated, but it was streaky with each team keeping the puck tied up in their opponent’s zone.  In the last five minutes of the first overtime it appeared each team was tiring out, hanging on for the break.  But a nifty pass to across the middle found a BC skater popping open, screened from the BU goalie, and a high shot found its way into the net with seven seconds remaining in the first OT, and that’s how it ended, 3-2, BC winning the Beanpot for the third straight year.  BC had also pounced on Vermont to the tune of 6-1 on Friday night, and BC had moved up two slots to the #3 ranking.

Minnesota-Duluth found a formidable opponent in North Dakota Friday night, as the Fighting Sioux were in control from start to finish, scoring a goal in each period, and leading 3-0 in the third before Duluth scored a goal; North Dakota won it 3-1.  Saturday night’s game was very different indeed with a six-goal first period that ended with Duluth up 4-2, scoring the last three goals of the period.  In the second UMD scored again to go up 5-2, but North Dakota also scored and the second ended 5-3.  North Dakota got one more late in the third, but UMD prevailed, 5-4 to split the weekend.  UMD was very effective on power plays, and scored four of five goals that way, and scored one goal in a four-on-four set.  UMD dropped one slot to the #4 ranking.  Michigan took on Michigan State in a classic rivalry over the weekend.  Friday night’s game opened with a first period stalemate that ended 0–0.  In the second, Michigan took control and quickly scored two goals in the first eleven minutes, but Michigan State came back two minutes later and scored one, and the period ended 2-1, Michigan.  In the third Michigan State capitalized on power play opportunities very early on, scoring one a minute into the third, and then another a few minutes later, and they prevailed in the game, 3-2.  Saturday night Michigan scored first in the first, and took a 1-0 lead into the second.  In the second, Michigan State scored early about three minutes into the period and then about six minutes in, to go up 2-1.  But Michigan came right back a couple of minutes later and tied it, 2-2.  The two teams stalemated for the next thirty-two minutes of play, and the game ended in regulation, 2-2.  In OT, Michigan scored a couple of minutes into the period to take the game, 3-2.  Michigan dropped a notch in the rankings, down to #5, on the weekend.

UMass-Lowell prevailed over Merrimack, but lost to Maine, rising one spot to the #6 ranking.  Merrimack went on to play to a 1-1 tie with New Hampshire, and Merrimack dropped one spot to the #9 ranking.  Minnesota ran into a buzz saw of a Denver team, getting swept, and dropping five spots to #7; Denver popped up four spots to the #10 ranking on its sweep.  And Union College routed Dartmouth and jumped up three spots to the #8 ranking.

This weekend there are two sets of top ten matchups, starting with #2 Boston University playing a home/road pair with #6 UMass-Lowell — should be quite a test of both teams; and #3 Boston College plays a home/road pair with #9 Merrimack.  One top ten team plays a ranked team, as #5 Michigan will host #20 Northern Michigan for two games.  Only three weekends left, and it’s on to the conference playoffs!

This provides the top ten teams, rankings, records, and last weekend’s results:

[table id=39 /]

That it for now.  Stay tuned, and go Terriers!

 — Tom