Last weekend featured a pair of blistering top-twelve matchups, and Union College played two very different games in hosting St. Cloud State; Friday night the Dutchmen took a one-sided win, but Saturday night the Huskies were not to be denied as they prevailed in a tough see-saw battle after starting out down in the first period.  Union retained the #2 ranking on the weekend by the slimmest of poll marigns, and St. Cloud State moved up a couple to #7.  The North Dakota/Providence matchup had strikingly similar results as the team to be named later took a lopsided win Friday night, but the Friars came back and fought to a 2-2 tie Saturday night.  North Dakota remained at #3 but is breathing right down Union’s neck in votes, while Providence dropped several spots to #9. The weekend also featured  a few top-twenty matchups, as UMass-Lowell dropped a game to Michigan, and the River Hawks edged down to the #8 spot (they had beaten Michigan State the night before).  Denver took a trip to Minnesota-Duluth, and the Pioneers win Friday night was followed by a one-sided win by the Bulldogs on Saturday; Denver held on at #11 and UMD held on at #19.

The biggest move up in the rankings was by Boston University, after winning two very close games over Michigan and Michigan State; while Michigan nudged down a spot to #15, BU leap-frogged up six spots to #6.  BU was assisted greatly as just about every team ranked ahead of them (three named above)  took a loss on the weekend, and with so few games played to date, the voting judges seem to be very focused on most recent weekend’s wins or losses.  But let’s start with the three teams not contributing to BU’s jump — Minnesota swept Bemidji State and the Gophers remained at #1; Colgate swept Sacred Heart and remained at #4; and Boston College took convincing wins from both Colorado College and UMass-Amherst, and edged up to #5.  But then there are those taking losses last weekend, and Ferris State was swept at the hands of Michigan Tech, dropping these Bulldogs six spots to #14, the biggest drop in the poll this week.  Miami was completely blitzed by St. Lawrence in the first, and early in the second Friday night, and the Red Hawks found themselves down to the Saints 4-0, and then fought back, but not enough as St. Lawrence prevailed in a late nail-biter, despite being outshot 42-16!  Saturday night the two played a different, low-scoring game with Miami winning in OT; the Red Hawks held at #10 and St. Lawrence received votes in the poll for the first time this season.  Lastly, Mankato State swept Alabama-Huntsville, and edged up to the #12 spot.

This weekend features six top-twelve teams facing off in six games.  #9 St. Cloud State has no letup in their pressure cooker schedule as they host #1 Minnesota Friday night in the first of a home/home weekend with the Gophers.  #5 Boston College will travel to play two games at #11 Denver, and #6 Boston University will be tested by a road game at #9 Providence in a home/home weekend with the Friars.  One top twelve team will play a top twenty opponent when #10 Miami of Ohio will travel to play a pair at #19 Minnesota-Duluth.

Last weekend North Dakota had a spark plug who got the scoring started in their games against Providence.  Sophomore forward Luke Johnson, from Grand Forks, ND, scored the opening goal in each game, helping the team to be named later to a win and a tie on the weekend.   At 6′ tall, and 192 pounds, Johnson was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks at #134 in the fifth round of the 2013 NHL Draft.  He attended Grand Forks Central High School, and played on the school’s hockey team his first two years, helping them to win the State Championship, and earing All-State honors his sophomore year.  He then played two years on the Lincoln Stars of the USHL with his UND teammate and fellow Grand Forks native Paul LaDue, who is his cousin.  He scored 20 goals and added 35 assists in his first year, and scored 19 goals and added 27 assists in his second year with the Stars.  In his freshman year at UND he scored eight goals and added 13 assists.  His father, Steve, played at UND from 1984-88, was on the 1987 North Dakota NCAA championship team, and was a 1988 All-American.  His uncle, Chad, played at UND from 1990-93.  His hometown of Grand Forks is also home to the University of North Dakota, and it has a population of 53,000, and a metro area population of 99,000.  Incorporated in 1881, Grand Forks was founded in 1870 on the banks of the Red River, which can become mighty and unruly:  It last flooded in April/May of 1997, filling all of the town with water and causing the University to cancel classes for the rest of the school year.  And you want to talk about cold — the average low there in December is 3 degrees, January -3, and February 2.  The record low there is -42.  Brrrrrrr. 

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

[table id=91 /]

That’s all for now.  Stay tuned, and go Terriers!

 — Tom