We have a new #1 again.  The University of Minnesota-Duluth has moved up from their #2 spot after sweeping Michigan Tech last weekend.  Boston University only managed two ties against Merrimack, and slipped down to #2.  I’ll be brief on this — BU was decimated in the offseason as they not only graduated their #1 scorer Colby Cohen, but also lost five juniors (including  their #2, 5, and 8 scorers, Zach Cohen, Nick Bonino, and Kevin Shattenkirk).  In addition they dismissed Junior Vic Saporani and Sophomore Vinny Saporani (#3 scorer last season), for drinking on St. Patrick’s Day, two nights before their loss to Maine in the Hockey East semifinals last year.  BU has a rule that players must be of legal age to drink and can only do so on Saturday nights. So . . . . BU has only one senior this year.  In this age of schools taking so many USHL players who head to the NHL, it is normal to see the senior ranks shrink, but one is pretty extreme.  So it’s sort of a surprise to see BU start strong, and we’ll see how long this fast start lasts . . . .

Ok, that wasn’t so brief.  Next news is that North Dakota, #10 last week, swept #15 Wisconsin, and is now ranked #8.  Also, Michigan, #8 last week, split with #11 Notre Dame, and Michigan is now ranked #9.  Miami of Ohio split with #12 Alaska Fairbanks, and Miami dropped to #6 in the rankings, down from #4.  Yale travelled to Colorado to take part in the in-state rivalry I wrote about last week (Colorado College beat Air Force over the weekend).  Yale downed CC, but fell to Air Force, and Yale dropped from #3 to #5 in the rankings.

What a difference a coach can make.  I have written about the impact Jeff Jackson has had on Notre Dame, and the transformation of Boston College by the hiring of Jerry York.  How about Dean Blais, the master of the late nineties North Dakota success, returning from the NHL to coach the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks?  Wow.  UNO has put some good teams on the ice in the last ten years or so, but one year after bringing in Blais, they are now ranked #4, are 8-1-1, and look very legit.

This weekend we have some great top ten matchups.  #2 Boston University will face #7 New Hampshire, home and away.  #3 Maine will play home and away, against #10 Boston College tonight and Sunday.  And #4  Nebraska-Omaha will play two at home against #8 North Dakota — Dean Blais gets to host his old team.  Should be an exciting weekend.

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

[table id=4 /]

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

 — Tom