College Hockey Update:  Howdy College Hockey Fans!  It’s back, the greatest show on earth.  College Hockey started a few weekends ago, and it’s time we fired up the ol’ College Hockey Update engine.

In the only matchup of top fifteen teams last weekend, Quinnipiac swept St. Cloud State, sending Quinnipiac (which had beaten Maine earlier in the week) up five spots to #9, and dropping St. Cloud State down five spots to #14.

North Dakota made quick work of Vermont, taking two, and keeping North Dakota at #1, while Nebraska-Omaha took two from the Air Force Academy, holding on to the #2 spot.  Providence swept Ohio State, holding at #3, Boston College swept Colorado College, holding on at #4, and an idle Denver moved up one to #5 on UMD’s struggles.  UMD played two at Notre Dame and came home with two ties, dropping UMD one spot to #6, while UMass-Lowell likewise had a very tough time with #17 Merrimack College, taking home two ties, and UMass-Lowell remained at #7.

Boston University did not rise on Lowell’s struggle with Merrimack, despite a win over Connecticut, and held on at #8; perhaps those in the know thought a #8 team should have had a more convincing win over Connecticut, and if that was the thinking, BU might have confirmed something for them, as Tuesday night, after the poll came out, BU lost the follow up game to Connecticut.  Michigan tied Union College and beat RPI, moving Michigan up a spot to #10, and Miami of Ohio split with St. Lawrence, and Miami held at #15.  An idle and untested Harvard tied New Brunswick in an exhibition game, and Harvard settled down two spots to #11; an idle Bowling Green held at #12; and an idle and untested Yale held onto the #13 spot.

North Dakota had huge help last weekend from senior forward Bryn Chyzyk, of Virden, Manitoba.  Chyzyk scored a goal in each of North Dakota’s two wins over Vermont, and he leads North Dakota in goals scored with five in North Dakota’s six games this season, and he is tied for tenth on the team in assists, with one.  He has only taken 22 shots so far this season, giving him a .227 scoring percentage on shots taken, and his total of five goals in six games nearly equals his total of seven goals scored last year — last year he also added six assists.

Chyzyk’s hometown of Virden is about 150 miles north of the North Dakota/Canada border, about as far north as Winnipeg, and is about 220 miles north of Minot, North Dakota.  The total population of Virden is about 3,000, and it is perched up at about 1,440 feet in elevation.  Summers can get very hot, and winters are quite notably cold there, as the daytime average high in January is 11, the daytime average in January is 2, and average daily low in January is -7.  Yikes.  The record low there is -48.  I suppose people might play hockey there as a way to just stay warm.

This weekend there are a number of top fifteen matchups, as #4 Boston College is hosting #5 Denver in a game that started about 25 minutes ago; #4 Denver will play #8 Boston University tomorrow night.  Also, #6 Minnesota-Duluth hosts #7 UMass-Lowell for two games, with the puck dropping tonight in about half an hour.  And #14 St. Cloud State will host two games against Miami of Ohio, with the first game starting in about an hour.  And one top fifteen team will play a top twenty team tomorrow night when #8 Boston University will drive half an hour up the road to play #17 Merrimack College.

This provides the top fifteen teams, rankings, records, and last week’s results:

[table id=112 /] 

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

— Tom