College Hockey Update:  Last week nearly half the top twenty teams were involved in top-twenty matchups, and the first one here will cover four of the teams at once since they are interlocked together.  Boston College held at #1 after a win at Northeastern, then a win on a goal in the last tenth-of-a-second of overtime at home against Boston University, and then a loss at Boston University — the weekend lifted BU two spots to #13, and dropped Northeastern four pegs to #18 (Northeastern went on to host and lose to Connecticut, which entered UConn into the top twenty at #20).  Whew times pi squared!  Mankato State moved up three notches to #3 after hosting and sweeping Bowling Green, which knocked the Falcons down four slots to #12; and Minnesota dropped three spots to #5 after hosting and getting swept by Wisconsin, which lifted the Badgers four pegs to #7.

Minnesota-Duluth edged up to #4 after hosting and sweeping Miami of Ohio; and St. Cloud State dropped two notches to #6 after hosting and splitting with Western Michigan.  Nebraska-Omaha edged down to #10 after splitting its weekend at Denver; Quinnipiac edged up to #11 after hosting and sweeping St. Lawrence; and Clarkson edged down to #14 after hosting and losing to Colgate Friday night, then settling on a tie at Colgate Saturday night.  Providence held at #16 after splitting a home and home series with Merrimack; Bemidji State edged up to #17 after settling on a tie, then getting a win, both at Ferris State; and Robert Morris held at #19 after hosting and sweeping Long Island University.  An idle North Dakota edged up to #2; idle Michigan edged down to #8; idle Massachusetts edged up to #9; and idle American International moved up two slots to #15.

COLLEGE HOCKEY UPDATE FEATURED PLAYER

Last week Mankato State had huge help from sophomore forward Nathan Smith, of Hudson, FL., who scored a goal Friday night in his team’s 4-0 win, and added two assists Saturday night in his team’s 5-1 win, both at home against Bowling Green State University.  Last Friday night in Mankato, after a scoreless and evenly played first period (Bowling Green 11 shots, Mankato 10), even play continued in the second.  But Mankato special teams came through when Nathan Smith netted one on a power play thirteen minutes into the frame, and then five minutes later when Dallas Gerads netted another power play goal, to end the period 2-0, Mankato.  Mankato had fired off nine shots in the second, to eight for Bowling Green.  In the third play was again seemingly even, with Bowling Green again getting eleven shots off, and Mankato getting ten, but Mankato was opportunistic, and converted nine minutes in on a goal by Walker Duehr, and then Riese Zmolek scored another, three minutes later, to make  the final score 4-0.  Saturday night was much of the same, as a first period goal by Shane McMahon put Mankato up 1-0, and then the dam broke late in the second when goals by Ryan Sandelin (assist by Nathan Smith), Jared Spooner (assist by Nathan Smith), and Reggie Lutz, made for a 4-0 Mankato lead at the end of two.  In the third Reggie Lutz struck again, three minutes into the period, and Bowling Green was able to net one on a power play with seven minutes left in the game, to make the final 5-1, Mankato State.

The 6’0″ 190 lb Smith is tied for fifth on his team in goals scored, with three, and is first in assists, with thirteen.  As a freshman he tied for sixth in goals scored, with nine, and was fifth in assists, with eighteen.  He was selected by Winnipeg in the third round of the 2018 NHL entry draft with the 91st pick overall.  Smith’s hometown of Hudson, FL., is home to its 20,000 residents, spread among its six square miles.  It is a beach town, with a large beach built by the resident in the 1960’s, and is about forty miles north of Tampa/St. Petersburg.  Hudson proclaims itself to be the “Gopher Racing Capital of the World,” as a result of resident William Trippet sweeping both the 8-10 year old, and the overall division victories in both 1976 and 1977 with his Gopher Tortoise named “St. Pete Flash.”  Until Sunday’s second Super Bowl win by the Buccaneers, it had ranked as the greatest single sporting accomplishment of the region.

Mankato State, founded in 1868, is located in Mankato, of all places.  It enrolls 13,000 undergraduates and 1,800 graduate students.  The town of Mankato, founded in 1852, is home to its 43,000 residents.  Mankato State started its NCAA Hockey Team in the 1969-70 season, as a Division II team until 1984; they competed as a DIII team from the 1984-85 season until 1992, returning to DII from the 1992-93 season until 1996.  Mankato State became a DI team in the 1996-97 season, and have been in the WCHA since the 1999-2000 season.  Mike Hastings is in his ninth season as coach of Mankato State.  His teams have compiled a record of 225-87-24, and have earned five NCAA Tournament berths during his tenure.  Mankato State, 11-2-1, and ranked #3 travels to play two games tonight and tomorrow night at Alabama-Huntsville.

This weekend features two top-twenty matchups as #7 Wisconsin travels to play a pair at #8 Michigan Saturday afternoon and Sunday night, and #16 Providence plays a home and home series with #20 Connecticut, Friday night at Providence, and Saturday night at Connecticut.

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

[table id=222 /]

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

— Tom