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| NCAA Rankings: Defending champs reign on high again |
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| Futures Watch |
| Written by Steve Wozniak |
| Tuesday, December 13, 2011 12:02 |
After a hiccup out of the gates, UMD is looking like the defending national champion during its 14-game unbeaten streak, vaulting atop HPT's NCAA Power Rankings.The season of cannibalism has begun in the WCHA, when the conference’s slew of good teams begins beating each other up. Parity begets the perception of mediocrity, and many teams find added importance to conference slates. Heck, just two games separate third-place Nebraska-Omaha from ninth-place St. Cloud State. Two teams, though, have been impervious to the intra-conference feeding frenzy. Defending champion Minnesota-Duluth and Minnesota keep rolling merrily along into the holiday break. In the case of UMD, the Bulldogs have been rolling along unbeaten for 14 games now. The last time they lost was when they were swept by Minnesota back on Oct. 14 and 15. Until someone shows they can beat this team after the leaves start falling, though, UMD will sit atop our Power Rankings.
2 Colgate (11-4-2): We openly wondered in our ECAC season preview how a talented team like Colgate could underachieve as much as it had in previous seasons. Well, a six-game unbeaten streak and the NCAA’s leading goal scorer in Austin Smith have silenced such skepticism. 3 Boston University (10-5-1): With 10 goals in his last 10 games, Islanders prospect and senior Corey Trivino has inserted himself into the discussion of Hobey Baker Award candidates. 4 Ohio State (13-4-1): While the defense and goaltending have been stellar in Columbus, the offense needs more balance. Danny Dries and Chris Crane have alone accounted for 35.6 percent of the Buckeyes’ goals this season. 5 Merrimack (10-2-2): The Warriors were able to limit Colgate’s Austin Smith to just an assist in a 1-1 tie with the Red Raiders. Now they get another big test, with Union’s lethal power play looming on next weekend’s agenda. 6 Mass.-Lowell (10-5-0): The surprising River Hawks are in line to secure just their fourth bid to the NCAA Tournament, and first since 1996. 7 Cornell (7-3-1): The Big Red gave up two goals to Boston University in an overtime loss back on Nov. 26, the only two times a puck found its way into Cornell’s net in the last six games. 8 Air Force (9-4-2): The Falcons have yet to lose at home, but are a pedestrian 3-3-1 on the road and 0-1-0 at neutral sites. So irony of all ironies, Air Force struggles when it has to fly to games. 9 Western Michigan (9-4-5): After averaging two goals a game in a five-game winless streak, the Broncos are averaging four in their current four-game unbeaten streak. 10 Robert Morris (8-6-2): Currently riding a seven-game unbeaten streak and boasting the best penalty kill in Division I, the Colonials get to prove their legitimacy when Ohio State, currently tops in the Pairwise rankings, rolls into Pittsburgh’s Consol Energy Center on Dec. 30 for the College Hockey Showcase. 11 Minnesota (14-5-1): The Gophers' offense may have slipped to second-best in the country behind Colorado College, but their scoring margin of 2.10 goals per game still tops the NCAA. 12 Quinnipiac (11-6-3): Jeremy Langlois, who at one point was leading the NCAA in goals, broke a six-game drought with a pair in last Friday’s 6-1 win over Sacred Heart. 13 North Dakota (9-8-1): If the season ended now, the Sioux would be missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996. But winning five of its last six has North Dakota trending in the right direction. 14 Michigan State (10-6-2): While the Spartans have had plenty of nice surprises in a turnaround year, former Atlanta/Winnipeg first-round choice Daultan Leveille continues to struggle with just three goals and seven points in 15 games. 15 Union (8-3-5): The Dutchmen now have the third-best defense in the country. Saturday’s tilt with Merrimack, the second-best D in NCAA, should be a tight and gritty affair. 16 Harvard (4-3-3): Fire-wagon hockey is not usually a staple of the ECAC, but the Crimson, with the seventh-best offense and top power play in Division I, are changing the game this season. Let’s see if it holds up in the postseason. The series at North Dakota New Year’s weekend will be a big measuring stick. 17 Northern Michigan (8-7-3): The Wildcats have managed a winning record against the toughest schedule in Division I this season, and it doesn’t get any easier. Only two of NMU’s next 10 games will come against a team with a losing record – that’s a pair against 7-9-2 Alaska. 18 Denver (7-6-3): The injury bug continues for the Pioneers. While still missing star goalie Sam Brittain while he rehabs from offseason surgery, Denver now will be without Penguins prospect Beau Bennett for six weeks as he recovers from a ruptured tendon in his wrist. Then again, it seems everyone connected with the Pittsburgh NHL squad is cursed with injury this season. 19 Michigan (9-8-3): They got off the schneid with a win and tie against rival Michigan State last weekend. It was enough to get the Wolverines off the NCAA Tournament bubble … for now. 20 Boston College (12-6-0): The Eagles have been struggling of late, but will still get a No. 1 seed in one of the NCAA Tournament regionals if the season ended today. Having the fifth-toughest schedule in the country has done a bunch to boost BC’s RPI. Three StarsDane Walters, Western MichiganThe week: Three goals, including his first career hat trick, and two assists in a tie and win against Bowling Green.Fun fact: As a business major, the junior entered this school year with a 3.64 grade-point average. Zach Lehrke, Minnesota State
The week: Three goals and an assist in the Mavericks’ sweep of Alabama-Huntsville. |
| Last Updated on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 20:51 |
