Hockey Climbs to No. 17 in USCHO Poll
1/24/2012 12:00:00 AM | Hockey
Jan. 23, 2012
OXFORD, Ohio - A sweep of then-No. 8 Western Michigan over the weekend boosted the Miami hockey team up to No. 17 in the latest USCHO.com Poll, which was released Monday. The RedHawks cracked the poll for the first time in six weeks last Monday, entering at No. 20, and have been in the poll seven times this season.
Miami (14-10-2, 10-8-2-1 CCHA) totaled 242 points in the poll after earning just 91 last week as the RedHawks are off to a 5-1-0 start in 2012. Miami is just eight points back of No. 16 Michigan State, who the `Hawks swept to start January, and is 109 points ahead of No. 18 North Dakota, who fell behind Miami after a weekend spilt. The RedHawks' opponent this week, Northern Michigan, enters the poll at No. 19 after a non-conference win while Maine rounds out the 20-team poll at No. 20
Minnesota-Duluth remained the No. 1 team in the country for the seventh straight week but lost first-place votes, receiving 45 of 50 for 995 points after two narrow wins over Alabama-Huntsville. Boston University remained at No. 2 but earned the other five first-place votes. Minnesota jumped a spot to third while CCHA rival Notre Dame moved to fourth after a split with Michigan. Merrimack and Ohio State flipped from last week as Merrimack is now fifth and the rival Buckeyes are sixth.
Boston College fell four spots to No. 7 after being swept by Maine while the Wolverines come in at No. 8. Cornell held steady at No. 9 while Ferris State jumped three spots to No. 10 after a win and tie at OSU. UMass-Lowell and Colorado College are 11th and 12th, respectively. The Broncos, who Miami swept last weekend, fell five spots to No. 13 while Union College is 14th and Denver, who the `Hawks beat earlier this year, stayed at No. 15.
A total of eight CCHA teams are ranked in the USCHO.com Poll, the most of any conference. Of the eight, the RedHawks play four in weekend series to close out conference play, including three against top-10 teams in Notre Dame, OSU and Michigan. The complete USCHO Poll can be found here.
Miami is just on the verge of cracking the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll, as the `Hawks are first among "others receiving votes" with 30 points, which makes them 16th as Denver is 15th with 51 points. In the latest Inside College Hockey (INCH) Power Rankings, Miami rose five spots to No. 14 and sits tied for 14th with the MSU Spartans in the latest PairWise Rankings, which help determine NCAA Tournament berths.
The RedHawks host the 19th-ranked Wildcats Friday and Saturday at Steve Cady Arena, looking for payback after being swept by NMU in Marquette, Mich. Dec. 2-3.
--MURedHawks.com--
