Hockey Vaults into Top Eight in National Polls
3/12/2012 12:00:00 AM | Hockey
March 12, 2012
OXFORD, Ohio - Winners of eight straight, the second-longest active win streak in the country, the Miami hockey team continues to shoot up the polls, landing at No. 7 in the USCHO.com Poll and No. 8 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll, both of which were released Monday.
The RedHawks, who swept Michigan State in the CCHA Quarterfinals last weekend, have now been ranked in the USCHO.com Poll for nine straight weeks and 14 of 23 polls on the year while being ranked in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll for the fourth straight week and the seventh time all season. The No. 7 ranking in the USCHO Poll is Miami's highest since being No. 5 after the first week of the season while the No. 8 ranking in the USA Today Poll is Miami's best since Oct. 17 when the 'Hawks were No. 7. Miami earned 650 points in the USCHO Poll to jump four spots from No. 11 last week when the RedHawks had 508 points, while moving up three spots in the USA Today Poll, also from 11th, after garnering 277 points this week compared to 167 a week ago.
Boston College is the unanimous No. 1 team in the country in both polls for the second straight week while holding the top spot for the third straight time as the Eagles earned all 50 first-place votes for 1000 points in the USCHO Poll and all 34 first-place votes and 510 points in the USA Today Poll. Defending national champion Minnesota-Duluth moved up one spot in each poll to No. 2 with 914 points in the USCHO Poll and 458 in the other. CCHA rival Michigan rose to No. 3 in both polls after sweeping Notre Dame in its quarterfinal series while Minnesota stayed in fourth in each poll and Boston University rounds out the top five in each despite needing three games to win its Hockey East Quarterfinal series with New Hampshire.
Union College moved up to sixth in the polls as Union earned 708 points in the USCHO Poll, 58 more than Miami. CCHA regular season champion Ferris State fell six spots in the USCHO Poll to No. 8 behind the 'Hawks after losing its CCHA Quarterfinal series to Bowling Green as FSU sits six points back of Miami with 644 points. In the USA Today Poll, the Bulldogs stayed ahead of the RedHawks at No. 7 with 288 points, 11 more than Miami, while Denver is behind the 'Hawks in ninth with 208 points, 69 fewer than Miami. The Pioneers, who the RedHawks beat earlier this year, are also No. 9 in the USCHO Poll. UMass-Lowell completes the top 10 in the USCHO Poll while Maine shares the 10th spot with UMass-Lowell in the USA Today Poll.
Maine comes in at No. 11 in the USCHO Poll while North Dakota is 12th in both polls. Cornell is No. 13 in each ranking while Miami's CCHA Semifinal opponent, Western Michigan, is 14th in the polls, jumping multiple spots after sweeping Lake Superior last weekend to advance to the semifinals. Merrimack completes the 15-team USA Today Poll and is also ranked No. 15 in the USCHO Poll.
The Spartans fell just one spot to No. 16 in the USCHO Poll despite being swept by Miami, but fell out of the USA Today Poll. Air Force rose two spots to No. 17 in both rankings while Notre Dame dropped to 18th after being eliminated from the CCHA Playoffs by the Wolverines. Harvard and Colgate, who the 'Hawks split with earlier in the year, round out the USCHO Poll in 19th and 20th, respectively.
A total of six CCHA teams are ranked in the USCHO.com Poll, the most of any conference, while four CCHA squads are in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll, trailing only Hockey East's five teams. In the latest Inside College Hockey (INCH) Power Rankings, Miami jumped two spots to No. 6, which is second among CCHA teams just behind No. 5 Michigan. In the all-important PairWise Rankings, which help determine NCAA Tournament berths, the `Hawks are tied for fourth with Boston University, moving up five spots from last week, and are now in position to possibly earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament depending on this weekend's results.
The RedHawks head to Joe Louis Arena in Detroit this weekend looking to defend the Mason Cup as Miami battles No. 14/14 Western Michigan Friday in the first CCHA semifinal at 4:35 p.m. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Ohio and Fox Sports Detroit Plus.
--MURedHawks.com--
