Editor’s note: NESN’s Tom Caron is on the 50-member USCHO ranking committee, and you can find his votes and thoughts on the college hockey week that was every Monday on NESN.com.
Minnesota stayed atop my poll this week after two wins over Bemidiji State. The Gophers were one of three teams from last week’s top 10 to go 2-0-0 on the week. Boston College and Colgate were the others.
BC, meanwhile, moved up three spots to No. 5 after beating Colorado College and UMass by a combined 10-3 score. The Eagles have bounced back nicely from their opening night loss to UMass-Lowell and now are the top Hockey East team in my rankings.
Providence College dropped from No. 5 to No. 7, though, after a winless weekend in Grand Forks, N.D. The Fighting Sioux beat the Friars 6-1 Friday night before the teams skated to a 2-2 tie Saturday.
UMass-Lowell also dropped two places, to No. 9, after an 8-4 loss to Michigan on Friday. The River Hawks bounced back with a 2-1 win over unranked Michigan State on Saturday.
Boston University jumped into my top 10 for the first time — to No. 6 — after beating Michigan State and Michigan at Agganis Arena. It’s a big weekend for the Terriers coming up with a home-and-home series against Providence.
Michigan Tech cracked my poll for the first time — at No. 19 — after sweeping eighth-ranked (sixth in my poll) Ferris State in Big Rapids, Mich.
New Hampshire is knocking on the door after a convincing win over Colorado College at home, but the Wildcats will need to step it up with a big home-and-home series against UMass-Lowell this weekend if they want to make my top 20 next week.
Here’s my official USCHO.com ballot:
1. Minnesota
2. North Dakota
3. Colgate
4. Union
5. Boston College
6. Boston University
7. Providence
8. Minnesota State
9. Massachusetts-Lowell
10. Ferris
11. Miami University
12. Notre Dame
13. St. Cloud State
14. Denver
15. Vermont
16. Cornell
17. Northern Michigan
18. Michigan
19. Michigan Tech
20. Minnesota-Duluth
And here is the USCHO top 20:
1. Minnesota
2. Union
3. North Dakota
4. Colgate
5. Boston College
6. Boston University
7. St. Cloud State
8. UMass Lowell
9. Providence
10. Miami
11. Denver
12. Minnesota State
13. Vermont
14. Ferris State
15. Michigan
16. Alaska
17. Michigan Tech
18. Cornell
19. Minnesota-Duluth
20. Notre Dame
Photo via Twitter/@GopherHockey
