College Hockey Notebook: Minnesota State Back On Top After Big Week

We’ve got a new top dog in the nation for the second week in a row in college hockey.

Well, not necessarily new, but different. It was a close race but Minnesota State is back on top of the national polls after spending a week at No. 2 after a home-and-home sweep of St. Thomas. Quinnipiac dropped back down to No. 2, Western Michigan came in at No. 3, Michigan at No. 4 and Denver rounds out the top five this week.

Take a look back at all of the action from the last week.

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Who’s Playing Well?
For the second straight week Merrimack swept and knocked off a ranked opponent and it was repaid by earning the No. 19 spot on this week’s national polls. First, the Warriors swept then-No. 17 Providence and followed it up by handing then-No. 10 UMass Lowell two straight losses.

Prior to the home-and-home sweep, UMass Lowell only had suffered three losses all season. The Warriors’ win streak snapped Tuesday against UConn, but Merrimack now has won five of its last six.

Local Spotlight
Hockey East honored Merrimack forward Liam Walsh and UMass netminder Matt Murray on Tuesday. Walsh took home Hockey East Player of the Week honors while Murray was named Goaltender of the Week.

Walsh tallied four points over the weekend for Merrimack with two goals and two assists against UMass Lowell. Murray earned two wins as UMass swept Northeastern and allowed just two goals on 55 shots.

UMass was the highest riser on the college hockey national polls this week after its impressive sweep of Northeastern. The reigning champion Minutemen rose all the way from No. 14 to No. 9 after the big weekend.

National News
Minnesota State dropped down to the No. 2 spot last week after having its win streak snapped at the hands of Northern Michigan. The Mavericks took the loss in stride, bounced right back and have won three straight games, including a sweep of St. Thomas to regain the No. 1 spot in the country.

NESN Game of the Week
Maine and Providence will take the ice in this week’s NESN Game of the Week in women’s hockey action Saturday afternoon with puck drop scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET. All coverage can be found right here on NESN.