By Arthur Lane
USCHO.com has released this week’s national poll for Division I men’s hockey.
Surprise! Minnesota retains the top spot and receives all 50 first place votes after sweeping a pesky Bemidji State team. The Golden Gophers have been led by captain Kyle Rau (3G, 5A) and one of the best goalies in the country in Adam Wilcox, who made a ridiculous stick save this weekend (you can check it out below). We’ll talk about Minnesota’s upcoming weekend later on.
Union stays put at number two after splitting a home series with St. Cloud. Senior goalie Colin Stevens did not play in the loss. The story for Union has been sophomore Mike Vecchione (4G, 7A) and senior Daniel Ciampini (2G, 6A). After bursting onto the national scene in the Frozen Four with outstanding performances, Vecchione, Ciampini, and Stevens have helped Union bridge the gap left by All-American defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Mat Bodie. Although Union has won early, they haven’t been playing exceptionally well and were outplayed by St. Cloud State this weekend.
Boston University leaped to the sixth spot after defeating Michigan and Michigan State at home. BU has been led by freshman sensation Jack Eichel (3G, 3A) who will be a top pick in the NHL draft this summer. One area of concern for Terrier fans has got to be the defense, which is allowing nearly 33 shots a game. Goalies Matt O’Connor and Connor LaCouvee have stopped all but three of them, but they won’t be able to survive at that rate. The Terriers have plenty of potential, but must prove themselves starting this weekend against Hockey East favorite (not mine) Providence.
Speaking of the Friars, I drop them out of my top ten. They got annihilated Friday night in Fargo before escaping with a tie thanks to a Nick Saracino goal with :39 seconds left in regulation. It is worth noting North Dakota didn’t play with leading scorer Mark MacMillan on Saturday, after he suffered a wrist injury in Friday’s game and will be out indefinitely after surgery.
Vermont jumps to 13th in the USCHO.com poll after taking down UCONN. Certainly not an overly impressive win, but the Catamounts haven’t lost like most of their counterparts in college hockey. Led by Mike Paliotta (2G, 5A) and goalies Brody Hoffman and Mike Santaguida, Vermont is in good position to start their Hockey East slate against Notre Dame this weekend.
Now for my weekly Top 10 teams in the country:
Game of the Week:
We stay out west for the game of the week this time. Minnesota comes off a weekend sweep of Bemidji State to play a home and home with St. Cloud State. St. Cloud returns west after splitting a pair of games at defending national champion Union. This will be the Huskies third top five-team opponent in as many weeks. Don’t let St. Cloud’s 2-2 record fool you; they have played two strong teams that figure to be at the top of the ECAC this year in Colgate and Union. The Huskies scoring attack has been balanced but their defense is what has led them thus far.
Minnesota boasts one of the nation’s most balanced teams once again. A high-octane offense led by captain Kyle Rau and a huge (only two defenders not six feet tall), physical defense backed up by Adam Wilcox will continue to cause fits for opposing teams. Will St. Cloud’s tough schedule give them the edge on a Minnesota team whose best opponent has been Duluth? Or will Minnesota’s defense shut down a Husky offense that hasn’t put up big offensive numbers? Should be an exciting weekend in Minnesota.
