Gophers Golden
Minnesota, one of three remaining unbeaten teams nationwide, took over the top spot in Monday's USCHO.com/CBS College Sports poll, earning a decisive 42 of 50 first-place votes as last week's top team, Boston University, slipped to second place. Next were Colorado College, Boston College and then Notre Dame as the Irish leaped four spots to No. 5. ... ECAC Hockey favorite Princeton came in at No. 8, a four-place rise from last week, while still-perfect Air Force was No. 12 with its 10-0-0 record. Cornell, the third unbeaten around the country (albeit in just four games) was No. 14, and Massachusetts jumped four spots to No. 16. Joining — or rejoining — the top 20 this week were St. Cloud State, Harvard and Nebraska-Omaha. ... On the other side of the coin, Denver and New Hampshire suffered big drops after two-loss weekends, while Clarkson, Michigan State and St. Lawrence fell out of the rankings.
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Wacky Weekend
On Saturday night, some teams seemed to regain their stride, albeit in strange fashion, while in other games the current unpredictability of college hockey continued in full swing. Start out in Minnesota, where the last place Michigan Tech Huskies continue to bedevil the No. 2 ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers in their own barn. The Huskies rallied with two goals in the third to tie the Gophers. Elsewhere in the WCHA, No. 3 Colorado College rode four power-play goals to a 4-3 win over No. 11 Minnesota State, while the Wisconsin Badgers continued their recent winning ways with a 4-1 win over Minnesota Duluth. Meanwhile, unranked St. Cloud State swept the No. 4 Denver Pioneers with a 2-1 win. Boston College returned to their offensive explosiveness, as Brock Bradford and Jimmy Hayes each scored four points as the Eagles rallied for a wild 8-6 win over No. 6 New Hampshire, who continues to struggle since goalie Brian Foster got injured. No. 13 Air Force remains the only unbeaten and untied team in the country with a 5-1 win over Holy Cross. No. 10 Miami swept No. 17 Michigan State with a 3-1 win, while No. 8 Michigan bounced back from their loss Friday to crush Western Michigan 5-0. In the ECAC, pre-season favorite Princeton earned four points on the weekend with a 4-1 win over Union, as did Harvard with a 1-0 nailbiter over St. Lawrence.
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Feature Stories
- Regaining Their StrideDespite being ranked number one for much of last season, the Harvard Crimson women's hockey team couldn't win when it mattered most, in the NCAA tournament. This year's team is looking to regain their stride amid increased competition from conference rivals, a competition they feel will help them in the long run.
Tuesday Morning Quarterback: Nov. 18, 2008In this week's column, Jim Connelly and Scott Brown mull over the continuing role of this year's rule changes, last weekend's topsy-turvy results by the numbers, and of course Air Force.- Decisions, DecisionsDave Starman returns with goaltender-centric musings about Michigan, Denver and Michigan State as well as quick hits on topics around the nation.
- No Scholarship, No ProblemLuke Salazar, a non-scholarship athlete, is quickly proving to be the most valuable addition to the offensive-minded Denver Pioneers. Despite his size, Salazar has a knack for scoring the big goal.
- Offense From DefenseKevin Shattenkirk has gone from breaking his parents' windows with pucks to breaking away as a dangerous blueliner for Boston University. Mike Scandura reports.
- Tuesday Morning Quarterback: Nov. 11, 2008A new number one, the start of the season in ECAC Hockey, games to watch and more Air Force — Jim Connelly and Scott Brown sound off once again.
- See You Next Year?There's a first time for everything, but that doesn't mean that there will be a next time. Scott Brown examines the future of the fledgling State of Minnesota Hockey Showcase.
- Tuesday Morning Quarterback: Nov. 4, 2008In this week's edition, Jim Connelly and Scott Brown tackle perfect seasons, weekend heroics and matters of offense — both surges and struggles.
- Fresh HorsesThere's a youth movement afoot at Western Michigan, where head coach Jim Culhane is trying to instill a new spirit — and doing it with a distinct group of freshmen. Paula C. Weston reports.
- Tuesday Morning Quarterback: Oct. 28, 2008The debate is renewed as Jim Connelly and Scott Brown break down the top teams, discuss Hockey East's early success and mention a few squads that might be looking for re-dos already.
Denotes USCHO Extra Premium ContentUSCHO.com/CBS College Sports Polls: Current No. 1s — 11/17
Question of the Week
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