University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Maintain No. 1 Ranking in National Polls
11/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
For the second straight week, Minnesota is the nation’s top-ranked men’s hockey team in both national polls.
The Gophers held onto the top spot despite suffering their first loss of the season on Saturday in a 4-0 setback at Denver. The defeat snapped Minnesota’s 11-game season-opening unbeaten streak that was extended in Friday’s 5-2 win at Denver. The Gophers are now 7-1-4 overall and in first place in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association with a 6-1-3 league mark.
Minnesota received 30 of 34 first place votes in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll and took 41 of 48 first place tallies in the U.S. College Hockey Online/CBS College Sports poll. Notre Dame is ranked second, Colorado College is third and Northeastern is fourth in both polls. Colorado College will play at Mariucci Arena on Dec. 13-14, while Northeastern will take part in the Dodge Holiday Classic on Jan. 2-3.
Minnesota has held the nation’s top ranking for at least one week in eight of the past nine seasons. The Gophers host Michigan on Friday and Michigan State on Saturday in the College Hockey Showcase this weekend. Michigan is ranked 15th in the USA Today/USA Hockey poll and 14th in the USCHO/CBS College Sports poll.