With a pair of wins, Norwich improved to 9-0 and was a unanimous first pick in this week’s USCHO.com Division III Men’s Poll, the first poll since the holiday break. This marks the fifth consecutive poll that has featured the Cadets in the top spot.
The NCHA made a bid to be considered the toughest conference in the country, with three teams in the top six, St. Norbert at No. 2 with a 14-1 record, No. 3 Wis.-River Falls stands at 13-2-1, and last year’s NCAA champion, Wis.-Superior, is 11-3-1 an climbs to No. 6.
Plattsburgh weighed in at No. 7, up four spots from last week, following a 3-0 week including a 4-3 victory over No. 8 Manhattanville.
Ranked MIAC teams took it on the chin over the weekend, as No. 10 St. Thomas lost two games and fell four places in the poll, while St. John’s lost a pair of games and plummeted to the No. 15 spot. Concordia, which was tied for No. 14 last week, lost two games and subsequently fell out of the top 15.
The coming week sees plenty of action between ranked teams. A Tuesday night treat pits No. 1 Norwich against streaking Plattsburgh, winners of six of the last seven games.
Also, NCHA members Wis.-Superior and St. Norbert, at No. 6 and No. 2, respectively, meet up for two games. And in the ECAC East, No. 5 Bowdoin hosts Babson, which will attempt to play giant killer and move from the ranks of the “receiving votes” into the poll proper.
The USCHO.com Poll is compiled by U.S. College Hockey Online, and consists of 15 voters, including coaches and beat writers from across the country.
