Dissension is in the ranks.
In the last poll of the Division III season, Norwich claimed the top spot for the third straight week. But after receiving 16 of the 20 available first place votes just seven days ago, that number dipped to 13, with Oswego (four) and St. Norbert (three) each adding two and one top tally, respectively, to
their totals.
This despite the fact that the Cadets — now winners of seven straight and a remarkable 23-1-4 on the season — captured the ECAC East crown with victories over New England College (3-1) in the semis and Babson (4-1) to secure the automatic NCAA berth.
Oswego’s dominant performance in the SUNYAC championship game probably played a part in the voting. Though the Lakers got outshot 38-23, they doubled up the Cardinals, 6-3, to secure the automatic NCAA bid. Likewise in the NCHA, St. Norbert walloped the No. 12 University of Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons, 7-1.
Middlebury’s NESCAC championship — they bested Trinity 3-2 in the semifinal before taking down the white-hot Bowdoin Polar Bears, 3-2, in the title tilt — ushered them up a spot to fourth. Plattsburgh fell one position to fifth.
The Polar Bears ascended a spot to sixth, switching places with MIAC title game loser Gustavus Adolphus.
Manhattanville’s ECAC West crown shot the Valiants up three spots to eighth, where they were followed by Elmira (down a spot from last week) and the MCHA champion Adrian Bulldogs, who get their first shot at a national title on Wednesday when they travel to take on St. Norbert in DePere, Wis.
Their season long over, St. Scholastica dropped two spots to No. 11; NCHA title game loser UW-River Falls remained at No. 12.
Teams 13 through 15 were all idle; that didn’t stop voters from flip-flopping Amherst (now No. 14) and Hamline in the rankings.
Conference (and NCAA-bound) champs Curry and St. Thomas both received 20 votes — nine less than Hamline — while Marian, Wentworth, Augsburg, Hamilton, Trinity, and New England College also received votes in the final poll.
