In the rare occasions this season where Miami has faltered enough to lose the No. 1 spot in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll, Denver has been there to take advantage.
Nothing different this week. The Pioneers, winners of eight in a row and with just one loss in 14 games since the holiday break, moved up a spot after the RedHawks lost last Saturday to Nebraska-Omaha.
Related link: USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll, Feb. 22, 2010
Miami fell to second, but the rest of the top five was unchanged — Wisconsin in third, St. Cloud State in fourth and Yale in fifth.
Denver and Miami are the only two teams that have held the top spot in the poll this season.
The Pioneers can claim the MacNaughton Cup for the first time since 2005 — the last year they won the national championship — with a pair of victories at Minnesota State on the penultimate weekend of the WCHA regular season.
The WCHA continues to hold five of the top 10 spots, but with a slightly different cast this week. North Dakota is up three spots to eighth after sweeping Minnesota-Duluth, while Colorado College dropped six spots to 13th after a pair of losses at Minnesota.
Nebraska-Omaha entered the poll at No. 19 following the victory Saturday over Miami. Massachusetts dropped out of the rankings.
In games between ranked teams this weekend, No. 6 Bemidji State hosts No. 19 Nebraska-Omaha on Friday and Saturday; No. 8 North Dakota plays at No. 13 on Friday and Saturday; No. 9 Cornell hosts No. 15 Union on Friday; and No. 18 Vermont hosts No. 20 Boston University on Friday and Sunday.
