For the first time in the program’s history, Yale is the top-ranked team in this week’s USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll.
With 34 first place votes, the Bulldogs also become the first ECAC Hockey team to be the No. 1 team in the country since the end of the 2002-2003 season when Cornell was atop the rankings heading into the NCAA Tournament.
Minnesota-Duluth falls to No. 2, New Hampshire leaps from No. 5 to No. 3, Boston College jumps four places from No. 8 to No. 4 and North Dakota is up to the fifth rank, up two from last week, to round out the top five.
Finishing out the top ten has Miami holding steady at No. 6, Boston University at No. 7 after being No. 2 a week ago, Maine up one spot to No. 8, Denver up one to No. 9 and Nebraska-Omaha, swept by fellow WCHA newcomer Bemidji State, down to No. 10 after being fourth the last two weeks.
The bottom ten sees Notre Dame at No. 11 and Michigan at No. 12, trading places from a week ago, Union (No. 13) and Alaska (No. 14) as they were a week ago, Rensselaer up one notch to No. 15 and switching with No. 16 Wisconsin, Merrimack jumping a rank to No. 17, Ferris State up two places to No. 18 and Western Michigan down a spot to No. 20.
New to the rankings this week is Dartmouth as the Big Green enter at No. 19.
