Faceoff Factor

NCAA Power Rankings - Week of 2/12

Andrew Chiappazzi | College/NCAA

Feb 12, 04:39 PM | Hype this story!

Boston College won a thriller final of the Beanpot, topping Harvard 6-5 in overtime. Nick Petrecki scored the game winner. It was the Eagles’ first win in the tournament since 2004. Harvard was down 5-3 in the third but came back to tie it, only to be outshot 7-0 in the extra frame.

Needless to say, while exciting, it does little to the power rankings.

THE TOP 20:
1. (2) Michigan (23-3-4) – CCHA
Champion of the world, right now, and now it’s time to take care of the also-rans – Lake Superior is up next. Still only one point ahead of the Redhawks though in the conference standings.
2. (1) Miami of Ohio (25-4-1) – CCHA
Solid rebound chance against Ferris State. They need to keep pace and win and hope Michigan slips.
3. (3) Colorado College (21-8-1) – WCHA
Not a bad split against St. Cloud State, especially considering Denver continues to face obstacles. North Dakota is the new threat.
4. (5) Denver (19-8-1) – WCHA
These Pioneers may have taken three points from Minnesota but leading scorer Brock Trotter can no longer come back after signing a deal with the Montreal Canadiens. Yet another issue to deal with.
5. (7) North Dakota (17-8-2) – WCHA
Sioux move up because the Spartans fall, and because they look more dangerous. They actually have better team stats than those in front of them, meaning they might be in better position to make a run for a Frozen Four appearance.
6. (4) Michigan State (18-6-5) – CCHA
Not only losses, but losses to Northern Michigan. Spartans are slumping at the worst possible time. They have Western Michigan and then #1 Michigan on two consecutive weekends.
7. (8) New Hampshire (18-7-1) – Hockey East
Maybe some of the 3rd and 4th place CCHA teams should look at UNH as a leader. Wildcats are now solidly in first in the Hockey East because of their ability to beat teams like Maine.
8. (9) Boston College (15-6-7) – Hockey East
Good sweep of the weekend, including a nice Beanpot win. They’re only five points behind the Wildcats in a still unanswered conference.
9. (6) Notre Dame (20-10-2) – CCHA
Another slumping team at the wrong time. Earning just a tie against Ferris State won’t do the Irish any good. Losses against the lower teams prevent teams from being able to move up.
10. (10) Clarkson (16-9-3) – ECAC
Still the strongest “mid-major” out there. If they can continue the likes of Brown and Yale this weekend, they’ll be in even better shape.
11. (11) Niagara (16-8-3) – CHA
They get to sit back and watch Robert Morris and Bemidji State battle each other before having a rematch with Alabama-Huntsville again in two weeks.
12. (14) Northeastern (13-10-3) – Hockey East
Outside of the loss to Boston and a general inconsistency, they’re in the best position to make a run out of the teams below them. That’s why they’ve moved up.
13. (12) St. Cloud State (12-13-3) – WCHA
The Huskies are looking less and less like a contender and more and more like a pretender.
14. (13) Massachusetts (10-10-6) – Hockey East
Same with Massachusetts. The Minutemen were once a potential leader, and they don’t have it any easier.
15. (15) Air Force (14-11-5) – Atlantic Hockey
Falcons aren’t far behind leader RIT, and they’re in better shape than the Tigers. That’s why they’re ahead of them here.
16. (16) Princeton (14-9-0) – ECAC
The only team left that can challenge Clarkson in the ECAC, but they may have less overall talent available than some of the lesser teams…
17. (17) RIT (14-11-4) – Atlantic Hockey
...a similar issue for leader RIT in the Atlantic Hockey. They may have positioning but Air Force and even Sacred Heart will be better in the conference tournament…
18. (18) Quinnipiac (17-7-4) – ECAC
...something that’s the perfect embodiment of a team like Quinnipiac. The Bobcats could challenge Clarkson, and they have enough of a potent presence to do so, but they are a bit off the pace. They’ll need to step up before the tournament.
19. (20) Minnesota State (15-10-4) – WCHA
Who would’ve guessed that Minnesota State would be fourth in the WCHA? They can solidify that spot by knocking off their fourth place partner Wisconsin this weekend.
20. (NR) Providence (13-10-3) – Hockey East
Welcome to the Friars. Six points behind the New Hampshire Wildcats, and they can close the gap this weekend against them in Providence.

DROPPED OUT #19 Massachusetts-Lowell

ON THE OUTSIDE, LOOKING IN:
Bemidji State, Bowling Green, Cornell, Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota, Union