SB Nation’s Women’s College Hockey Division I Poll: Bevy of Bedlam

This weekend was complete and utter pandemonium.  No one wanted to be in third after our clear top two. It was a weekend of big moves as two teams jumped at least two spots  (one despite an embarrassing loss) and one team that plummeted three places. With the holiday break coming we will only have one more week of action this semester.

1. Wisconsin (17-1-0), 149 (14) — Last Week: 1

• Last Week: W 6-1 v Syracuse (12/1), W 9-1 v Syracuse (12/2)

• Coming Week: @ St. Cloud State (12/7, 12/8)

Despite a slow start in game one the Badgers rolled all over Syracuse.  They travel for a pair of conference tilts this weekend.

2. Minnesota (15-2-1), 135 (1) — Last Week: 2

• Last Week: W 7-1 @ Yale (11/30), W 3-1 @ Yale (12/1)

• Coming Week: v Robert Morris (12/7, 12/8)

Our clear number two traveled east and took a pair against Yale. They get Robert Morris at home before heading home for the winter break.

3. Northeastern (13-2-2), 96 — Last Week: 5

• Last Week: W 5-4 OT v Boston College (11/27), L 3-5 @ Holy Cross (11/30), W 3-0  v Holy Cross (12/1)

• Coming Week: No Games

The saying goes it’s better to be lucky than good. Well the Huskies were good then very lucky.  They beat a then-hot Boston College team on Tuesday. The must have still been still celebrating the win apparently as the Huskies fell to Holy Cross, for their first win as a Division I program. Northeastern recovered with the shutout on Sunday.  That was their last game of the semester before they head to Belfast, Northern Ireland to take on Clarkson in the new year.

4. Clarkson (12-4-0), 88 — Last Week: 3

• Last Week: L 1-4 @ Colgate (11/30), L 1-3 @ Cornell (12/1)

• Coming Week: @ St. Lawrence (12/7), v St. Lawrence (12/8)

The Golden Knights thought they had it figured out when they swept Duluth but upon a return to the ECAC their offense fell apart. They now get to replay their home-and-home with rival St. Lawrence, this time for ECAC points, which they are in desperate need of.

5. Cornell (8-1-4), 87 — Last Week: 8

• Last Week: W 4-0 v St. Lawrence (11/30), W 3-1 v Clarkson (12/1)

• Coming Week: No Games

The Big Red have been having trouble finishing games in the month of November, but that changed in their last two games of the calendar year.  Cornell’s scoring erupted and their defense stood tall as they swept the weekend against St. Lawrence and Clarkson en route to becoming the “Belles of the Ball.”  They now have over a month off before their next game.

6. Ohio State (12-6-0), 69 — Last Week: 6

• Last Week: L 0-3 @ Minnesota State (12/1), W 2-0 @ Minnesota State (12/2)

• Coming Week: No Games

Ohio State is a bit of an enigma, every time you think they have it figured out they go and drop a puzzler.  This weekend they got shutout by possible Kaz finalist Abigail Levy before sneaking a couple by her to earn the split going into the break.

7. Boston College (12-6-0), 60 — Last Week: 4

• Last Week: L 4-5 OT @ Northeastern (11/27), L 2-3 v Boston University (11/30), L 2-4 @ Boston University (12/1)

• Coming Week: v Merrimack (12/7), @ Merrimack (12/8)

According to leading (Eagles) experts the sky is falling, and after losing three straight games to their biggest rivals things are going, well poorly.  A weekend sweep of a quietly not bad Merrimack team would do wonders for their mindset going into the new year.

8. Providence (13-3-0), 51 — Last Week: 7

• Last Week: W 4-1 @ Connecticut (11/30), L 1-2 v Connecticut (12/1)

• Coming Week: @ Brown (12/4), v Holy Cross (12/7)

After heading to Storrs and handing UConn a big loss, the Friars returned home and dropped a close one.  The coming weekend brings a pair of games against bad teams that have shown the ability to steal a game out of the blue this season.

9. Princeton (7-2-3), 50 — Last Week: 9

• Last Week: W 3-2 v Quinnipiac (11/30), W 4-1 @ Quinnipiac (12/1)

• Coming Week: @ Rensselaer (12/7), @ Union (12/8)

While their home game was closer then they would like they pulled out the win before travelling to the site of this year’s Frozen for to beat up their travel partner. This weekend brings two road games in conference as they look to stay atop the ECAC table.

10. Colgate (9-5-2), 16 — Last Week: ARV

• Last Week: W 4-1 v Clarkson (11/30), W 5-1 v St. Lawrence (12/1)

• Coming Week: @ Syracuse (12/6), v Syracuse (12/8)

The Raiders are back into the poll as they pulled off an impressive sweep of two of the better teams in the ECAC.  Before they go home for the break they will have a home and home against a very confusing Syracuse team.

Also Receiving Votes: St. Lawrence 11, Minnesota State 6, Minnesota-Duluth 4, Boston University 2, Harvard 1