SB Nation’s Women’s College Hockey Division I Poll: Tournament Time

If you are confused about the bracket, please refer here. If you are wanting to see what poll taken before the bracket was released welcome, you are in the right spot. Either way we all know about the chaos that ensued last night and now we are left to pick up the pieces.

Related

NCAA bracket revealed: Utter Lunacy

1. Northeastern (20-1-1), 79 (7) — Last poll: 1

• Last week: W 2-1 v Connecticut (3/3), W 6-2 v Providence (3/6)
• Coming Week: v Robert Morris (3/15), NCAA Semifinal (3/18), NCAA Championship (3/20)/

The Huskies just keep winning and now get a pretty favorable path to a title game, of course this is college hockey so upsets happen.

2. Wisconsin (14-3-1), 72 (1) — Last poll: 2

• Last week: W 5-3 @ Minnesota (3/6), W 3-2 OT v Ohio State (3/7)
• Coming Week: v Providence (3/16), NCAA Semifinal (3/18), NCAA Championship (3/20)/

The Badgers might not have done pretty but they did win and got themselves a top seed and a game against a Providence team that is running out of gas with a short bench.

3. Ohio State (12-6-0), 63 — Last poll: 3

• Last Week: W 7-2 v Minnesota-Duluth (3/6), L 2-3 OT v Wisconsin (3/7)
• Coming Week: v Boston College (3/16), NCAA Semifinal (3/18), NCAA Championship (3/20)/

After blowing the doors off of Duluth in the second period it seemed like the Buckeyes could take a second straight WCHA title, but they fell just short losing in overtime. Up next is a well rested BC team that can be dangerous.

4. Colgate (15-6-1), 58 — Last poll: 5

• Last week: W 2-1 v Quinnipiac (3/5), W 3-2 v St. Lawrence (3/7)
• Coming Week: v Minnesota Duluth (3/15), NCAA Semifinal (3/18), NCAA Championship (3/20)/

Two close wins are still two wins. This year marked the first time the Raiders had won either the ECAC regular season title or the tournament and they did both, making them this week’s ‘Belles of the Ball.’ Going forward style points are meaningless and their matchup against Duluth should be telling.

5. Minnesota (11-8-1), 46 — Last poll: 4

• Last week: L 3-5 v Wisconsin (3/6)
• Coming Week: No Games/

Yea we are all scratching our heads here. Our voters were near unanimous that Minnesota was the 5th best team in the country and would be moving on. Instead they miss the tournament for the first time in more than a decade.

6. Boston College (14-5-0), 35 — Last poll: 8

• Last week: No Games
• Coming Week: v Ohio State (3/16), NCAA Semifinal (3/18), NCAA Championship (3/20)/

Most people were pretty confident that the idle Eagles would play again and going into Sunday that was only further entrenched. The matchup against Ohio State will be telling about the quality of this team.

7. Minnesota-Duluth (11-6-0), 30 — Last poll: 6

• Last week: L 2-7 v Ohio State (3/6)
• Coming Week: v Colgate (3/15), NCAA Semifinal (3/18), NCAA Championship (3/20)/

Some people were worried that the Bulldogs getting blown out by Ohio State might sink their chances since Duluth finished 2-5 against teams that were considered quality. Little did we know they would get moved all the way up to the fifth seed. Colgate will be no easy task.

8. Penn State (16-3-2), 29— Last poll: 7

• Last week: L 2-3 v Syracuse (3/5)
• Coming Week: No Games/

Poor Penn State lost a close game in their semifinals and will not advance into the NCAA.

9. St. Lawrence (6-7-0), 10 — Last poll: ARV

• Last week: W 4-3 OT v Clarkson (3/5), L 2-3 @ Colgate (3/7)
• Coming Week: No Games/

Close but no cigar for the Saints. St. Lawrence was hampered heavily by COVID this year only starting play in January. In the end they came up a goal shy of Clarkson in an attempt to make the NCAA Tournament.

10. Providence (12-7-1), 9 — Last poll: 10

• Last week: W 1-0 OT v Maine (3/3), L 2-6 @ Northeastern (3/6)
• Coming Week: v Wisconsin (3/16), NCAA Semifinal (3/18), NCAA Championship (3/20)/

After a long drawn out affair against Maine, PC seemed to run out of gas against a very motivated Northeastern team, that seemed to want to settle grudges, as they got blown out in the HEA title game. The Friars had to be surprised as the rest of us to see their name pop up on the screen last night. They will likely use that us against the world mentality to try and upset a very good Wisconsin team.

Also Receiving Votes: Robert Morris 6, Clarkson 3