SB Nation’s Women’s College Hockey Division 1 Poll: Rough Seas

Those changing winds predicted last week came true.  Every team in the rankings did something to jostle the rankings this past week and the resulting polls show it.  For the first time in weeks we have neither a unanimous #1 or #2, and we have one of the biggest drops in this poll’s short history. The coming holiday week will bring some rarely seen cross-country matchups that will have a large impact on the PWR landscape come March.

1. Wisconsin (12-1-1), (11) 128 — Last Week: 1

• Last Week: L 1-4 @ Minnesota-Duluth (11/18), W 4-1 @ Minnesota-Duluth (11/19)

• Coming Week: vs. Cornell (11/25, 11/26)

Wisconsin’s bid to go undefeated ended in week nine.  The Badgers were without Patty Kaz favorite Ann-Renée Desbiens and ran into a top team in Minnesota-Duluth.  As a result they have lost their status as a unanimous #1.  They must rebound against a Cornell team that has suddenly heated up.

2. Minnesota (11-1-2), (1) 112 — Last Week: 2

• Last Week: T 2-2 OT (1-0 SOW)@ North Dakota (11/18), T 2-2 OT (2-1 SOW) @ North Dakota (11/19)

• Coming Week: vs. Bemidji State (11/26, 11/27)

Once again Minnesota was unable to take advantage of a Wisconsin slip as they were taken to a shootout in both games this weekend by North Dakota.  They too must rebound, in their case against a Bemidji State team that has caused some havoc.

3. St. Lawrence (13-0-1), (1) 101 — Last week: 3

• Last Week: W 4-0 @ Yale (11/18), W 5-0 @ Brown (11/19)

• Coming Week: @ Penn State (11/21, 11/22)

And then there was one.  With Colgate getting shellacked this weekend and Wisconsin splitting, only the Saints remain undefeated. They took care of business and got a pair of shutouts in ECAC play, keeping them atop the standings.  They will have a very short turnaround as they immediately head down to Happy Valley for a pair against Penn State.

4. Minnesota-Duluth (8-3-3), 100— Last Week: 3

• Last Week: W 4-1 vs. Wisconsin (11/18), L 1-4 vs. Wisconsin (11/19)

• Coming Week: @ Harvard (11/25, 11/26)

The Bulldogs were able to pull off what no other team has so far this season, and that is to beat Wisconsin.  Admittedly the Badgers were without their starting goalie but it was an impressive win nonetheless. Despite this, they come out the wrong side of the broken tie, though their percentage of the vote did increase. Over the holiday break they will travel to Boston to take on a second Beanpot school, this time the Cambridge edition at Harvard.

5. Clarkson (12-3-1), 73 — Last Week: 6

• Last Week: W 8-1 @ Brown (11/18), W 4-1 @ Yale (11/18)

• Coming Week: vs. Robert Morris (11/25), vs. St. Cloud St/@ Vermont (11/26)

The Golden Knights have quietly snuck back into the national conversation.  A pair of dominant ECAC wins kept them atop the standings in a tie with St. Lawrence.  They now head to Vermont to play in the Windjammer Classic.  They should be able to walk away with a pair of wins regardless of their second opponent.

6. Boston College (9-3-3), 50 — Last Week: 7

• Last Week: T 2-2 OT @ Northeastern (11/20)

• Coming Week: @ Northeastern (11/26)

The result against Northeastern had the potential to be a lot worse or a lot better.  Both teams had some legitimate gripes against the officiating and had possible game winners taken away but a tie keeps them afloat as they head right back to St. Botolph on Saturday for the rematch

7. North Dakota (6-4-4), 38 — Last Week: 9

• Last Week: T 2-2 OT (0-1 SOL) vs. Minnesota (11/18), T 2-2 OT (1-2 SOL) vs. Minnesota (11/19)

• Coming Week: vs. Syracuse (11/25, 11/26)

Despite losing both games in shootouts, taking the Gophers past OT both times was a huge thing for North Dakota, boosting them in the WCHA standings and the national conversation. It also earned them anther week as the Belles of the Ball.  Up next is a Syracuse team that hasn’t had the season that was expected of them, but who could still be dangerous.

8. Quinnipiac (10-4-2), 37 — Last Week: 8

• Last Week: T 3-3 OT vs. Cornell (11/18), W 3-1 vs. Colgate (11/19)

• Coming Week: vs. Merrimack (11/25), vs. Yale/UConn (11/26)

The Bobcats were able to settle down last week getting a pair of wins, and this week expectations were a little lower with an undefeated Colgate coming to town.  They dropped a point against Cornell before stunning a Colgate team that fell apart over the weekend.  They next host the Nutmeg Classic which is a pair of must-win games or they are in for a big drop in the polls.

9. Colgate (12-2-1), 31 — Last Week: 5

• Last Week: L 2-7 @ Princeton (11/18), L 1-3 @ Quinnipiac (11/19)

• Coming Week: @ Mercyhurst (11/22, 11/23)

Raiders fans have to be saying it was nice while it lasted as they saw Colgate get walloped by a pair of ECAC rivals, knocking them from the ranks of the unbeaten and almost out of the Top 10.  They now get to head out to the Great Lakes to take on Mercyhurst for a pair, which should give them a great chance to steady themselves before heading back into the ECAC grind.

10. Northeastern (10-3-3), 22 — Last Week: 10

• Last Week: T 3-3 OT @ Vermont (11/18), T 2-2 OT vs. Boston College (11/20)

• Coming Week: vs. Boston College (11/26)

This weekend saw the Huskies leave a lot on the table heading into the Thanksgiving holiday.  A pair of conference ties was not what Northeastern wanted but it could’ve been a lot worse.  The game against BC saw some poor officiating that cost both teams but neither team was able to score on the PP which is something that they will both be looking to change as they draw each other again right after the holiday.

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Also Receiving Votes: Princeton 8, Boston University 7, Robert Morris 5, Cornell 3, Bemidji State 1