Spittin' Chiclets College Hockey Rankings (Week 9)
1.) St. Cloud State
2.) Massachusetts
3.) Minnesota State
4.) Quinnipiac
5.) Minnesota Duluth
6.) Providence
7.) Ohio State
8.) Notre Dame
9.) Denver
10.) Penn State
Week 9 college hockey rankings are here and once again we have a different team atop the rankings from the week before. St. Cloud State takes over the rankings as the #1 team in the nation once again, jumping up from the #2 spot last week. The Huskies had a clean sweep of Nebraska-Omaha this weekend winning 2-0 on Friday night and 7-1 on Saturday. The Huskies got four guys who are currently averaging over a ppg in Senior Patrick Newell, Junior Ryan Poehling, Senior Robby Jackson, and Freshman Nolan Walker. As you can see, St. Cloud knows how to keep their guys past their Freshman and Sophomore years and it is paying off for them.
Massachusetts drops from #1 to #2 and that isn’t a knock on them at all because they had one hell of a series with Quinnipiac this weekend. The Minutemen and Bobcats split their home-and-home series this weekend with QU taking Friday night 4-0 in Hamden while UMass won Saturday night 3-1 at the Mullins Center. After speaking to multiple people who were in the Mullins Center on Saturday night, it was allegedly the loudest the building has ever been. UMass is BUZZING over the fact they finally after a good sports team and I can tell you right now I would not want to go into Amherst and have to play.
Quinnipiac on the other hand showed that they are legit as they come this weekend with their UMass home-and-home that is why they jump from #7 to #4. You don’t beat the #1 team in the country and not get to jump up a few spots. I mentioned him last week, but Odeen Tufto is putting on a show this season for the Bobcats. Kid is averaging 1.47 ppg through 17 games thus far this season. QU has a little time off going forward, but they’ll come back after Christmas to face off against Colgate.
#3 Minnesota State continues to win and win and win. Again, I think their schedule is a joke. But it seems like every time I look at the Mavs weekend recap it’s all W’s. They’ll finally see some competition this weekend as the Mavs will head to Bowling Green to face off against a good Falcons team. Definitely going to keep an eye on this series this weekend. If Minnesota State can handle Bowling Green this weekend then they’ll be starting to pile up some good wins against some decent teams.
Very interesting weekend for Notre Dame, who drops from #5 to #8 after a 1-1-0 weekend at Penn State. The Irish went in on Friday night and won a close one against the Nittany Lions 5-4. But then #10 Nittany Lions absolutely spanked Notre Dame on Saturday night 9-1. Nine goals! How does a top team in the country allow nine goals? I have no idea. Not a good look for the Irish at all.
Goal of the weekend
Goal of the year. Plain and simple. Shout out to NMU’s Atte Tolvanen on the goalie goal.