Four Big Ten Teams are in the Top 20- Six NCHC Teams including Western Michigan at No. 4 are on top
By Roy J. Akers- www.skyviewsports.net
College hockey has passed the official halfway point after this past weekend and four B1G teams find themselves in the USCHA.com TOP TEN.
Michigan State remains No. 1 after earning three of four points on the road against unranked Penn State. Trey Augustine will be back in the nets against No. 10 Michigan this weekend in Ann Arbor. The Spartans captured 48 of 50 first-place votes by USCHO voters. Michigan falls to No. 10 after splitting last weekend’s games against unranked Notre Dame.
Minnesota remains third after splitting on the road against No.8 Ohio State. The Wolverines will have their hands full against the No.1 team in the country MSU at Yost Arena for a pair of games.
Western Michigan is the highest-ranked team in the NCHC at 4th. WMU was idle last weekend. They play a pair on the road against No. 14 North Dakota in a test for the Broncos. In all, five NCHC teams are ranked in the Top 20. Denver has slipped to 7th in the polls. Arizona State is 13th, North Dakota 14th, St. Cloud St. 15th, and Colorado College is 18th.
The CCHA is struggling to get teams in the Top 20. Only Minnesota St. at NNo. 12. The complete Top 20 is to the right.
Others receiving votes: Augustana 79, Cornell 38, Massachusetts 35, Wisconsin 29, Sacred Heart 15, Bentley 9, Michigan Tech 8, Dartmouth 6, Northeastern 4, Bowling Green 3, Niagara 2, Omaha 1
Roy Akers 