NCHC Power Rankings (2/26/2015)

Each week, Zach Hawkins @Siouxhockey33, Taylor Seibel @taylorseibel and Eric Burton @goon48 will break down the NCHC power rankings at Inside Hockey. Here’s how my National Collegiate Hockey Conference Power Rankings shakeout.

1. North Dakota (22-6-3 Pairwise 2 USCHO 1) Last 10: 8-1-1 (.850)

This past weekend, the University of North Dakota swept (3-1 W, 3-2 W O.T.) the Western Michigan Broncos in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

This weekend, UND entertains the St. Cloud State Huskies in Grand Forks. The two teams split in St. Cloud back in November.

According to the NCHC, UND can win the Penrose Cup (either outright or shared) this weekend, but needs at least five points vs. St. Cloud State and help in other conference games.

2. Miami (19-10-1 Pairwise 4 USCHO 5) Last 10: 5-4-1 (.550)

This past weekend, Miami split (1-3 L, 4-3 W) with the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs in Oxford, Ohio.

This weekend, the RedHawks travel to Denver to take on the Pioneers. The two teams split in Oxford back in January.

3. Denver (18-10-2 Pairwise 7 USCHO 7) Last 10: 6-3-1 (.650)

This past weekend, Denver swept (6-4 W, 6-3 W) Colorado College Tigers capturing the famous Gold Pan.

This weekend, the Pioneers entertain the Miami RedHawks in Denver, Colorado.  The two teams split in Oxford back in January.

4. UMD (19-12-1 Pairwise 3 USCHO 6) Last 10: 6-4-0 (.600)

This past weekend, the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs split (3-1 W 3-4 L) their weekend series with the Miami RedHawks.

This weekend, the Bulldogs entertain the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks in Duluth. The two teams split earlier in the season in Omaha.

5. Nebraska-Omaha (17-10-3 Pairwise 8 USCHO 8) Last 10: 5-5-0 (.500)

This past weekend, the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks were swept (3-4 L, 0-2 L) by the St. Cloud State Huskies in St. Cloud.

This weekend, the Mavericks travel to Duluth to take on the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. The two teams split earlier in the season in Omaha.
6. St. Cloud State (15-14-1 Pairwise 14 USCHO N/R) Last 10: 6-4-0 (.600)

This past weekend, the St. Cloud State Huskies swept (4-3 W, 2-0 W) the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks. The two teams split in St. Cloud back in November.

I know it sounds cliché, but this is going to be a hard-fought series.

“They’re a great team,” junior forward Drake Caggiula said. “Maybe their standings don’t show how well they’ve been playing, but they’re definitely a great team. In my three years here, they’ve always given us trouble playing at the Ralph. They’re trying to make their way up the Pairwise Rankings and so are we. It’s going to be a hard-fought series.”

7. Western Michigan (12-14-4 Pairwise 24 USCHO N/R) Last 10: 3-5-2 (.400)

The Broncos are going to finish in seventh place, this we know. This past weekend, the Western Michigan Broncos were swept (1-3 L, 2-3 L O.T.) by top-ranked North Dakota.

This weekend, the Broncos travel to Colorado Springs to take on the last-place Tigers. The Broncos took five-of-six points from the Tigers back in December.

8. Colorado College (5-23-1 Pairwise 52 USCHO N/R) Last 10: 0-10-0 (.000)

First, the Tigers aren’t moving up, they’re going to finish eight. This past weekend, the Colorado College Tigers were swept (4-6 L, 3-6 L) by their cross-state rivals the Denver Pioneers.

This weekend, the Tigers entertain the Western Michigan Broncos in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Broncos took five-of-six points from the Tigers back in December.