The Minnesota menâÄôs hockey team was unanimously voted as the No. 1 team in the nation Monday in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine MenâÄôs College Hockey Poll. ItâÄôs the first time the Gophers have been ranked first since Jan. 22, 2007. The Gophers (6-0-4 overall, 5-0-3 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) jumped over Boston University and claimed all 34 first-place votes as the team remained unbeaten this weekend after taking three points from Michigan Tech. Minnesota, which has been ranked first for at least one week in eight of the past nine seasons, is currently one of three Division I programs that are undefeated. Air Force (10-0-0) moved up one spot in the polls to No. 12 while Cornell (2-0-2) is unranked. The WCHA has five teams ranked in the top 15; Colorado College sits at No. 3, Denver is ranked 10th, Minnesota State is slated one behind the Pioneers in 11th and North Dakota re-emerged in the polls at No. 15. Minnesota, which is also ranked No. 1 in the USCHO/CBS Sports Division I poll, will head to Denver this weekend to play the No. 10 Pioneers. âÄîBrian Deutsch Minnesota women sign four Next year, the Minnesota womenâÄôs hockey team will have plenty of players with international experience. The Gophers announced Monday they have four early commitments to the Gophers program, with two coming from Finland. Minnesota has never had any players from countries other than the United States and Canada. Noora Räty, from Espoo, Finland and Mira Jalosuo from Lieksa, Finland, along with Megan Bozek from Buffalo Grove, Ill., and Becky Kortum from Minnetonka, have committed to Minnesota and will be on the 2009-2010 team. Räty, a 5âÄô4âÄôâÄô goaltender, has played 66 games for Finland including the 2006 Olympics and three world championships. She shut out Team USA 1-0 in the 2008 World Championships. Jalosuo is a defenseman that has played in over 30 games with Finland and holds the womenâÄôs slap shot record in Finland. Bozek is a two-time member of the U.S. Under-18 team. She currently played for the Chicago Mission Under-19 team. Kortum is the only Minnesotan and forward to commit to the Gophers so far. She is a senior at Hopkins High School and has been on the varsity team since eighth grade. -Heidi Hanse