For the third consecutive week, the Gophers have topped USCHO.com’s weekly rankings.
This pales in comparison to their streak toward the end of last season; the Gophers held the No. 1 title for an entire month, spanning from Jan. 31 through Feb. 28.
Currently, in a near two-week hiatus, the Gophers sit at second place in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), in contrast to their national ranking. At first place in the conference rests No. 2 Ohio State — who is two games ahead of the Gophers, but Minnesota has the edge in point percentage.
Minnesota first received the No. 1 title for this season on Oct. 31 following their series win against former No. 1 Ohio State; Minnesota won 4-2 and tied 4-4 against the Buckeyes for a series record of 1-0-1. Prior to this series, Ohio State sat at the top of the rankings for six weeks.
During the first week of November, the Gophers were unanimously voted into first place, the last time this occurred was Nov. 18, 2019. In the week preceding this occurrence Minnesota was also unanimously voted as the best team in the nation.
Unlike their streak in 2019, the Gophers did not receive every first-place vote this week; Ohio State received seven votes, while Minnesota had ten. The defending national and conference champion Buckeyes won’t have their shot to avenge their losses to the Gophers until February. Until then, Ohio State can continue racking up wins against other teams in an attempt to pass Minnesota in the national rankings.
Behind the Buckeyes is the Gophers’ next opponent, No. 3 Wisconsin. For the first time this season, Wisconsin received a first-place vote in this week’s rankings. The Badgers have had a hot start to the season, posting a 10-1-0 record following their loss to open the season. Wisconsin also sits at third in the WCHA, trailing Minnesota by six points with two games in hand.
A sweep for the Gophers this weekend will be crucial in maintaining their separation with the Badgers. Minnesot and Wisconsin will face off on Saturday and Sunday in Madison.
On Nov. 25, Minnesota will travel to Henderson, Nevada, to play in the Henderson Collegiate Hockey Showcase. In Nevada, the Gophers’ No. 1 reputation will be challenged by non-conference talent in No. 11 Penn State and either No. 6 Yale or Boston University.
