Bemidji State was the only unranked team in the North Star College Cup – which the Beavers won – over the weekend. But if the tournament was held again this week, the Golden Gophers would join the Beavers as unranked teams fighting for in-state bragging rights.
After getting swept at the Xcel Energy Center with losses to Minnesota State-Mankato and Minnesota Duluth, the state’s premier hockey power fell out of the USCHO online Top 20 poll for the first time this season.
The Star Tribune captured comments from senior captain Kyle Rau, who said frustration is definitely present within the team. Ben Marshall added: “We’re angry. We took fourth place out of four teams, so we’re not happy.”
Minnesota also dropped out of the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.
The Gophers are only six points ahead of last place Wisconsin in the Big Ten standings entering this weekend’s double-dip in Madison, Wisconsin.
Minnesota State, which finished runner up to Bemidji State, lost their No. 1 ranking and fell to third in the poll; ending their two-week reign as the top team in the country. UMD stayed put at No. 7. The Mavericks and Bulldogs hold the same rankings in the top 20 of the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine rankings.
We have a new No. 1!
Congrats @UNDMHockey!
2- @Terrierhockey
3- @MavHockey
4- @Harvard_Hockey
5- @UNO_hockey pic.twitter.com/keGbuRtjXU— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) January 26, 2015
