A loss to Bemidji State in the championship game of the North Star College Cup was only enough to keep the Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks (21-5-1) out of the top spot in the country for one week.
On Monday, the latest United States College Hockey Online poll and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll voted the Mavericks No. 1 in the nation for the third time in the past four weeks.
Hey-ooo. Minn State @MavHockey rated #1 by @USCHO this week. Third time in last four weeks Mavericks have been rated #1 in country.
— Minn. St. Athletics (@MinnStAthletics) February 2, 2015
Minnesota State’s pair of 5-1 wins over Ferris State was enough to jump North Dakota and Boston University to reclaim the top ranking. But how long will they last this time around at No. 1?
Yahoo Sports notes that teams ranked No. 1 have been a bit cursed this season. The longest any team has lasted in the top spot is eight games; the Gophers (12-9-3) were No. 1 for the first eight games of the season (started 7-1) but have gone 5-8-3 since.
Mankato has won seven of its last eight and is unbeaten in 11 of its past 12 games, according to the Mankato Free Press. The Mavericks lead the country with 21 victories and on Friday became the first team in the country to reach 20 wins, according to MSU’s athletics department.
The Gophers went unranked for a second week in a row. Minnesota Duluth (15-10-1) maintained its spot at No. 7.
