The University of Denver hockey team has secured the No. 4 spot in both the USCHO.com and USA Hockey/The Rink Live polls following the latest release of national rankings on Monday.
During the previous weekend, the Pioneers exhibited an impressive performance with 11 different goal scorers finding the back of the net. In the two games, the team outscored then-No. 15 St. Cloud State Huskies 13-4, claiming victory with a score of 6-2 on Friday and 7-2 on Saturday. This marked DU’s first weekend sweep at St. Cloud since December 7-8, 2007.
Whilst Denver previously held the No. 4 position in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live polls, it was ranked No. 5 on the USCHO.com list. Boston College continues to maintain the top position as the unanimous No. 1 team in the country, with Boston University and North Dakota securing the second and third spots respectively. Denver and UND are technically tied with the same score for third in the Pairwise Rankings, but the Fighting Hawks have a slight edge in the tiebreaker.
The NCHC boasts six ranked teams, tying with Hockey East as the conference with the most rankings. Among these are Colorado College at No. 10/12, Western Michigan at No. 15/14, Omaha at No. 16/17, and St. Cloud State at No. 17/16.
Looking ahead, Denver is set to face off against Colorado College this weekend to conclude the regular season. This match marks the first time that both teams have been ranked since November 16-17, 2020, and the first top-10 matchup since December 4-5, 2009.
Following this, the Pioneers will wrap up a three-game road swing at CC on Friday at 8 p.m. MT in a nationally-televised game on CBS Sports Network. They will then compete on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. MT at Magness Arena for senior night.
The USCHO.com Poll is compiled weekly and consists of 50 voters, including coaches and media professionals from across the country. On the other hand, the USA Hockey/The Rink Live Poll is conducted each week in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association, incorporating input from coaches and journalists representing each of the six NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the AHCA and USA Hockey.
Limited tickets for the remaining home regular-season games are still available for purchase. If you are interested in attending, please click here to learn more about securing your spot to witness the thrilling DU hockey action.