College Hockey Round-up, Week 2

The second full weekend of Division I hockey is in the books, and Minnesota becomes the third different school to be named to the #1 spot in the three weeks the poll has been released.

It's a milestone for the nascent Big Ten Conference, with one of its member schools selected to the lofty perch already.

The Golden Gophers improved to 4-0-0 this season after taking down former WCHA rivals Bemidji State on the road, posting victories of 6-3 and 5-1.

Notre Dame, late of the CCHA but now one of the new programs in Hockey East, rose to #2 from the four-slot after dismantling Michigan Tech, 3-2 and 7-3 over the weekend. The Irish have two more out of conference games before beginning their new conference slate on Nov. 1 against Vermont.

Last week's top-ranked school, Miami-Ohio, fell to #3 after splitting with NCHC foe North Dakota, while Michigan rose one slot to #4 thanks to a tie (1-1) and win (3-2 in OT) at New Hampshire. Boston College soared two spots to #5 after a 9-2 demolition of Wisconsin on Jerry York Night this past Friday.

The Badgers crashed all the way from second to 11th with that defeat and a 7-3 setback against BU.

Defending-champion Yale did not play and was static at 7, Providence improved to 3-0-0 and rose to eighth, national runner-up Quinnipiac was the biggest gainer in the Top 10 having gone from from 14 to 9, while St. Cloud State was elevated one spot to #10.

On the Flyers prospect front...

No. 6 ranked North Dakota junior Michael Parks, fourth on the Fighting Sioux in scoring, picked up a key goal as his program took a 4-2 decision over then #1 Miami on Friday. He did not score in UND's 6-2 loss on Saturday to the RedHawks.

Union defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere tallied in a 6-5 home overtime loss to Lake Superior State Friday night, then went scoreless in the Dutchmen's 3-2 loss in the back end of the series on Saturday. "Ghost" has four points (1G, 3A) in four games thus far.

Other local schools...

Penn State dropped a pair on the road to non-conference Air Force, losing 5-2 on Friday and 3-1 on Saturday. The Nits will host RIT at the 'Peg this coming Friday before heading to Philly to take on Vermont in the second annual Philadelphia College Hockey Faceoff.

The Princeton Tigers won't begin their regular-season slate until this coming weekend, guaranteed two games against fellow Ivy League programs in the Liberty City Classic at Newark, NJ. Defending champion Yale, along with Brown and Dartmouth are in the mix at the Rock.