For the third week in a row, the No. 4/4 Harvard men’s hockey team (12-4-2, 8-3-2 ECAC) remained steady in the USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey national rankings. The polls were released after Harvard split its weekend slate with a one-goal loss in Ithaca and a five-goal throbbing of No. 15/- Colgate.

The fact that Harvard has dropped three of its last five contests did not go completely unnoticed by the committee. This week marks the first time since Nov. 24 that Harvard did not receive a first place vote in the USCHO rankings. The team reached its peak of first place votes with 15 on Jan. 5, but has lost all of those votes over the last three week span of play.

Even though the Crimson stayed even in the USCHO poll nominally, the squad did gain some ground. Its point margin over the fifth place team (UMass-Lowell last week, Nebraska-Omaha this week) increased from 58 to 75 points.

Harvard fluctuated in other polling systems, however. In the PairWise rankings, the Crimson jumped from seventh place to a tie for third with Boston University and Nebraska-Omaha. Its fate was not the same in the KRACH poll, where it fell from sixth to eighth place.

North Dakota took over the top spot after former No. 1 Minnesota State finished the weekend without a win. BU also leapfrogged the Mavericks to finish at No. 2/2 after two wins over No. 12/14 Vermont. 

USCHO.com Poll (First-Place Votes)

1. North Dakota (34)
2. Boston University (5)
3. Minnesota State (11)
4. Harvard
5. Nebraska-Omaha
6. Bowling Green
7. Minnesota-Duluth
8. Michigan Tech
9. Miami
10. Massachusetts-Lowell
11. Denver
12. Providence
13. Michigan
14. Boston College
15. Vermont
16. Yale
17. Colgate
18. Quinnipiac
19. Merrimack
20. Robert Morris

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll

1. North Dakota (21)
2. Boston University (7)
3. Minnesota State (6)
4. Harvard
5. Nebraska-Omaha
6. Bowling Green
7. Minnesota Duluth
8. Miami
9. Michigan Tech
10. Massachusetts-Lowell
11. Providence
12. Denver
13. Michigan
14. Vermont
15. Boston College