College Hockey Rankings: Union Triumphs & Climbs

As the vast majority of teams are finished with the first half of season play, there wasn't as much action within our top ten this week...  With the exception of the series St. Cloud State hosted against Union, of course.

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Ranking	Chris Dilks	Jeff Cox	Nate Wells	Matt Christians	Evan Sporer	SBN FINAL RANK
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1. Minnesota  12-2-2 (50)

The Golden Gophers were off this week for finals. Minnesota, currently leading the Big Ten with 10 points in 4 conference games and second in the nation in total offense with 3.94 goals/game, returns to action in the Mariucci Classic January 3rd against Colgate.

- Nate Wells

2. Providence  11-2-3 (45)

Tied for first in Hockey East with Boston College, the Friars are idle until December 20 against Army. Sophomore goalie Jon Gillies (Calgary Flames draft pick) is in the top ten of all goalie categories at this point of the season; including 5th overall with a .941 save percentage. He is expected to be in net for Team USA in the upcoming World Juniors tournament.

- Nate Wells

3. Ferris State  14-2-3 (39)

Even though their record and objective strength of schedule should have required no further proof, the Bulldogs showed many in the country that they belong with the nation's elite by skating to a hard-fought tie against Michigan on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs followed up that effort with a 2-0 win at Michigan State on Saturday in the US Hockey Hall of Fame game. The Bulldogs still haven't lost a game since October 18th against St. Lawrence for a nation-leading 15-game unbeaten streak.

- Chris Dilks

4. Michigan  10-2-2 (33)

The Wolverines finished the first half of the season with a tie against Ferris State on Wednesday. The Wolverines have been getting by by the slimmest of margins--9 of their 14 games have been one-goal games, and the Wolverines hold a 7-2 record in them. The most pleasant surprise in a season full of them for a rebounding Michigan squad, has been freshman goalie Zach Nagelvoort, who has an astounding 1.67 GAA and .944 save percentage. Nagelvoort seems to have earned top priority in net for Michigan, especially after he made 13 very important saves in the first period last Wednesday against Ferris State to keep the Wolverines in the game and gave them a chance to earn a positive result.

- Chris Dilks

5. Union  12-3-3  (32)

The Dutchmen were the busiest team in college hockey this past week. They needed a third period comeback on Wednesday night to defeat Dartmouth 3-2, before hopping on a plane to play a road series at highly-ranked St. Cloud less than 48 hours later. Union cruised to a 4-1 win on Friday in impressive fashion. On Saturday, they built a 3-1 lead heading into the final frame, but their long week finally caught up to them, as they surrendered two goals, including the game-tying goal with 19.9 seconds left and had to settle for a tie. The tie ended a nine-game winning streak, but was still a fantastic result for Union, as they end the first half as one of the country's hottest teams.

- Chris Dilks

6. St. Cloud State  11-2-3 (25)

A week after the Huskies were voted number one in the nation, they got a tough lesson in just how heavy that crown can be. Some uncharacteristic penalties, and an overall flat effort plagued them on Friday night against a very strong Union squad. They were able to salvage a tie on Saturday night with a late goal from Jonny Brodzinski. That sour note isn't enough to spoil what has been an outstanding first half for the Huskies. At 11-2-3 overall, and first place standing in the NCHC, the Huskies are showing that last year's WCHA title and Frozen Four run were no fluke.

- Chris Dilks

7. Clarkson  12-3-1 (17)

Another team that was off last week, Clarkson has plenty to reflect upon after a first half that could not have gone any better. The Golden Knights were picked to finish dead last in ECAC yet are currently in the third with games in hand. Clarkson returns to action December 28-29 in the Catamount Cup, which includes the start of 3 straight games against UMass-Lowell.

- Nate Wells

8. Quinnipiac  13-3-3 (16)

The Bobcats were idle last weekend and remain so until the UConn Hockey Classic December 29-30. Quinnipiac is second in ECAC with 14 points, trailing only Union, the team that beat QU in its last game. Sam Anas leads all freshmen in college hockey with 25 points (13G-12A) and is one of three Quinnipiac forwards (along with Kellen and Connor Jones) to have more than 20 points in the team's 19 games.

- Nate Wells

t9. Boston College  10-4-2 (8)

The Eagles finished the first half of the season last week with a sweep over New Hampshire and remain off until the Three Rivers Classic in Pittsburgh December 27-28. Johnny Gaudreau continues to exceed the high expectations bestowed upon him. The junior forward is second in both goals (13) and points (28).

- Nate Wells

t9. UMass-Lowell  11-5-0 (8)

The River Hawks were idle this past weekend after falling to Maine on December 8th.  With the exception of the Black Bear loss, UMass-Lowell is sporting 6-1-0 record in their last seven games, outscoring opponents 21-9 over that given period of time.  Looking to keep the wins coming, the River Hawks await the Vermont Catamount Cup where they'll take on Canisius on the 28th and Clarkson on the 29th.

- Matt Christians

Friendship Awards

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