NCAA Men’s Power Rankings: Michigan, Penn State continue to win
The Big Ten is still hanging near the top of the polls, and there seems to be little standing in its way as the calendar turns to November.
Last weekend, Michigan and Penn State opened up conference play, and managed to come away with a pair of victories in enemy territory. In other parts of the country, preseason favorites stumbled, while dark horses continued to rack up wins in the early stages of the season.
Let’s take a peek at who cracked this week’s Top 15 NCAA Men’s Power Rankings
1. Michigan State
Record: 5-1-0
Last Week: 1st
The Spartans were off last week, giving the two-time defending Big Ten champions an opportunity to rest up for a tough stretch of Big Ten games coming up. MSU has won five games in a row, with a variety of names making contributions. Porter Martone (Philadelphia Flyers), Charlie Stramel (Minnesota Wild) and goaltender Trey Augustine (Detroit Red Wings) and have been at the forefront of the team’s success so far.
The biggest matchup of the coming weekend will see the Spartans host the Nittany Lions on Friday and Saturday.
2. Michigan
Record: 9-1-0
Last Week: 3rd
There were stretches of the Wolverines’ matchups with Notre Dame last weekend that they looked like they were certainly hungover from their weekend with Western Michigan. Yet, the experience and talent were too much for the Fighting Irish. Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Will Horcoff scored three goals over the two games, including the first two on Friday night. Captain TJ Hughes also had a three-point outing in the 5-3 win in game one of the weekend.
The Wolverines return home for an important two-game set against Wisconsin this weekend.
3. Penn State
Record: 9-1-0
Last Week: 5th
The Nittany Lions went to Columbus last week and pulled out a couple of hard-fought victories over Ohio State. While the wins were far from decisive, the way they managed to complete a sweep shows this team has a certain level of grit that makes them one of the best in the country. I was impressed with Ottawa Senators goaltending prospect Kevin Reidler, as he stopped 28 of the 30 shots he faced in a 3-2 win last Thursday.
Thanks to Wiebusch’s outstanding weekend, which saw him score three points in the two wins, he and Charlie Cerrato (Carolina Hurricanes) are level with 18 points in 10 games, tied for second-most in the nation. Penn State has an even tougher road trip this weekend, as the team heads to East Lansing for two matchups with Michigan State.
4. Western Michigan
Record: 5-3-0
Last Week: 2nd
I know they were on the road, but the Broncos didn’t look like they were a dominant force against St. Cloud State last weekend. It didn’t help that Hampton Slukynsky (Los Angeles Kings) looked rather mediocre, giving up five goals in each game. Thankfully for WMU, the offense bailed them out on Friday, with William Whitelaw (Columbus Blue Jackets), Liam Valente and Zach Bookman scoring in the third to give the Broncos a 6-5 win. Western could hardly solve Husky netminder Patriks Berzins, resulting a 5-1 loss.
The Broncos look to bounce back in a big way this weekend, as they have a Frozen Four rematch with Denver on tap at Lawson.
5. Maine
Record: 5-2-1
Last Week: 8th
We’re back on the Black Bear Bandwagon (patent pending)!
Sure, the team had a couple of topsy-turvy weekends, and probably should have a better record than they do, but how the offense came alive against Boston University, I think, opened more eyes to this team, possibly showing that last year’s Hockey East Championship wasn’t a fluke. Maine outscored the reigning national runners-up by a score of 13-9. Hurricanes prospect Justin Poirier led the charge with five points in the two wins, while defenseman Brandon Holt registered four points, including scoring the overtime winner on Friday.
The Black Bears get ready for a marquee matchup this weekend, as they pay a visit to UMass on Thursday and Friday.
6. Quinnipiac
Record: 5-2-2
Last Week: 7th
It was a bit of a bumpy week for the Bobcats, but given how other teams did, I think they could say they came out on the right end of things. Losing to Merrimack last Friday certainly wasn’t ideal, but Quinnipiac came back to take down a pesky New Hampshire team the following night. However, they were unable to beat Alaska Fairbanks on Tuesday, having to settle for a 2-2 tie. Dylan Silverstein played very well on Saturday, pitching a 21-save shutout against the Wildcats. Boston Bruins prospect Chris Pelosi scored goals in all three games for QU.
The Bobcats are back in ECAC action this weekend with road affairs with Yale and Brown on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
7. North Dakota
Record: 5-3-0
Last Week: 9th
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to bump the Fighting Hawks up two spots with how they played at home last weekend against Duluth. However, how the team responded to a 4-3 loss on Halloween spoke volumes to the character this team has compared to last year. They truly asserted their dominance in a 5-1 victory on Saturday, with Vegas Golden Knights prospect Abram Wiebe leading the charge with two points. 2026 draft-eligible prospect Keaton Verhoeff and Mac Swanson (Penguins) were among the names who found the back of the net over the weekend.
The Fighting Hawks are on the road this weekend, continuing NCHC play with a pair of games against Omaha.
8. Minnesota Duluth
Record: 8-2-0
Last Week: 12th
Are the Bulldogs…back?
I’m starting to think so. Sure, playing in Grand Forks isn’t as tough as it used to be, but the Bulldogs really proved they belong with how they bounced back from squandering a two-goal lead, using Ty Hanson’s goal in overtime to grab a 4-3 win. The second game certainly didn’t go Duluth’s way, but they showed many around the conference that they can’t be overlooked, more so than in years past. Red Wings prospect Max Plante put up four points in the Bulldogs’ win and now leads all skaters with 19 points thus far.
The Bulldogs are back home this weekend to host a talented St. Cloud State squad.
9. Wisconsin
Record: 6-0-2
Last Week: 13th
Speaking of teams worth starting to buy into, the Badgers might just be a top-four team in the Big Ten. The last time anyone said that, current Montreal Canadiens star Cole Caufield called Madison home. Wisconsin hosted Minnesota this past weekend and made their border rival miserable for two games. They outshot the Golden Gophers 72-38 over the two games, outscoring Minnesota 9-2, extending the team’s win streak to four games. Senators prospect Black Montgomery led the team with three goals in the sweep, while goaltender Daniel Hauser turned away 36 of the 38 shots he faced over the weekend.
The Badgers look to keep their unbeaten record intact against Michigan in Ann Arbor.
10. Connecticut
Record: 4-3-1
Last Week: 10th
For not dropping a game last weekend, it was hard to say whether I think the Huskies could’ve gone better. They went chance-for-chance in a 1-1 tie with Harvard on Friday, before putting the boots to Merrimack on Saturday. While Mike Murtaugh’s two goals helped UConn to a 5-1 victory over the Warriors, the MVP of the weekend was Florida Panthers prospect Tyler Muszelik. The senior netminder stopped 36 of the 37 shots he faced against the Crimson on Friday before picking up a win with a 20-save performance the following night.
The Huskies continue their Hockey East schedule this coming weekend for a home-and-home against Providence.
11. Massachusetts
Record: 6-3-0
Last Week: 15th
The Minutemen are coming off another split, but unlike how things went sideways in the second game against Omaha two weeks ago, there seemed to be less distortion against a strong Cornell team this past week. They used goals from Lukáš Klečka and Chicago Blackhawks draft pick Václav Nestrašil to come away with a 2-1 win in the first game of the weekend, but couldn’t muster up enough offense to complete the sweep. Utah Mammoth prospect did his part in giving the Minutemen a chance to win, making 52 saves on the 56 shots he faced.
UMass is back in Hockey East action this weekend as the team hosts Maine on Thursday and Friday.
12. Denver
Record: 4-3-1
Last Week: 11th
I honestly went into last weekend hoping the Pioneers didn’t give me any more reason to think less of them, but then they lost the first game of a weekend set against Alaska Anchorage…I mean, c’mon. Overtime defeat or not, how this team continues to have bad results against inferior opponents is becoming a running gag. Denver managed to avoid a sweep with a 6-0 beatdown on Saturday, but it didn’t wipe away the disappointment of losing to the Seawolves. Kings prospects James Reeder and Kristian Epperson had solid weekends, offensively, with Reeder scoring four points on the weekend, while Epperson scored twice on Saturday.
The Pioneers gear up for an important battle with Western Michigan this weekend.
13. Northeastern
Record: 5-1-0
Last Week: NR
More Huskies? Why not.
These dawgs really proved they can be a dark horse in the Hockey East this season, as they made Boston College look mid last week. Northeastern went into Conte Forum and outlasted the NHL-laden lineup on Thursday, before completing the sweep at home on Friday. Blue Jackets draft pick James Fisher scored in both games, while backstop Lawton Zacher gave up just one goal on the 73 shots he faced against the Eagles.
The Huskies have some non-conference play this weekend, hosting Stonehill for a pair of games at Matthews Arena.
14. Boston University
Record: 3-5-1
Last Week: 4th
Playing in Orono isn’t fun for anybody, but, holy cats, the Terriers struggled to keep the puck out of their own net against the Black Bears. New Jersey Devils prospect Mikhail Yegorov gave up eight goals on the 43 shots he faced in four periods of play, as he got the hook in the opening frame last Saturday. Sure, the team saw some offensive production, as San Jose Sharks draft pick Brandon Svoboda scored four points in Saturday’s loss, and Cole Hutson (Washington Capitals) potted a goal and four assists, but in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t a promising weekend for the Terriers.
BU has a chance to get back in the win column this weekend with a home-and-home against Merrimack.
15. Cornell
Record: 1-1-0
Last Week: NR
After a couple of exhibition games to get their feet going, the Big Red opened up its regular season with a tough road test against UMass. Cornell dropped the first game of the weekend, despite heavily outplaying the Minutemen. The Big Red’s persistence paid off in game two, with Charlie Major’s two-point performance powering the team to a 3-1 victory on Saturday. Giovanni DiGiulian scored in each of the games as well.
The Big Red opens up its ECAC schedule this weekend with a couple of road games against Harvard on Friday before visiting Dartmouth on Saturday.
Honorable Mention: Providence (3-3-1), Minnesota State (4-2-2), Boston College (2-4-0)