Minnesota Duluth slipped from the top three in the preseason to No. 7 in the first regular season national polls released Monday by USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine.
The Bulldogs, who were previously ranked No. 2 by USCHO and No. 3 by USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine, opened the season with a 3-2 loss at Bemidji State on Saturday after Friday’s game at Amsoil Arena was postponed due to a power outage. A makeup date has not been set for what was supposed to be the first game of a home-and-home series.
North Dakota, which beat Lake Superior State and tied Maine at the Icebreaker in Maine last weekend, has taken over the top spot in both polls this week from Boston College, which opened with a win at Army and a loss at Rensselaer.
The top nine teams in both preseason polls — same teams but different orders — opened the regular season a combined 4-7-2.
The No. 7 Bulldogs face No. 15/13 Minnesota this week at 7 p.m. Friday at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis and at 7:07 p.m. Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
In the USCHO.com women’s poll released Monday, the Bulldogs women failed to receive any votes after losing twice at Bemidji State.
Below are the ballots I submitted this week for the USCHO.com men’s and women’s Division I polls.
Matt’s Oct. 12 USCHO.com Division I ballots
Men
1. Boston College
2. North Dakota
3. Minnesota Duluth
4. Denver
5. Providence
6. Boston University
7. Harvard
8. UMass-Lowell
9. Bowling Green
10. Nebraska-Omaha
11. Minnesota State
12. Miami
13. Michigan Tech
14. St. Lawrence
15. Michigan
16. Minnesota
17. New Hampshire
18. Notre Dame
19. Yale
20. St. Cloud State
Women
1. Minnesota
2. Wisconsin
3. Boston College
4. Clarkson
5. Harvard
6. North Dakota
7. Bemidji State
8. Boston University
9. Cornell
10. Quinnipiac