The University of Minnesota men's hockey team won't meet in-state rival St. Cloud State until Jan. 24, in the opening round of the inaugural North Star College Cup.
By that time, both teams could still be ranked in the top five nationally or they could be outside the top 10. That's the nature of college hockey; the national polls can change dramatically in a matter of weeks.
For now, Minnesota is a deserved No. 1 in both national polls. St. Cloud is No. 3 in the USCHO.com poll and No. 4 in the USA Today poll. They're the only two undefeated teams remaining in college hockey.
St. Cloud, led by Austin native Bob Motzko, is coming off an impressive sweep at North Dakota. The Gophers were idle over the weekend and will be well-rested heading to No. 4/3 Notre Dame.
If that's not enough, Minnesota State Mankato (No. 18) and Minnesota-Duluth (No. 20) are both ranked in the USCHO.com poll. Unranked Bemidji State sits atop the new-look WCHA with a 3-1-0 conference record.
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Just more than a month into the season, the state of college hockey looks outstanding in the State of Hockey.
— Jason Feldman
