Two-time defending national champion Minnesota Duluth was dropped from the top spot in both national polls on Monday, Oct. 14, following a season-opening split at home against UMass-Lowell over the weekend.
The Bulldogs (1-1), who held down the No. 1 ranking for two weeks to start 2019-20, fell to No. 3 in the USCHO.com poll and No. 2 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll following a 3-2 loss on Friday night after unveiling their third national championship banner in program history. UMD rebounded to win 2-1 on Saturday over the previously unranked, but now 18th-ranked River Hawks.
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Denver took over as the No. 1 team in the nation in both polls following sweeps of Alaska and Lake Superior State, receiving 38 first-place votes in the USCHO.com poll and 28 in the USA Today poll.
Minnesota State-Mankato (2-0) is No. 2 in the USCHO.com poll and third in the USA Today poll after a sweep of Arizona State. The Mavericks received eight first-place votes.
The Bulldogs earned three first-place votes in the USCHO.com poll, including one from Duluth News Tribune sports reporter Matt Wellens, who votes weekly along with other media members, coaches and sports information directors. UMD earned two first-place votes in the USA Today poll.
UMD is on the road this weekend for a nonconference series at No. 17 Wisconsin (1-1).
After starting the preseason ranked No. 10 in the USCHO.com poll, and now sit No. 8 in the country going into this weekend鈥檚 WCHA series at Bemidji State. The Bulldogs are coming off a sweep of Minnesota State at Amsoil Arena last weekend, winning 3-2 in overtime on Friday and 4-1 on Saturday.
