Jan. 24, 2012

Chestnut Hill, Mass. - Following a week of conference play in which the Boston College women's ice hockey team went 2-0-1, BC retained its No. 4 ranking in the USCHO poll, but moved back up to No. 4 on the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.

The Eagles take the ice for the final regular-season meeting with BU on Wed. January 25 at 7 p.m. The sides each won their road game back in November when they were ranked fifth and fourth, respectively. BC has gone 5-1-1 since returning from break. BU is 2-3-0 and has fallen from the national rankings in that same span.

The top five in the polls mirrored each other. Cornell swapped Minnesota for the No. 2 ranking from No. 3, Boston College and North Dakota bumped up one spot to four and five, respectively, and Mercyhurst fell to the bottom half.

Wisconsin defeated Minnesota-Duluth, 2-0 and 4-3 OT, to reach its 13th week at No. 1. The Bulldogs remained at No. 8 according the USCHO, but was moved down to No. 9 by USA Hockey.

Cornell upended Syracuse, 6-3, and No. 9 Harvard, 2-0, before downing No. 10 Dartmouth, 1-0, in overtime. Minnesota beat Bemidji State, 3-2, before requiring a shootout to earn league points over the Beaver with a 3-3 tie. UND outscored St. Cloud State, 19-0, in its weekend skates.

Northeastern picked up wins over UNH, 8-0, and Vermont, 5-1, to get moved up to No. 6 by the USCHO, but remained at No. 7 with USA Hockey.

Mercyhurst spilt a home-and-home series with Robert Morris, falling three spots to No. 7 with the USCHO and two slots to No. 6 with USA Hockey. The Lakers won on the road, 4-2, but fell at home, 2-3.

Harvard and Dartmouth held onto their ninth and tenth place in the polls according to the USCHO, the Crimson overtook Minnesota-Duluth in the eyes of the USA Hockey poll.