A two-game sweep of Bowling Green couldn’t keep the Spartans from falling a spot in this week’s USCHO.com national rankings.
MSU (5-2-1 overall, 5-2-1 CCHA) fell from No. 3 to No. 4 in the poll, despite beating the Falcons 6-3 on Thursday and 4-0 on Friday.
Denver (6-0-0) leapfrogged MSU and claimed No. 3 with a sweep of No. 13 Colorado College (2-4-0).
St. Cloud State (8-0-0) claimed the poll’s top spot away from Minnesota (6-0-1), which only managed three points out of a series with Michigan Tech.
The Huskies garnered 36 first-place votes and 596 points compared with Minnesota’s four votes and 552 points at No. 2.
Denver has 505 points, MSU has 495 and No. 5 Boston University (4-0-1) earned 406.
St. Cloud also took over No. 1 in the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine ranking, earning 16 first-place votes and 282 points. The Golden Gophers held three votes and 264 points at No. 2.
Denver and MSU remained No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, and BU moved up to No. 5.
“I think it’s a pretty good rating,” freshman goaltender Matt Migliaccio said. “But we feel we should be No. 1. We shouldn’t have had those lapses in Omaha (in October). That’s what really hurt us.”
Other CCHA teams in the polls include Nebraska-Omaha (6-2-0, 3-1-0) at No. 6 in both polls, Northern Michigan (4-1-1, 4-1-1) at No. 9 in the both, Michigan (4-4-1, 3-3-1) at No. 12 in USCHO and No. 13 in USA Today, and Miami (5-2-1, 3-0-1) at No. 15 in USCHO and No. 14 in USA Today.
Ohio State, Alaska-Fairbanks and Western Michigan received votes in both polls and MSU’s next opponent, UMass-Amherst, received one vote in the USCHO rankings.
Estrada honored
The CCHA named freshman left wing Kevin Estrada the league’s Rookie of the Week on Monday.
Estrada tallied his first three collegiate goals in the Bowling Green series, including both game-winners, and is now tied for the team lead in goals.
New Spartan helmet
Migliaccio’s customized goalie mask finally arrived Friday, replacing his plain black headgear with a helmet oozing with Spartan pride.
A giant block “S” adorns the front of the green mask and smaller ones are speckled evenly over the rest of the piece.
The mask also features the MSU bridge logo on the chin, the Spartan helmet logo on both sides and a depiction of the Sparty mascot on the back, above the nickname “Migs” written in cursive on the bottom.
“It’s a little fun to have something different and to match the team,” Migliaccio said. “It took a little while, but it was worth waiting for.
“The painter has done some pro helmets like Ed Belfour and Roman Turek.”
Young guns
As expected, MSU’s freshman class has bolstered head coach Ron Mason’s offense this season.
The seven rookie skaters - Estrada, centers Jim Slater, Ash Goldie and Lee Falardeau, wings Brock Radunske and Mike Lalonde and defenseman Duncan Keith - have combined for 50 percent of the team’s goals and almost 73 percent of MSU’s points.
Winning out (of conference)
Friday’s contest against UMass-Amherst (3-3) of Hockey East is MSU’s first nonconference match-up of the season.
Last year, the Spartans went 8-1-1 against non-CCHA foes - their only loss coming against North Dakota in the Frozen Four.
