It’s unanimous among pollsters this week, the Quinnipiac University Bobcats are the number one hockey team in the nation.
Led by three RBC Cup champions in Greater Trail natives Connor and Kellen Jones and former Trail Smoke Eater Kyle St. Denis, Quinnipiac received 41 first-place votes from USCHO writers, while Minnesota took nine first-place seedings, ending the Gophers’ 18-week reign atop the rankings.
The Bobcats impressive 4-1 win over Cornell Friday and 3-2 victory over Colgate Saturday extended their unbeaten conference streak to 21 games, enough to bump them over University of Minnesota Gophers in USCHO hockey and U.S.A. Today polls. Minnesota split with number eight ranked St. Cloud State on the weekend dropping to number two in the top-20 ranked teams in the NCAA Div. 1 schools.
The Jones’ both helped the Cats to the two victories on the weekend with Kellen scoring twice including the winner, and Connor adding an assist against Colgate, while Connor lit the red light against Cornell, Friday, and St. Denis added an assist.
The computer generated Pair Wise Rankings had the Bobcats at number one for the past three weeks, but neither USCHO or USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine pollsters were convinced until the Gophers fell to St. Cloud.
Quinnipiac, needs just four points in its final six games to clinch the ECAC division title.