Preseason top-ranked Denver is back atop college hockey’s national media polls, but more important, the Pioneers are No. 1 in the PairWise rankings.
After squeaking by Alaska-Anchorage with a 1-1 tie and a 3-2 win last weekend, previously No. 2 DU on Monday moved past Miami (Ohio) in all three polls.
“We are aware of it and it’s nice to be in that position, and we also realize it really doesn’t mean a whole lot if we don’t continue to improve some parts of our game,” Pioneers coach George Gwozdecky said Monday. “But certainly, being in that position is the best position to be in.”
The PairWise rankings mimic the method used by the NCAA Tournament to seed its 16-team field.
“That’s exciting,” DU senior Tyler Ruegsegger said. “We love to see that, but at the same time that many (more) teams are going to be gunning for us.”
Miami went 0-2 last weekend, losing twice to lowly Robert Morris. The RedHawks lost 3-1 in Pittsburgh on Friday and 2-1 Sunday at home. Robert Morris entered the series 3-12-3.
Assessing the mess.
DU and Alaska-Anchorage combined for 30 penalties worth 103 minutes in a brawl at the conclusion of Saturday’s game. The punishments weren’t official until early Sunday morning, after officials looked at all available television angles.
What began as a 5-on-5 melee turned into a 7-on-7 fiasco after the Seawolves’ Jared Tuton and Chris Crowell joined in off the bench. Then DU defenseman John Ryder and William Wrenn came off the bench to make it even. Those four players were given game disqualifications that carry a one-game suspension.
Crowell was also given an extra DQ and an instigating minor for trying to fight Ruegsegger.
DU will be without Ryder and Wrenn when it next plays Jan. 22 to begin a two-game series at Wisconsin. Ryder, who has emerged as one of DU’s best defensemen, was the only player involved in the fracas to not get a roughing minor.
Gwozdecky, who went on the ice to try to separate players, said he doesn’t expect the Western Collegiate Hockey Association to take further action. League commissioner Bruce McLeod was at the game and helped sort out penalties.
“The referees spent an awful lot of time — well past midnight, from what I understand — in the television truck to look at all available angles and make sure they got the calls right,” Gwozdecky said.
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
Front Range rankings
1. Denver (14-5-3, 10-3-3 WCHA). Last week: Tied and beat Alaska-Anchorage, 1-1 and 3-2. Up next: At Wisconsin (12-5-3, 8-4-2 WCHA) on Jan. 22 and 23. Comment: Unanimous No. 1-ranked Pioneers still have untapped resources that they’ll undoubtedly need in their next four games at Wisconsin and North Dakota.
2. Colorado College (12-7-3, 8-5-3 WCHA). Last week: Lost twice at Minnesota-Duluth, 5-2 and 4-1. Up next: Wisconsin (12-5-3, 8-4-2 WCHA) on Friday and Saturday at the World Arena. Comment: Tigers, who have lost three straight, need to bounce back and prove their first-half success wasn’t a fluke.
3. Air Force (9-8-5, 9-4-5 AHA). Last week: Beat and tied Connecticut, 2-1 and 2-2. Up next: At Bentley (9-8-3, 7-5-2 AHA) on Friday and Saturday. Comment: Barely beating and tying downtrodden UConn doesn’t look good on paper. Mike Chambers, The Denver Post
