Men's Hockey Rises To No. 3 In National Rankings

The Harvard men’s ice hockey team continues its rise.

On Monday, the Crimson (10-1-2, 6-1-2 ECAC) rose from fourth to third in the national rankings. In the midst of the longest winning streak in college hockey, the team sits behind only No. 1/1 University of North Dakota and No. 2/2 Boston University in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls.

The Crimson received more first-place votes (13 out of 34) than any other team in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll and tops the PairWise, RPI, and KRACH rankings.

The Crimson picked up its seventh straight win and 10th overall on Saturday, rallying past Rensselaer, 6-2. The W equaled Harvard’s win total from last season.

The Crimson’s current national ranking is the program’s highest of the 21st century, and the team’s start is among the program’s best ever. Since Harvard’s 1988-1989 national championship season, only the 1992-1993 Crimson team has reached 10 wins in fewer games than the 2014-2015 squad.

Harvard has not lost or tied a game since falling to Yale, 2-1, on Nov. 15.  The Bulldogs, which cracked the USCHO.com rankings at No. 19 this week with a win over No. 9/11 Vermont, will have another chance to bring the Crimson back to Earth this Saturday, when the teams will meet at Madison Square Garden in the Rivalry On Ice game.

USCHO.com Poll (First-place votes)

1. North Dakota (13)
2. Boston University (18)
3. Harvard (15)
4. Minnesota State (1)
5. Miami
6. Massachusetts-Lowell
7. Minnesota-Duluth (3)
8. Michigan Tech
9. Minnesota
10. Denver
11. Bowling Green
12. Vermont
13. Nebraska-Omaha
14. Providence
15. Quinnipiac
16. Boston College
17. Colgate
18. Merrimack
19. Yale
20. Robert Morris

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll (First-place votes)

1. North Dakota (9)
2. Boston University (12)
3. Harvard University (13)
4. Minnesota State
5. Massachusetts-Lowell
6. Miami
7. Minnesota Duluth
8. Michigan Tech
9. Minnesota
10. Denver
11. Vermont
12. Nebraska-Omaha
13. Providence
14. Bowling Green State
15. Quinnipiac