AMERICAN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION RANKING #7: ADRIAN COLLEGE KNOCKS MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY OUT OF TOP SPOT AFTER TWENTY CONSECUTIVE RANKINGS
Bulldogs Ranked #1 For First Time Since October 13, 2021
UNION LAKE, Mich. – (November 22, 2023) – Adrian College (14-2-0) swept a pair of home-and-home conference games over Davenport University and took over the top spot in the process in 2023-2024 ACHA Men’s Division I Ranking #7. The Bulldogs last held the top spot during the 2021-2022 season on October 13, 2021, in Ranking #3. Dylan Gajewski (4 goals, assist), Sam Spaedt (2 goals, 3 assists), Gavin Watt (3 goals, assist), Justin Jamer (2 goals, 2 assists), and Caleb Minns (goal, 3 assists) paced the Bulldog attack as they won 9-1 at home on Thursday at Arrington Ice Arena and 7-1 on the road at Patterson Ice Center on Saturday.
No. 2 Minot State University (12-3-0), which lost only two games the entire 2022-2023 season, lost two of three games at the Chicago Showcase, and fell from the top spot after 20 consecutive rankings. The Beavers edged Arizona State University 4-3 on Thursday before getting shutout 3-0 on Friday against University of Nevada-Las Vegas as Zach Wickson stopped all 25 shots on goal. The Rebels, incidentally, were the last team to occupy the top spot back in Ranking #5 on November 9, 2022. Ohio University made it consecutive losses for Minot State after storming back from a 2-0 deficit by scoring five consecutive goals, including four goals over a 6:19 span of the second period, for a 5-2 victory.
University of Central Oklahoma (13-3-0) falls to No. 3 while University of Jamestown (12-3-0) rises to No. 4 after sweeping the Bronchos on the road at Arctic Edge Ice Arena. Friday night, Brandon Weare turned aside 27 shots on goal while Reid Wilson notched 2 goals as the Jimmies secured a 3-2 victory. Saturday night, it was Weare blockading all 24 shots on goal while Jordan Kromm had two goals and an assist in a 5-0 whitewashing of the Bronchos.
University of Mary (10-3-1) rounds out the Top 5 after sweeping a pair of conference road games at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex against McKendree University (5-2, 5-0). Seth Cushing (three goals, three assists), Cyril Nagurski (goal, three assists), and Isaiah Thomas (three assists) paced the Marauders attack.
The Western Collegiate Hockey League leads the way with six (of 10) of its member teams ranked, while Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League has five (of 10) of its member teams ranked, Midwest College Hockey has three (of 7) of its member teams ranked, Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League has three (of 8) of its member teams ranked, and Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference has two (of 7) of its member teams ranked.
The ACHA uses two computer rankings generated by USHSHO.com, Ranking A (Wins with Maximum Goal Differential of 7) and Ranking B (Wins with Maximum Goal Differential of 1), to come up with an average of the two rankings. The ACHA will then use the list generated from the average for its weekly ranking. Ties will be broken using the higher ranked team from Ranking B until the Top 25 teams are listed. All games that go to overtime will be scored as ties in the computer ranking.
Over the past 20 seasons, 12 different schools have won the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championship: Lindenwood University (4), Minot State University (3), Adrian College (2), University of Central Oklahoma (2), University of Illinois (2), Arizona State University, Davenport University, University of Delaware, Oakland University, Ohio University, Penn State University, and University of Rhode Island.
Now in its 33rd season of action, there have been a total of 14 schools that have won the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championship:
- Penn State University (5 times)
- Lindenwood University (4)
- Ohio University (4)
- Minot State University (3)
- Adrian College (2)
- North Dakota State University (2)
- University Central Oklahoma (2)
- University of Illinois (2)
- Arizona State University
- Davenport University
- Iowa State University
- Oakland University
- University of Delaware
- University of Rhode Island
A total of 72 teams will compete in Men’s Division I this season, including University of Mary, which moves up from Men’s Division II after winning back-to-back National Championships in 2021 and 2022.
The computer ranking will for the tenth time determine the 24 teams that qualify for the 2024 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships, which will include the following eight auto bids:
- (CHMA) College Hockey Mid-America
- (ECHA) Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association
- (ESCHL) Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League
- (GLCHL) Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League
- (MCH) Midwest College Hockey
- (NECHL) Northeast Collegiate Hockey League
- (WCHL) Western Collegiate Hockey League
- (WHAC) Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference
The eighth ranking of the regular season will be released on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.
The 2024 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships presented by FloHockey will be hosted March 7-12 for the second time at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Mo. This will be the first year of the 24-team format.
| 2023-2024 ACHA Men’s Division I Ranking #7 | ||||
| Rank | School Name | M1 Record | Previous | Conference |
| 1 | Adrian | 14-2-0 | 3 | GLCHL |
| 2 | Minot State | 12-3-0 | 1 | INDEP |
| 3 | Central Oklahoma | 13-3-0 | 2 | WCHL |
| 4 | Jamestown | 12-3-0 | 7 | MCH |
| 5 | Mary | 10-3-1 | 5 | MCH |
| 6 | Nevada-Las Vegas | 12-3-0 | 4 | WCHL |
| 7 | Ohio | 10-5-2 | 11 | INDEP |
| 8 | Niagara | 11-5-0 | 6 | ESCHL |
| 9 | Liberty | 9-6-1 | 8 | INDEP |
| 10 | Maryville | 9-7-1 | 9 | INDEP |
| 11 | Purdue Northwest | 12-5-0 | 13 | GLCHL |
| 12 | Calvin | 14-3-1 | 16 | GLCHL |
| 13 | Pittsburgh | 13-5-1 | 18 | ESCHL |
| 14 | Indiana Tech | 13-3-1 | 12 | WHAC |
| 15 | Illinois State | 14-7-0 | 25 | MCH |
| 16 | Grand Valley State | 9-4-2 | 14 | GLCHL |
| 17 | Davenport | 11-5-0 | 22 | GLCHL |
| 18 | Missouri State | 8-7-2 | 20 | WCHL |
| 19 | Arizona | 6-6-1 | 10 | WCHL |
| 20 | Utah | 8-6-1 | 21 | WCHL |
| 21 | Arizona State | 8-7-1 | 17 | WCHL |
| 22 | Michigan-Dearborn | 13-2-0 | 15 | WHAC |
| 23 | West Chester | 12-3-0 | 24 | ECHA |
| 24 | Iowa State | 5-2-0 | 19 | INDEP |
| 25 | Stony Brook | 4-7-1 | 23 | ESCHL |
# # #
About American Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) was founded in 1991 and is the national association for Non-NCAA Collegiate Hockey throughout the United States. Our organization of more than 460 colleges and university-affiliated teams representing 48 states provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes the sport of Hockey nationwide. With approximately 13,000 players and coaches as well as countless volunteers and game officials, the ACHA has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade and continues to be a viable option for college bound student-athletes to continue playing competitive hockey nationwide. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, the ACHA’s primary mission is to support the growth of Collegiate Hockey while emphasizing academic performance, personal development, and opportunities for regional, national, and international competition. The ACHA identifies standards which serve to unite and regulate teams at the collegiate level and entered its 33rd season in September 2023. For more information, visit achahockey.org.
