MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY ALONE AT THE TOP OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION MEN’S DIVISION I RANKINGS
Idle Beavers (6-0-0) Remain Undefeated to Start Season
UNION LAKE, Mich. – (October 26, 2022) –Minot State University (6-0-0) received 20 out of 34 first-place votes to take sole possession of the top spot of the 2022-2023 ACHA Men’s Division I Ranking #3. The top-ranked Beavers and No. 2 University of Nevada-Las Vegas (3-0-0), which garnered 11 first-place votes, were both idle this past weekend. No. 3 Adrian College (8-0-1), which captured the remaining three first-place votes, got three wins in four nights after sweeping a home-and-home conference series with Oakland University (14-1, 13-0) before finishing off the weekend on Saturday with a 5-1 victory over University of Arizona at Arrington Ice Arena in Adrian, Mich. Sebastian Smith paced the Bulldog attack on Saturday with a pair of goals while Noah Decottignies turned aside 28 Wildcat shot attempts. No. 4 University of Central Oklahoma (7-2-0) hit the road and swept a pair of non-conference games over University of Alabama. The Bronchos were led by Sam Sykes (1G, 2A), Austin Simpson (1G, 2A), Jaxon Bombardir (3A), and Ondrej Blaha (1G, 2A). Despite the losses, Crimson Tide goaltender Elijah Gibbons stopped 96 shots, including 47 on Friday and another 49 on Saturday. Rounding out the Top 5 was Liberty University (4-3-0), which was idle over the weekend.
Moving into the polls this week is No. 24 University of Colorado and No. 25 Colorado State University. Dropping out of the Top 25 are University of Delaware and Davenport University.
The Western Collegiate Hockey League leads the way with eight (of 10) of its member teams ranked, while the Central States Collegiate Hockey League has two (of 3) of its member teams ranked, the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference has four (of 7) of its member teams ranked, and the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League has four (of 8) of its member teams ranked.
Over the past 19 seasons, 12 different schools have won the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championship: Lindenwood (4), Central Oklahoma (2), Illinois (2), Minot State (2), Adrian (2), Arizona State, Davenport, Delaware, Oakland, Ohio, Penn State, and Rhode Island.
Entering its 32nd 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)
- Adrian College (2)
- Minot State University (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 70 teams will compete in Men’s Division I this season, including these new members: College of New Jersey, University of Oregon, Purdue University Northwest, and San Diego State University. The defending Men’s Division I National Champions of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, Lindenwood University, has departed to play NCAA Men’s Division I while Iowa State University is on a school suspension for the 2022-23 season.
The computer ranking, which will not commence until after November 1, will for the ninth time determine the 20 teams that qualify for the 2023 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships presented by FloHockey, 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 fourth ranking of the regular season will be released on Wednesday, November 2, 2022.
The 2023 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships presented by FloHockey will be hosted March 16-21 for the first time at the New England Sports Center (NESC) in Marlborough, Mass. This will be the eleventh year of the 20-team format.
| 2022-2023 ACHA Men’s Division 1 Ranking #3 | ||||||
| Rank | School Name | 1st Votes | M1 Record | Pts | Previous | Conference |
| 1 | Minot State | 20 | 6-0-0 | 737 | 1 T | INDEP |
| 2 | Nevada-Las Vegas | 11 | 3-0-0 | 723 | 1 T | WCHL |
| 3 | Adrian | 3 | 8-0-1 | 696 | 3 | GLCHL |
| 4 | Central Oklahoma | 7-2-0 | 646 | 4 | WCHL | |
| 5 | Liberty | 4-3-0 | 622 | 5 | INDEP | |
| 6 | Stony Brook | 6-0-0 | 612 | 6 | ESCHL | |
| 7 | Ohio | 7-1-0 | 570 | 7 | CSCHL | |
| 8 | Indiana Tech | 7-1-0 | 539 | 8 | WHAC | |
| 9 | Maryville | 6-3-0 | 501 | 9 | CSCHL | |
| 10 | Jamestown | 4-2-0 | 470 | 10 | MCH | |
| 11 | Arizona State | 6-0-0 | 429 | 12 | WCHL | |
| 12 | Pittsburgh | 6-2-1 | 423 | 11 | ESCHL | |
| 13 | Niagara | 4-3-0 | 379 | 13 | ESCHL | |
| 14 | Lawrence Tech | 9-0-0 | 363 | 14 | WHAC | |
| 15 | Illinois State | 7-2-1 | 305 | 17 | MCH | |
| 16 | Michigan-Dearborn | 4-4-1 | 265 | 16 | WHAC | |
| 17 | Aquinas | 4-4-0 | 229 | 15 | WHAC | |
| 18 | Drexel | 7-1-2 | 192 | 19 | ESCHL | |
| 19 | Calvin | 6-0-2 | 171 | 22 | GLCHL | |
| 20 | Missouri State | 4-5-1 | 144 | 18 | WCHL | |
| 21 | Arizona | 2-3-2 | 128 | 20 | WCHL | |
| 22 | Grand Valley State | 7-3-0 | 127 | 25 | GLCHL | |
| 23 | Utah | 3-4-0 | 112 | 21 | WCHL | |
| 24 | Colorado | 6-1-1 | 60 | NR | WCHL | |
| 25 | Colorado State | 6-2-0 | 47 | NR | WCHL | |
Others receiving votes: Delaware, Davenport, Indiana Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Purdue Northwest, Oswego State, New York, William Paterson, Navy, and Robert Morris.
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