MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY ENDS SEASON NO. 1 IN AMERICAN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION MEN’S DIVISION I RANKINGS
Beavers Look to Repeat; Enter National Championships as No. 1 Seed
UNION LAKE, Mich. – (February 21, 2024) – Minot State University (26-6-1), the defending Men’s Division I National Champion of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, holds the top spot in the 2023-2024 American Collegiate Hockey Association Men’s Division 1 Ranking No. 16. The Beavers, on top for the eighth consecutive week, have now held the top spot in 21 of the last 23 rankings as they swept non-ACHA Simon Fraser University at Maysa Arena in Minot, N.D. The Beavers won 5-2 on Friday night as Reid Arnold and Christian Kadolph each had a pair of goals, while Saturday night Kadolph scored his second goal of the game in overtime for the 3-2 win. Besides Kadolph’s four goal weekend, Carter Barley picked up four assists while Reece Henry added a goal and two assists. Minot State earned its 15th consecutive bid and 20th overall. The Beavers will enter the 2024 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships presented by FloHockey as the top seed, looking to bring home their fourth national title.
No. 2 Adrian College (26-5-0), regular season champions of the Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League (GLCHL), defeated Davenport University before falling in the GLCHL Playoff Championship game to Purdue University Northwest 5-3, as Tournament Most Valuable Player goaltender Cooper Olson made 62 saves for the Pride. Despite the loss, the Bulldogs earned their 14th consecutive bid.
No. 3 University of Central Oklahoma (26-5-2) swept a pair of home-and-home conference game with in-state rivals University of Oklahoma (5-1, 7-1) to secure the regular season championship of the Western Collegiate Hockey League (WCHL) and earned its 14th overall appearance.
No. 4 seed University of Jamestown (24-8-0), regular season champion of Midwest College Hockey (MCH), defeated Midland University 5-1 on Saturday and University of Mary 2-1 Sunday afternoon to win the MCH Playoff Championship. Goaltender Brandon Weare stopped 48 of 50 shots on the weekend to win Tournament Most Outstanding Player. The Jimmies will be making their seventh consecutive appearance.
Rounding out the Top 5 is University of Nevada-Las Vegas (23-6-2), which swept a pair of home games with University of Oregon (12-0, 6-0) and earned their sixth bid to Nationals in the last seven seasons. Bradley Golant (two goals, four assists), Rob McCollum (two goals, three assists), Nick Flanders (two goals, two assists), and Mattias Dal Monte (goal, three assists) paced the Rebels offense against the Ducks.
Four other conference playoff champions besides University of Jamestown were crowned this past weekend: Indiana University of Pennsylvania from College Hockey Mid-America (CHMA); Purdue University Northwest from Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League (GLCHL); Oswego State University from Northeast Collegiate Hockey League (NECHL); and Indiana Tech from Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC). With their playoff titles in hand, all five teams secured the final automatic bids to the 2024 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships presented by FloHockey, joining the three teams that clinched berths as regular season champions of their respective conferences: West Chester University from Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association (ECHA); Niagara University from Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL); and the WCHL’s University of Central Oklahoma.
This ranking marks the deadline for choosing the 24 participating teams for the 2024 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships presented by FloHockey. Sixteen teams in the ranking will return after participating in Nationals last season, including No. 6 seed Maryville University (fourth consecutive/overall appearance); No. 7 seed Liberty University (8th consecutive/16th overall appearance); No. 8 seed Ohio University (31st consecutive/32nd overall appearance); No. 9 seed Niagara University (third consecutive/sixth overall appearance); No. 13 seed University of Arizona (third consecutive/21st overall appearance); No. 14 seed Grand Valley State University (second consecutive/overall appearance); No. 15 seed Calvin University (second consecutive/fourth overall appearance); No. 16 seed Illinois State University (second consecutive/overall appearance); No. 18 seed Indiana Tech (fifth consecutive/overall appearance); No. 20 seed University of Pittsburgh (third consecutive/fifth overall appearance); and No. 23 Indiana University of Pennsylvania (second consecutive/third overall appearance).
Joining those schools will be eight teams that did not participate a year ago, including five teams making their inaugural appearance: No. 10 seed University of Mary (first overall appearance); No. 11 seed Purdue University Northwest (first overall appearance); No. 12 seed University of Utah (first overall appearance); No. 17 seed Grand Canyon University (first overall appearance); No. 19 University of Delaware (18th overall appearance and first since 2016); No. 21 seed Missouri State University (fifth overall appearance); West Chester University (seventh overall appearance and first since 2009); and Oswego State University (first overall appearance).
2024 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships team breakdown by conferences:
6 – WCHL Arizona, Central Oklahoma, Grand Canyon, Missouri State, Nevada-Las Vegas, and Utah
4 – GLCHL Adrian, Calvin, Grand Valley State, and Purdue Northwest
4 – Independent Liberty, Maryville, Minot State, and Ohio
3 – ESCHL Delaware, Niagara, and Pittsburgh
3 – MCH Illinois State, Jamestown, and Mary
1 – CHMA Indiana Pennsylvania
1 – ECHA West Chester
1 – NECHL Oswego State
1 – WHAC Indiana Tech
Moving into the polls this week is No. 23 Indiana University of Pennsylvania and No. 25 McKendree University while Iowa State University and West Chester University drop out of the Top 25.
The Western Collegiate Hockey League leads the way with eight (of 10) of its member teams ranked, while Midwest College Hockey has four (of 7) of its member teams ranked, Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League has four (of 10) of its member teams ranked, and Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League has three (of 8) 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 final ranking of the 2023-2024 ACHA Men’s Division I season will be released on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.
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 #16 | ||||
| Rank | School Name | M1 Record | Previous | Conference |
| 1 | Minot State | 26-6-1 | 1 | INDEP |
| 2 | Adrian | 26-5-0 | 2 | GLCHL |
| 3 | Central Oklahoma | 26-5-2 | 3 | WCHL |
| 4 | Jamestown | 24-8-0 | 5 | MCH |
| 5 | Nevada-Las Vegas | 23-6-2 | 4 | WCHL |
| 6 | Maryville | 23-9-2 | 7 | INDEP |
| 7 | Liberty | 19-8-1 | 6 | INDEP |
| 8 | Ohio | 23-7-4 | 8 | INDEP |
| 9 | Niagara | 19-8-1 | 9 | ESCHL |
| 10 | Mary | 22-12-1 | 10 | MCH |
| 11 | Purdue Northwest | 27-5-1 | 11 | GLCHL |
| 12 | Utah | 16-10-2 | 12 | WCHL |
| 13 | Arizona | 15-13-1 | 16 | WCHL |
| 14 | Grand Valley State | 20-8-2 | 15 | GLCHL |
| 15 | Calvin | 21-8-2 | 13 | GLCHL |
| 16 | Illinois State | 22-11-1 | 14 | MCH |
| 17 | Grand Canyon | 17-13-1 | 17 | WCHL |
| 18 | Indiana Tech | 25-9-1 | 18 | WHAC |
| 19 | Delaware | 16-8-4 | 21 | ESCHL |
| 20 | Pittsburgh | 19-12-2 | 20 | ESCHL |
| 21 | Missouri State | 13-16-2 | 19 | WCHL |
| 22 | Colorado | 13-11-2 | 25 | WCHL |
| 23 | Indiana Pennsylvania | 22-7-2 | NR | CHMA |
| 24 | Oklahoma | 14-12-2 | 22 | WCHL |
| 25 | McKendree | 17-13-1 | NR | MCH |
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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.
