December 3, 2007

BEMIDJI, Minn. - Fresh off a three point weekend at defending College Hockey America regular-season champion and nationally-ranked Niagara University, the Bemidji State University men's ice hockey team has turned some heads. The Beavers are back among the top teams in the nation according to the most recent U.S. College Hockey Online/CSTV poll. BSU garnered nine points, ranking it fourth among the group of “others receiving votes” in the publication’s ranking of the nation’s top 20 NCAA Division I men’s hockey programs. This week's vote would place the Beavers at No. 24 if the poll were extended.

The Beavers continued their hold on first place in the CHA standings with a 1-0-1 record on the trip to Niagara. The Beavers effectively snapped the Purple Eagles' 22-game home unbeaten streak with a 5-1 victory Friday evening and followed that up with a 2-2 tie in the series finale.

Bemidji State is one of three College Hockey America programs to receive recognition in this week's poll. Niagara dropped out of the top 20 for the first time in three weeks picking up 79 points (21st) while Robert Morris pulled down a vote to settle into what would be the No. 29 spot.

BSU’s inclusion in the poll continues its long history of recognition by USCHO.com. The team began the season in what would have been the 26th slot in the 2007 USCHO/CSTV Preseason Poll. The following week, BSU moved up two spots to 24th and just two weeks ago the Beavers made a one-week appearance at No. 31. In 2006-07, BSU reached a season-high No. 16 in the Jan. 8, 2007 release of the USCHO.com ballot and appeared in the poll on 16 occasions.

The USCHO.com/CSTV Networks Poll consists of 50 voters, including 28 coaches from the Division I conferences and 22 beat writers and sports professionals from across the country. The poll, published weekly by the Associated Press, is a joint production of USCHO.com, which provides in-depth coverage of college sports, including hockey, lacrosse, soccer and others, and CSTV Networks, Inc., the only digital media company dedicated solely to college sports. CSTV operates a 24-hour college sports cable network, also available via DISH and DirecTV satellite as well as CSTV.com, ranked in the Top 10 leading sports Web sites.

Bemidji State, 6-6-2 overall and 4-2-2 in CHA play, returns to the John S. Gals Fieldhouse for a conference match up with Alabama-Huntsville this weekend. The home series marks the first regular-season contests at the Glas since a pair of showdowns with Niagara, Nov. 2-3. The puck drops on the series at 7:35 p.m. Friday with a 7:05 p.m. start set for the series finale Saturday.

--bsu--