February is here, and with it the final push for teams to make a climb in their conference standings.
Plymouth State has secured first place in the MASCAC for the sixth season in a row. Three more wins and the Panthers will have run the table in their league.
Endicott has all but secured first place in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. Trinity’s surge has lifted it into first place in the NESCAC, while Norwich has a chance to win the NEHC entering the final weekend of play.
Where do those teams stack up in our latest power rankings? Let’s check.
1. ENDICOTT
Previous ranking: No. 1
Next game: Friday vs. the University of New England (7 p.m.)
The Gulls are four games away from doing what would have been considered unthinkable at the start of the season -- going through their entire conference schedule without a loss. One of the last remaining roadblocks arrives Friday when high-flying UNE comes to town. But consider these defensive numbers since the calendar flipped to 2023: just 13 goals allowed in nine games (eight wins and a tie). This is an Endicott team that is hurting opponents at both ends of the ice.
2. NORWICH
Conference:Â NEHC |Â Record: 17-4-1 (13-1-2 NEHC)
Previous ranking: No. 2
Next game: Friday at Hobart (7 p.m.)
It comes down to one weekend road trip for Norwich in its quest to finish first in the league after getting picked for fourth place in the preseason coaches' poll. Win at Hobart and Elmira -- no easy task -- and the Cadets are regular-season champs and top tournament seeds. The NEHC opens its tournament earlier than the other three New England leagues (with quarterfinal games on Feb. 18) and Norwich, whether it finishes first or second, will bring some swagger with it.
3. TRINITY
Previous ranking: No. 6
Next game: Friday at Colby (7 p.m.)
The Bantams had to scratch and claw for their six points against Williams and Middlebury over the weekend, but they did. Jax Murray's overtime goal to beat Middlebury on Saturday, 2-1, earned coach Matt Greason his 200th career win and lifted the surging Bantams -- who are riding an 11-game unbeaten streak -- into first place in the league with two weekends to go.
4. CURRY
Conference:Â Commonwealth Coast |Â Record: 16-4-1 (12-4-1 CCC)
Previous ranking: No. 3
Next game: Friday vs. Wentworth (7 p.m.)
The Colonels might be feeling they deserved more than they got during this current 1-2-1 stretch, one that featured one-goal losses to Endicott and UNE, and a 2-2 tie with Endicott. Clearly, they can play with anyone in New England, in their league or beyond. The weekend's bright spot was a 4-3 overtime win against Salve Regina, one capped when freshman Gage Dill scored his second goals of the game just 15 seconds into OT, one-timing a pass from Mark Zhukov.
5. PLYMOUTH STATE
Previous ranking: No. 8
Next game: Saturday vs. Worcester State (6 p.m.)
The Panthers rebounded from a rare league test (Niks Krollis scored in the final seconds of overtime for a 3-2 win at Fitchburg State on Jan. 28) to steamroll their next two opponents by a 13-1 combined score, a stretch that saw senior Myles Abbate (Norwell, Mass.) record his 100th career point. They've clinched first place in their league with two weekends to go and only two teams nationally -- Utica and Adrian -- are scoring at a higher clip than their 4.77 a game.
6. UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND
Previous ranking: No. 9
Next game: Friday at Endicott (7 p.m.)
The Nor’easters' sixth straight win was a critical one on Saturday, 3-2 over Curry that allowed them to join the Colonels in a tie for second place. Ryan Kuzmich (Norton, Mass.), Logan DiScanio and Anthony Sciucco (Winchester, Mass.) all scored second-period goals, and goalie Billy Girard IV made the lead stand up. The top two finishers get a first-round bye and semifinal home ice in the CCC tournament, which begins Feb. 22, so UNE wants to finish strong.
7. AMHERST
Conference:Â NESCAC |Â Record: 12-4-3 (11-2-1 NESCAC)
Previous ranking: N0. 5
Next game: Friday vs. Tufts (7 p.m.)
The Mammoths got taken to overtime on home ice by both Bowdoin and Colby over the weekend. When the ice settled, they'd given up just two goals all weekend and skated off with a tie and a win that kept them right in the title mix. Alex Wisco and Dan Dachille split the goaltending duties, each stopping 24 of the 25 shots they faced.
8. WESLEYAN
Conference:Â NESCAC |Â Record: 13-5-2 (10-3-2 NESCAC)
Previous ranking: No. 4
Next game: Friday at Bowdoin (7 p.m.)
The Cardinals got back on the winning track, dispatching Middlebury (5-2) and Williams (4-2) on home ice to snap a three-game losing streak. Colin Cobb (Ridgefield, Conn.) was the playmaker, assisting on two goals both nights. The senior forward out of Kent School leads the NESCAC in both assists (16) and plus/minus (plus-16).
9. BABSON
Previous ranking: No. 7
Next game: Saturday vs. Southern Maine (4 p.m.)
The Beavers have gotten a solid season in goal from first-year starter Nolan Hildebrand (1.68 GAA, .939 save percentage) and are defending pretty well, but just aren't producing goals against the top teams. In four games against the two teams above them in the standings -- Hobart and Norwich -- they've scored a total of four times, losing three times and tying once. There's a good chance they'll get another shot at one of the powers in the conference semifinals, but one goal almost certainly won't be enough.
10. UMASS BOSTON
Previous ranking:Â NR
Next game: Friday vs. Skidmore (7 p.m.)
Once again, we had to comb through a lot of resumes to select the team to close out our Top 10 and here's the case for UMass Boston: Mired at 2-8 after a lost Thanksgiving weekend at Colby and Bowdoin (producing not a single goal), the Beacons have won nine of their last 13 and, aside from a weekend trip to Elmira and Hobart, looked pretty good doing it. They'll need to sweep their final weekend and get some help to finish in the top four, but there's no reason to think UMB can't ultimately push into the conference semis and get another crack at a big dog.
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