January 25, 2017
Salt Lake City, UT
Thanks to their weekend sweep over Arizona last weekend, the University of Utah Skatin’ Utes are back in the Top 25 Rankings in Division I of the ACHA.
The Utes are now at number 22 in the polls, the highest that the team has ever been in the computer rankings. As it stands right now, the Utes are just three spots away from being in the field for Nationals, with the top 20 and auto bids making it to the tournament in March.
Minot State continues to hold on to the top spot in the polls with an 18-1-1 D1 record. As for Utah’s remaining D1 opponents, Jamestown sits at #9, Iowa State is right behind them at #10, and Colorado State is #19 in the rankings.
That #19 ranking is important, because that is the last spot at Nationals as it stands right now.
Drexel, who is currently ranked well outside the top 25, claimed the first auto-bid to Nationals over the weekend by winning the ECHA regular season title, punching their ticket to Columbus. It looks like the winner of the CHMA will also finish outside the top 25 as well, which means the Utes will need to climb into the top 19 if they want to make it to Nationals. Jamestown is currently in the Nationals field, but is not eligible to compete at Nationals in their first season in the ACHA.
Standing between the Utes and that final spot are just three teams – #19 CSU, #20 Rochester College, and #21 Arizona. With Utah’s remaining schedule all coming against ranked teams ahead of them, a couple of wins could be enough to catapult them into the field.
The Utes play their final D2 games of the season this weekend as they look to defend their back to back titles in the 3rd Annual Wasatch Cup in Provo. Utah plays Weber State in the semifinals on Friday.
