After several years of 1st time D1 champions, mostly from smaller schools (Yale, Union, Providence), order was restored last year when North Dakota Whatevers defeated Quinnipiac for the men's title.
This year, through mid-November, it looks like another run of traditional powers, with a top 4 in USCHO of Denver, Duluth, BC, and Quinnipiac. I guess it is time to acknowledge QU as a consistent, if recent, add to the major powers. The next 4 also has a familiar ring, with BU, Lowell, NoDak, and Minnesota, followed by Notre Dame and Penn State. Only the last one sounds like a "huh?" Harvard's loss to QU dropped them to #11.
I went to the Cornell at Yale game Saturday, a 6-3 Cornell victory. Yale took the play to Cornell for long stretches, especially with a lot of penalties, but some strong goal tending never let Yale get closer than 4-3. Biggest disappointment so far this season for Yale has to be the drop off in defense and goal tending. Spano had had some very good results over the past 3 years as Alex Lyons's back up, but in two conference weekends, he's given up 18 goals. Allain pulled him after 5 goals on 21 shots over the first two periods, but Yale could not get the offense going again in the 3d. My guess is that Yale will look to try a sophomore or freshman in goal next, thinking longer term. It probably doesn't help that the defense is mostly sophomores and freshmen, too.
