October 19, 2026 USCHO Top Ten Poll Breakdown

Week three of the 2026-27 NCAA Season saw some high profile matchups with outcomes that shook up the USCHO Poll. Let's see how the rankings look!

Michigan avenged their Frozen Four defeat against Denver twice over, sweeping the Pioneers this weekend. Friday was a 4-1 decision while Saturday ended in a 4-3 Wolverines' win. Michael Hage, Nick Moldenhauer, Jayden Perron and Drew Schock all had multipoint performances between the two contests. In-state rival Western Michigan is the next opponent coming to Yost with puck drop at 7pm ET on Friday.

Michigan State only played one game this weekend, but the intensity it contain was enough for two. Eleven players received misconducts, helping to contribute to the 161 combined penalty minutes on the night. Anthony Romani's 3 points (1 goal + 2 assists) propelled the Spartans rolled to a 5-1 win over RIT. The University of New Hampshire hosts Michigan State for a pair of outings starting Friday at 6pm CT. 

It was the Caleb Heil show in Grand Forks and he did not disappoint between the pipes. Heil, a Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, stopped all 29 shots on the weekend. According Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald, North Dakota believes he is the first freshman in program history to start his collegiate career with back to back shutouts. The Fighting Hawks beat Bentley 5-0 in both games, and meet archival Minnesota twice in the State of Hockey for their next two matchups.

Denver came up a goal short from a series split with Michigan. Unfortunately, a late goal on Saturday gave the Wolverines a sweep. Surprisingly, undefeated sophomore goaltender Johnny Hicks did not start either game. Perhaps he will get the nod as the Pioneers host the struggling Boston College Eagles coming up.

Western Michigan cruised through South Bend as the Broncos took care of business against the Fighting Irish. Joona Väisänen and William Whitelaw both dished out three assists while Quentin Miller allowed just one goal on 36 shots combined. The Broncos next clash is in Ann Arbor against the new No. 1 Michigan Wolverines. Wisconsin travels to Lawson for an exhibition game the following evening.

The Badgers did not play this past weekend. Their next matchup is an exhibition one in Kalamazoo with Western Michigan Saturday at 5pm CT. Notre Dame heads to Madison on October 30th for the Badgers' next regular season game.

Providence weathered the storm in Schenectady, rallying to beat Union College in overtime. The Friars trailed to start the third period before Jonathan Fauchon put home an equalizer, pushing the game to an extra frame. Co-captain Graham Gamache tallied his second NCAA overtime marker, pushing Providence over the finish line. UMass–Lowell dances with Providence in a home and home upcoming this week

Quinnipiac sailed smoothly through Happy Valley, dispatching Penn State 6-3 on Friday. The Bobcats spread out the offense with each goal being scored by a different guy. Ethan Wyttenbach was one of those aforementioned players and he added two assists to his name. Army heads to Hamden for Quinnipiac's lone game of the week.

Minnesota–Duluth extended their unbeaten streak to four against Minnesota with Friday's 7-1 victory and Saturday's shootout tie. Three Bulldogs scored two goals against the Gophers. The Bulldogs will look to continue that momentum going into a home and home against Bemidji State starting Friday. 

The Big Green beat Division III Norwich University 4-2 in an exhibition game Saturday night. Dartmouth's first regular season outing is against Alaska–Fairbanks on Halloween.