Badgers Men's Hockey Rises In Latest USHCO Rankings

The Wisconsin Badgers are on a tear heading into their home set with Lindenwood on Friday.

The Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey team made a sharp rise in this week’s USHCO Division I men’s poll, released on Monday.

The Badgers (18-4-0) moved up from No. 5 to No. 2 on the strength of a weekend two-game sweep of Notre Dame.

The Badgers also received five first-place votes from the voters. Boston College, which was No. 1, received 37 first-place votes. No. 2 Boston University received five and Maine, which came in No. 7, received two.

The Badgers are on a nine-game winning streak, dating back to a 5-0 win over Alaska Anchorage on Nov. 25. Before that the Badgers hit a rough patch, as they lost three straight after a 9-1 start to the season. They lost a pair to Michigan State and then the first game of their set with Alaska Anchorage before getting back on a tear.

Thanks to their two-game sweep of Notre Dame, the Badgers extended their lead in the Big Ten standings to five points over Michigan State. The Badgers have 30 points. Their only two league losses have been to the Spartans.

Last week Wisconsin goaltender Kyle McClellan was named the HCA Goaltender of the Month for December and Badgers freshman Quinn Finley helped Team USA win the gold medal in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.

The Badgers take a break from Big Ten action this weekend when they host Lindenwood on Friday and Saturday at the Kohl Center. Game time is set for 7 p.m. each night.

USCHO Division I Men's Poll - January 8, 2024

(first-place votes in parenthesis)

1. Boston College (37)

2. Boston University (6)

3. Wisconsin (5)

4. North Dakota

5. Quinnipiac

6. Denver

7. Maine

8. Michigan State

9. Providence

10. Western Michigan

11. Arizona State

12. Minnesota

13. Massachusetts

14. St. Cloud

15. Michigan

16. New Hampshire

17. Colorado College

18. Cornell

19. RIT

20. Penn State