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Boston College charged to the end of the 2009 portion of the schedule with five consecutive wins, no losses in seven games (6-0-1), and only one in 10 (8-1-1). With two wins this week, over Hardvard and Providence, the Eagles are now the highest rated Hockey East team at #5, up five spots from last week. UMass-Lowell, the poll’s previous HEA leader, fell five spots from nine to 14 with a weekend split with Princeton. Miami remained #1, but tightened their grip with 48 of 50 first place votes while second place Denver got the other votes. Colorado College is third, up three spots, followed by Cornell, up one. Hockey East continues to clog the second half of the poll as UMass follows the River Hawks at 15 and UNH is right behind them at 16.

First Half Over…Almost

The first half is just about over as only five games will be played this week, and only one with Hockey East ties as Vermont and Dartmouth with tangle. The schedule will pick up on December 29 with Holiday Tournaments. The rest of the action last week saw UNH beat Providence, Maine beat Northeastern, and UMass topped Merrimack in conference. Vermont beat St. Lawrence and Rensselaer dropped Boston University in two HEA-ECAC battles. BU and Northeastern continue their disappointing seasons, following last year’s success.

Nearing the halfway point in conference play, UNH is the leader with 18 points (8-2-2) followed by BC with 16 (7-3-2) and surprising Maine is three off the lead with 15 points (7-4-1). There is a little separation at fourth where UMass sits with 12 points (6-4-0) and UMass-Lowell right behind them with 11 (5-4-1) to round out the top half. Vermont has 10 points (4-5-2) and Northeastern is one behind them (4-7-1) and one up on Merrimack (4-6-0). BU, with six points (2-7-2), and Providence, at five (2-7-1), would miss the playoffs if they started today.

Tags: Boston College, Boston University, College Hockey, Maine, Merrimack College, Northeastern University, Providence College, UMass, UMass-Lowell, University of New Hampshire, Vermont