Aaron Pionk races for a loose puck in UMD’s win over Bemidji State. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 19 in this week’s USA Hockey poll. PHOTO COURTESY OF UMD ATHLETICS/BRENT CIZEKGophers rebound after rough showing on Friday night
The Minnesota Gophers rebounded from a 5-2 loss last Friday in which they were heavily outshot with an impressive 5-1 win on Saturday over North Dakota in one of college hockey’s best rivalries.
In Friday’s tilt, the Fighting Hawks outshot the Gophers 32-15, scoring four unanswered goals after the Gophers led 2-1 on goals by Tanner Ludtke and Mason Moe.
On Saturday they turned the tables and scored four unanswered goals themselves to break a 1-1 tie. Ludtke scored to give the Gophers a 1-0 lead and then after Keaton Verhoeff tied it for the Hawks, the Gophers got goals from Max Rud, Leo Gruba, Brody Lamb and an empty netter from L.J. Mooney. Lamb added a pair of assists. 
The Gophers managed just 21 shots on goal and finished with just 36 for the weekend. North Dakota had 24 shots with Luca Di Pasquo getting the win with 23 saves.
North Dakota stayed at No. 8 in the USA Hockey poll.
Michigan State jumped from No. 4 to No. 1 after beating No. 1 Boston University 4-2 and 4-3 in OT. Boston U dropped to No. 4 and Western Michigan and the University of Michigan stayed at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
UMD jumped into the Top 20 at No. 19. and improved to 5-1 with a pair of victories over Bemidji State (7-3, 5-1). Zam and Max Plante each had two goals and two assists and Jayson Shaugubay added a goal and three assists to lead the Bulldogs on Friday. Shaugabay added two goals and an assist in Saturday’s 5-1 win, and Zam Plante had a goal and an assist. Max Plante added two assists. Max Plante and Shaugabay are amongst the leaders in NCAA with 12 points each. Zam Plante has 10 points in six games.
Minnesota State University dropped one spot to No. 20 after a pair of ties with No. 17 Wisconsin. The Badgers jumped to No. 16.
USA Hockey
2025-26 Men’s College Hockey Poll – Week Four
(First-place votes in parentheses)
| Rank | School | Last Week’s Rank | 2025-26 | Weeks in Top 20 |
| 1. | Michigan State University, 659 (17) | 4 | 3-1-0 | 4 |
| 2. | Western Michigan University, 634 (5) | 2 | 3-1-0 | 4 |
| 3. | University of Michigan, 624 (12) | 3 | 6-0-0 | 4 |
| 4. | Boston University, 575 | 1 | 2-2-1 | 4 |
| 5. | Penn State University, 528 | 6 | 5-1-0 | 4 |
| 6. | Quinnipiac University, 491 | 10 | 3-1-1 | 4 |
| 7. | University of Denver, 471 | 5 | 2-1-1 | 4 |
| 8. | University of North Dakota, 442 | 8 | 3-1-0 | 4 |
| 9. | Boston College, 422 | 9 | 2-1-1 | 4 |
| 10. | University of Maine, 358 | 7 | 2-1-1 | 4 |
| 11. | University of Connecticut, 283 | 12 | 2-2-0 | 4 |
| 12. | University of Minnesota, 268 | 14 | 2-3-1 | 4 |
| 13. | University of Massachusetts, 267 | 11 | 4-1-0 | 4 |
| 14. | Providence College, 218 | 13 | 1-2-0 | 4 |
| 15. | Ohio State University, 212 | 15 | 3-1-0 | 4 |
| 16. | University of Wisconsin, 161 | 17 | 2-0-2 | 4 |
| 17. | Colorado College, 110 | 20 | 5-1-0 | 2 |
| 18. | Cornell University, 109 | 18 | 0-0-0 | 4 |
| 19. | University of Minnesota Duluth, 98 | RV | 5-1-0 | 1 |
| 20. | Minnesota State University, 75 | 19 | 1-1-2 | 4 |
Others Receiving Votes: Union College, 44; Augustana University, 35; Arizona State University, 16; Miami University, 15; Northeastern University, 12; Canisius University, 8; Harvard University, 3; Clarkson University, 1; St. Cloud State University, 1.
Top 20 Matchups
(All times listed in local time zone)
| Date | Matchup | Time | TV/Stream |
| Thurs., Oct. 23 | No. 2 Western Michigan at No. 3 Michigan | 7:00 p.m. ET | BTN |
| Fri., Oct. 24 | No. 19 Minnesota Duluth at No. 12 Minnesota | 7:00 p.m. CT | B1G+ |
| No. 11 UConn at No. 4 Boston University | 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+ | |
| No. 7 Denver at No. 9 Boston College | 7:00 p.m. CT | ESPN+ | |
| No. 3 Michigan at No. 2 Western Michigan | 7:00 p.m. ET | NCHC.tv | |
| Sat., Oct. 25 | No. 19 Minnesota Duluth at No. 12 Minnesota | 7:00 p.m. CT | B1G+ |
| No. 4 Boston University at No. 11 UConn | 5:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+ |
Notes: The Big Ten and Hockey East each have six teams in the rankings, while the NCHC has five. ECAC Hockey has two and the CCHA has one… Team records are listed as W-L-T.
About the Poll: The 31st annual USA Hockey Men’s College Hockey Poll is conducted each week in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association. The poll includes input from coaches and journalists representing each of the six NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the AHCA and USA Hockey.
