ANGOLA, Ind. -- The Trine University men's hockey team came in just shy of the Top-15 in the latest USCHO.com NCAA Division III national poll, finishing first among teams receiving votes by a wide margin.
The Thunder received a program high 26 points in the latest edition of the poll which was release yesterday. The team was just three points behind No. 15 Curry College with the next highest vote getter being SUNY Brockport with 10 points. Three other members of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) are currently ranked in the poll. Adrian College is the unanimous top-ranked team with St. Norbert College coming in eighth and Aurora University in 13th.
Trine is currently riding a 7-1 streak, with their lone loss during that stretch coming against Aurora. Last night the Thunder picked up another NCHA victory over visiting Finlandia University by the score of 6-4.
The team also finds itself eighth in the USCHO.com PairWise Ranking a statistical tool designed to approximate the process by which the NCAA selection committee decides which teams get at-large bids to the NCAA tournament. Although the NCAA selection committee does not use these rankings as presented by USCHO.com, the PairWise Rankings have been accurate in predicting which teams will make the tournament field. The Thunder continue to boast the second highest placement in the rankings, behind only top-ranked Adrian.
Trine is set to face off with Finlandia again this evening finishing off the season series. The game is scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m.