Bowling Green Isn't Ready to Yield Anything in CCHA, Rankings: Puck Drop
There was little movement in this week's college hockey rankings as just one team dropped out of the men's top 10 from a week ago, and no women's team fell down from that point. Overall, in the two major men's polls of the top 20 only one team, in one poll, moved up after not being ranked last week.
It's one to keep an eye on, Bowling Green, No. 20 in the USA Hockey Men's Poll and the top team in the also receiving votes listing in the USCHO poll. Making a late charge for the NCAA Tournament, the Falcons are No. 19 in the National Collegiate Percentage (NPI) Index that will be used to select at-large teams.
Since the calendar flipped to 2026, Bowling Green's been in a lot of tight games, and more often than not has found a way to either notch points if not the outright win. Although the last two weekend series against ranked St. Thomas and Augustana resulted in splits, the Falcons have clawed their way back into the CCHA mix.
Bowling Green is fourth in the standings, but is very much alive for the regular-season title. The Falcons have 43 points in 22 games played, while league-leading Michigan Tech has 48 and played two more games. The two extra games are at home this weekend against Minnesota State. It then visits Michigan Tech to close the regular season.
However, St. Thomas can finish first if it wins out, as the Tommies have 47 points in 22 games. They host Augustana this weekend, and then visit Bemidji State.
The guess here is that there's going to be a lot of scoreboard watching going on during the next two weekends.
As for rankings, we'll start with the top 20 in NPI. We do this to provide comparisons and help readers have a clear idea of where various teams stand in regards to making the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
National Collegiate Percentage (NPI) Index
1. Michigan State
2. Michigan
3. North Dakota
4. Western Michigan
5. Quinnipiac
6. Penn State
7. Providence
8. Denver
9. Minnesota Duluth
10. Connecticut
11. Cornell
12. Boston College
13. Wisconsin
14. Dartmouth
15. St. Thomas
16. Michigan Tech
17. Minnesota State
18. Augustana
19. Massachusetts
20. Miami
Now we turn our attention to the polls.
Made biggest jump: Boston College, up two sports from No. 14 to. 12. We're assuming this from winning Beanpot. Of course it lost to Vermont in the middle of the tournament and then split a series at Merrimack.
Had biggest fall: Cornell and Dartmouth both fell two spots. The Big Red went from No. 9 to 11 after losing in a shootout at RPI, and at Union. The Big Green dropped from No. 12 to No. 14 after topping Yale in a shootout and losing at Brown.
Most underrated ranked team per NPI: Dartmouth. NPI has it at No. 11.
Most overrated ranked team per NPI: Four teams are tied as the polls have them two spots higher than NPI, Connecticut, Boston College, Wisconsin and Michigan Tech.
USCHO Men's Poll
February 16, 2026
Rank | Team | Record | Points (1st) | Prv. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Michigan State | 22-6 | 986 (37) | 1 |
2 | Michigan | 24-5-1 | 954 (10) | 2 |
3 | North Dakota | 23-7 | 8767 | 3 |
4 | Western Michigan | 22-8 | 842 | 4 |
5 | Quinnipiac | 24-5-3 | 799 (3) | 5 |
6 | Penn State | 18-9-1 | 724 | 6 |
7 | Providence | 19-8-2 | 693 | 7 |
8 | Denver | 19-11-3 | 680 | 8 |
9 | Minnesota Duluth | 18-12 | 575 | 10 |
10 | Connecticut | 17-7-4 | 538 | 11 |
11 | Cornell | 17-7-1 | 493 | 9 |
12 | Boston College | 17-10-1 | 415 | 14 |
13 | Wisconsin | 18-10-2 | 415 | 13 |
14 | Dartmouth | 17-7-2 | 381 | 12 |
15 | St. Thomas | 18-9-3 | 329 | 15 |
16 | Michigan Tech | 21-10-3 | 203 | 17 |
17 | Minnesota State | 16-9-5 | 193 | 16 |
18 | Augustana | 19-10-3 | 154 | 18 |
19 | Massachusetts | 17-11 | 123 | 19 |
20 | Miami | 17-11-2 | 61 | 20 |
Others receiving votes: Bowling Green 30, Maine 21, St. Cloud State 13, Bentley 9, Colorado College 1, Harvard 1, Merrimack 1, Union 1
USA Hockey Men's Poll
February 16, 2026
Rank | Team | Points (1st) | Prv. |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Michigan State | 669 (25) | 1 |
2 | Michigan | 650 (7) | 2 |
3 | North Dakota | 605 | 3 |
4 | Western Michigan | 573 | 4 |
5 | Quinnipiac | 549 (2) | 5 |
6 | Penn State | 485 | 7 |
7 | Providence | 470 | 6 |
8 | Denver | 460 | 8 |
9 | Minnesota Duluth | 405 | 9 |
10 | Cornell | 366 | 10 |
11 | Connecticut | 348 | 11 |
12 | Dartmouth | 393 | 13 |
13 | Boston College | 261 | 14 |
14 | Wisconsin | 260 | 12 |
15 | St. Thomas | 227 | 15 |
16 | Michigan Tech | 137 | 17 |
17 | Minnesota State | 125 | 16 |
18 | Augustana | 111 | 18 |
19 | Massachusetts | 74 | 19 |
20 | Bowling Green | 29 | NR |
Others Receiving Votes: Miami 18; Maine 16; St. Cloud State 7; Bentley 1; Harvard 1.
USCHO Women's Poll
February 16, 2026
Rank | Team | Record | Points (1st) | Prv. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Wisconsin | 27-3-2 | 298 (18) | 1 |
2 | Ohio State | 28-4 | 282 (2) | 2 |
3 | Minnesota | 24-7-1 | 260 | 3 |
4 | Penn State | 29-5 | 240 | 4 |
5 | Northeastern | 24-7-1 | 212 | 5 |
6 | Connecticut | 23-7-2 | 199 | 6 |
7 | Quinnipiac | 24-7-3 | 178 | 7 |
8 | Yale | 22-8 | 157 | 9 |
9 | Princeton | 21-8 | 144 | 8 |
10 | Minnesota Duluth | 17-12-3 | 124 | 10 |
11 | Cornell | 18-10-2 | 102 | 11 |
12 | Clarkson | 20-11-3 | 80 | 12 |
13 | Mercyhurst | 21-10-3 | 47 | 13 |
14 | Colgate | 18-14-2 | 35 | 15 |
15 | Minnesota State | 13-17-2 | 17 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Holy Cross 13, St. Thomas 6, St. Cloud State 5, Brown 1
USA Hockey Women's Poll
February 10, 2026 (Will be updated with release of new rankings Tuesday)
Rank | Team | Points (1st) | Prv. |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Wisconsin | 277 (11) | 1 |
2 | Ohio State | 274 (8) | 2 |
3 | Minnesota | 247 | 3 |
4 | Penn State | 228 | 4 |
5 | Northeastern | 208 | 5 |
6 | Connecticut | 170 | 8 |
7 | Quinnipiac | 167 | T6 |
8 | Princeton | 155 | T6 |
9 | Yale | 133 | 9 |
10 | Minnesota Duluth | 131 | 10 |
11 | Cornell | 94 | 12 |
12 | Clarkson | 66 | 11 |
13 | Mercyhurst | 42 | 14 |
14 | Colgate | 21 | NR |
15 | Holy Cross | 18 | 13 |
Also receiving votes: Minnesota State 16; Harvard 11; St. Thomas, 9; Brown 8; St. Cloud State 5.
SEE ALSO: Last week's college hockey rankings
Puck Drop: Tuesday, February 17, 2026
• Former Western Michigan goaltender Brandon Bussi to a three-year contract extension that will pay him an average annual salary of $1.9 million. The Carolina Hurricanes acquired him on waivers from the Florida Panthers on October 5, 2025, and since then he's gone 23-3-1 with a 2.16 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. The 27-year-old made history as the fastest goalie in NHL history to record 10 and 20 wins.
• The Hurricanes also announced their foundation will a $10,000 donation to theAutism Society of North Carolina. Bussi’s younger brother, Dylan, has autism, and his goalie mask is a tribute meant to raise awareness.
• Sports Business Journal articulated how women's hockey is leading the link between Olympic sports and collegiate athletics. Women’s Sports Foundation CEO Danette Leighton: “College athletics in the U.S. is one of the most powerful Olympic training systems in the world. It consistently builds the pipeline. It prepares athletes not just to compete, but to win on the global stage. When you watchTeam USA, you’re often watching the results of years of the collegiate system at work and the power of Title IX as it relates to women’s sports.” The sport went from having no players from NCAA programs in 1998 when it launched in the Olympics, with the sanctioning of the sport in 2000. In the Milan Cortina Games, 117 players have NCAA backgrounds representing more than 50 percent of the field. Among the teams that made the playoff round, 61 percent of the athletes came from collegiate programs, and they scored 68 percent of the goals in pool play."
• St. Thomas has announced that it will begin selling beer at Lee and Penny Anderson Arena starting on Friday instead of in just premium areas.
College Hockey Monday Scores
No Games Scheduled
Games between ranked opponents are bolded. All times are local to where the game is being played.
College Hockey Tuesday Schedule
No Games Scheduled
1️⃣ Video 🎞️
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) February 17, 2026
3️⃣ Free Birds 🦅#OlympiansMadeHere #NCAAHockey x 🎥 NBC / @NBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/EshQMHMUso
Olympics Hockey Update:
• Former Northeastern goaltender Aerin Frankel stopped 21 shots for her third shutout as the U.S. Women's National Team blanked Sweden 5-0 to advance to the Gold Medal Game on Wednesday. Cayla Barnes (Boston College/Ohio State) opened the scoring, but the U.S. took control during a dominating almost 3-minute stretch in the second period when Abbey Murphy (Minnesota, active), Kendall Coyne Schofield (Northeastern), and Hayley Scamurra (Northeastern) scored on consecutive shots. Taylor Heise (Minnesota) scored the final goal. Team USA has outscored opponents, 31-1 through six games. Not only has it not trailed, but hasn't conceded a goal in its last 331:23 minutes of play. For more, check out SI.com.
• Team Canada captain and former Boston University standout Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice to set the Olympic record of 20 career goals in five Olympic appearances (previously held by Hayley Wickenheiser, 18), to lead a 2-1 victory over Switzerland. Former Maine forward Rahel Enzler scored for Switzerland, while goaltender Andrea Braendli, coming off a 40-save 1-0 quarterfinal win over Finland, stopped 44 shots.
MARIE-PHILIP POULIN MAKES HISTORY‼️🏒
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) February 17, 2026
The former @TerrierWHockey star has broken the all-time Olympic record for most goals in women's hockey with NINETEEN after scoring two today for @HockeyCanada!#OlympiansMadeHere #NCAAHockeypic.twitter.com/Qu2QeyyqFt
• With Team USA advancing to the Gold Medal Game, Hilary Knight is already guaranteed to win her fifth career Olympic medal, tying the record among hockey players.
• The French Ice Hockey Federation has banned defenseman Pierre Crinon from participating in the rest of the 2026 Winter Olympics due to his behavior after fighting Team Canada's Tom Wilson. The fight occurred after Crinon elbowed Nathan McKinnon. Team Canada quickly scored on the power play, but then Wilson gave Crinon a hard check behind the French net.
• The U.S. men's team had the day off. A number of players went to the U.S.-Sweden women's semifinal.
Olympics Hockey Scores, Schedule
Monday's Scores
WOMEN
Semifinals
United States 5, Sweden 0
Canada 2, Switzerland 1
Tuesday's Schedule
MEN
Qualification Playoff: Germany vs France, 6:10 a.m. ET
Qualification Playoff : Switzerland vs. Italy, 6:10 a.m.
Qualification Playoff: Czechia vs. Denmark, 10:40 a.m.
Qualification Playoff: Sweden vs. Latvia, 3:10 p.m.
Wednesday's Schedule
MEN
Quarterfinal: Slovakia vs. winner of Germany-France, 6:10 a.m. ET
Quarterfinal: Canada vs. winner of Czechia vs. Denmark, 10:40 a.m.
Quarterfinal: Finland vs winner of Switzerland-Italy, 12:10 p.m.
Quarterfinal: Team USA vs. inner of Sweden-Latvia, 3:10 p.m.
Thursday's Schedule
WOMEN
Bronze Medal Game
Sweden vs. Switzerland, 8:40 a.m. ET
Gold Medal Game
United State vs. Canada. 1:10 p.m.
Hockey Quote of the Day
"Joe [Mullen] was like a vagabond. I'm not surprised he's made the NHL. He had such determination. If Joe knew he could get ice time somewhere on his own, he'd go as far as he had to go. The Westsiders [boys' team] couldn't afford ice, so we'd practice on roller skates."Youth hockey coach Tom Horvath
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We'll Leave You With This ...
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— FanDuel (@FanDuel) February 16, 2026
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INSANE. pic.twitter.com/czcfXSWRbr
Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of Alabama Crimson Tide On SI, which first published as BamaCentral in 2018, and is also the publisher of the Boston College, Missouri and Vanderbilt sites . He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004 and is the author of 27 books including “100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die” and “Nick Saban vs. College Football.” He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.
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