Spartans Reclaim No. 1 Hockey Ranking

Michigan State Returns to No. 1

The Spartans began the season ranked No. 3 and ascended to the No. 1 ranking in late October, earning 29 first-place votes with a 3-1-0 start and further establishing their hold on the position throughout the early stages of the season. Michigan State held the No. 1 ranking for five weeks before being on the wrong end of a weekend sweep against Wisconsin around Thanksgiving.

Aside from a loss to Michigan, MSU quickly built itself back up. Yet, just as it was within striking distance of the No. 1 ranking, Michigan State dropped another game to Ohio State, which, in hindsight, served as a wake-up call. The Spartans have won seven of their last eight games since that day, and easily could have been on an eight-game winning streak had it not been for an inexplicable third-period collapse that led to an overtime loss against Michigan on Friday night.

Still, MSU was able to re-establish itself as the top team in the Big Ten with Saturday's victory. Most seemed to believe the top of the poll would stay the same, but the Spartans did enough to change some minds.

The Spartans Against the Rest of the Poll

Another factor the Spartans have in their favor is their head-to-head record against teams that have been in the poll, particularly those that were among the top five when they played MSU.Michigan State is an impressive 10-5-1 in such meetings, including 4-2 against teams that have also been ranked No.1.

They've also gone 4-0 against No. 6 Penn State and responded to the Wisconsin sweep with one of their own.

Obviously, after earning top regional seeds and winning back-to-back Big Ten regular-season and tournament championships, Michigan State's ultimate goal is much higher this season. But returning to the No. 1 ranking and putting its fate in its own control is a step in the right direction after a little bit of a midseason slip.