Michigan hockey climbs to No. 6 in latest polls

Over the weekend, Michigan hockey took down No. 6 Penn State in both games of a two-game home series at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, MI. Since the Wolverines’ incredible weekend, Michigan has overtaken the Nittany Lions as the 6th-ranked team in the nation.

Michigan hockey jumps one spot in latest poll

Throughout the 2022-23 hockey season, the Penn State Nittany Lions were yet to lose back-to-back games until they made the trip to Ann Arbor, MI. Over the weekend, we saw Michigan hockey defeat Penn State in two very different ways.

Last Friday night, the Wolverines belittled the Nittany Lions en route to a four-goal victory — it was a 7-2 game before Penn State buried a garbage time goal to make the final score 7-3. The night after, despite Penn State taking a 3-0 lead more than halfway through game two, Michigan hockey pulled off a miraculous comeback and swept Penn State with an astounding 5-4 victory.

The series sweep was much-needed for Michigan hockey, who overtook Penn State as the No. 6 team in the nation after winning back-to-back games. Additionally, the Nittany Lions dropped three places in the polls to No. 9; however, they remain in the top 10.

What’s next for Michigan hockey?

The Wolverines are slated to face an unranked Wisconsin team at Yost this weekend — Michigan and Wisconsin split their first season series in Maddison. Another pair of wins this year would improve the Wolverines’ record to 18-9-1 on the season.

Michigan still has unranked Notre Dame, a top-20 Michigan State team, and a top-10 Ohio State team on the schedule, so the season does not get much easier from here. That said, after game one of the Ohio State series, the Wolverines turned the corner and could be gearing up for a big tournament run.

The Wolverines’ resume could indicate a 1-seed in the NCAA tournament, though there is still a lot of season left (including the Big Ten tournament) to play. For the time being, the Wolverines must take this season one weekend at a time; however, from a fan’s perspective, the season is getting exciting, and Michigan hockey is in an excellent position for success the rest of the way.

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