The Oswego State men’s ice hockey team earned the No. 3 ranking in the East Region in the first NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Regional rankings of the 2012-13 season that were released Tuesday afternoon. The Lakers, who have an overall record of 20-3-0, were one of two SUNYAC schools to be placed on the list as Plattsburgh was ranked 14th. The remaining top five schools included Utica at No. 1, Norwich at No. 2, Hobart at No. 4, and Bowdoin at No. 5.
Used to determine both NCAA tournament bids and seedings, the rankings are the first of three that will be issued publicly, with releases also scheduled for February 19 and 26.
The Lakers remained at No. 2 in the USCHO.com Division III poll and moved up to No. 4 in the D3hockey.com poll this week after sweeping Buffalo State and Fredonia.
In the USCHO.com poll, the Lakers received 268 votes behind Norwich, which garnered all 20 first-place votes. Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Bowdoin, and St. Norbert round out the top five.
Norwich also stayed in the top spot of the D3hockey.com poll with 297 votes and 17 first-place votes. Utica moved into the second spot with 275 votes and three first-place votes. UW-Eau Claire is in third followed by Oswego State. Hobart rounds out the top five.
Other SUNYAC teams listed in the poll include Plattsburgh, which stayed at ninth in the USCHO.com poll and climbed to tenth in the D3hockey.com poll, and Geneseo, which dropped out of the both polls, received 12 and four votes in the USCHO.com D3hockey.com polls, respectively.
Oswego State (20-3-0, 13-1-0 SUNYAC) wraps up the regular season at Potsdam on Friday and Plattsburgh on Saturday.
