With only four of the top 15 teams in action over this past week, there was understandably very little change among the nation’s elite in the last Division III poll of 2008.
Slots one through five remained unchanged as, for the fourth consecutive poll, the Plattsburgh Cardinals were judged the nation’s best team.
Thanks to a thorough 5-1 victory over Finlandia by second ranked University of Wisconsin-Superior, however, the Yellow Jackets siphoned off another first place tally, leaving the margin at 16-4 instead of the 17-3 split from previous polls.
Like the Cardinals, Middlebury, St. Norbert, and Elmira — teams three, four, and five — were all idle.
Though UW-Stout, too, didn’t play this past week, it moved up one slot to sixth. Similarly, St. Scholastica — one of last week’s biggest risers — jumped up another two spots to seventh.
The honor for biggest ascension this week, however, goes to Hobart. The Statesmen’s 6-3 trouncing of then-sixth ranked Oswego propelled them up three spots to No. 8. Six different players scored goals in the game for Hobart, who is now 10-4 on the season.
Idle Adrian slipped a slot to ninth while Hamline remained at No. 10. Based on their non-conference defeat, the Lakers fell precipitously from sixth to No. 11.
Norwich, 2-2-2 so far in their abbreviated campaign, remained at No. 12 while the Polar Bears from Bowdoin rose two spots to No. 15. Rounding out the poll, Manhattanville remained at No. 14 while newcomer Geneseo took the final slot.
After being doubled up 6-3 in a big upset by Gustavus Adolphus, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point fell out of the top 15.
