THREE DAYS UNTIL THE SIOUX HIT TOWN ... SKEPTICAL FAN While it is nice to say the Gophers are coming along and playing better, this winning streak has happened because they have played arguably the three worst teams in the country in Bowling Green, Harvard and Michigan Tech. However, I get the feeling that because we beat these teams we are to commend the team for a job a well done. I always thought that beating teams like this was a given. How far has the program fallen if that is indeed the case. Until they prove they can play with and beat the likes of Denver, Michigan, Duluth and North Dakota they are just a very average team. -- TF ROMAN SAYS Can't argue too much with TF's e-mail. But the Gophers should get a little credit for doing what they should do, which is beating these teams. It gives them a bit of confidence before facing the big boys. Think of the alternative. If they had lost to Bowling Green (they were down 1-0 after two periods) or Harvard. At least there is a ray of hope. The Don tries to put a nice spin on winning six of seven, but five of those wins were over teams with losing records. And the national pollsters have not been impressed. The Gophers received only three votes in the uscho.com poll this week. In case you were wondering, I don't vote on it so somebody else is voting for them. The seventh place Gophers, with 13 points after 13 WCHA games, are five points behind North Dakota and Wisconsin, who are tied for fifth place. HOW TWO POLLS WORK The USCHO.com/CBS College Sports Poll consists of 50 voters, including 28 coaches from the Division I conferences and 22 beat writers and sports professionals from across the country. The poll, published weekly by the Associated Press, is a joint production of USCHO.com, which provides in-depth coverage of college sports, including hockey,
lacrosse, soccer and others, and CBS College Sports Networks, Inc., the only digital media company dedicated solely to college sports.

The USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll, now in its 15th year, is conducted each week in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA). The poll includes input from coaches
and journalists representing each of the six NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the AHCA and USA Hockey Magazine, the most widely distributed hockey magazine in the
world.

This info is courtesy of Brad Folkestad, Director of Athletic Media Relations for Bemidji State University. The Beavers (14-4-2) are No. 11 in both these polls, slipping from the top 10 for the first time in eight weeks after being idle last weekend.






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