For the first time since Oct. 23, 2000, the Wisconsin men's hockey team (11-1-2 overall, 8-0-2 WCHA) claimed the nation's No. 1 ranking in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Polls which were released Monday, after a weekend sweep at then-No. 18 Michigan State and No. 1 Michigan.
'As we talked about after the game Saturday night, the only time being No. 1 really counts is at the end of the year,' said UW head coach Mike Eaves, who has never coached a No. 1 ranked team. 'It's an early season measuring stick. Let's not forget how we got to this point.'
Wisconsin climbed to No. 2 ealier this month after tying and defeating then-No. 1 Colorado College and remained at No. 2 following a home sweep over Minnesota State before this weekend.
'If we have a bullseye on our back, then we're doing things that we want to do or we're going where we want to be,' said Eaves, commenting on his team's postion atop the rankings. 'Let's just keep getting better and if that stays on our back, then that's an indicator of a good thing for us.'
The Badgers are unbeaten in its last 12 games (10-0-2 during that stretch) and visit second-place and fourth-ranked Minnesota (7-3-4, 6-2-2) in a pivital conference show-down Friday and Saturday.
