Sun Devils continue to receive votes in latest hockey polls

The trend is that teams lose votes and move down the rankings in early-season weeks of hockey polls when they do not play. Arizona State was a part of that trend after not playing last week.

Arizona State (4-2) received nine votes in the week four USCHO hockey poll, down from last week's 22. It moved from sixth to tied ninth in the others receiving votes group.

The Sun Devils are tied with Bowling Green. Both teams are 80 votes behind 20th-place Massachusetts. 

The NCHC saw a pair of teams drop out of the top five, but half of the conference is in the top ten, with Colorado College joining the top ten.

Only the Hockey East has more teams in the poll, with seven, but only one in the top ten. No conference has more teams in the top ten.

Three NCHC teams received votes and missed the top 20: Miami at second out, Arizona State, and Arizona State’s next opponent, St. Cloud State. The Huskies are one point behind the Sun Devils.

The Sun Devils next six games will be against teams that received votes. A non-conference series against Alaska-Anchorage on Thanksgiving weekend ends that streak.

Arizona State’s week two opponent, Holy Cross, received a point, putting it effectively at T32 with Brown and Minnesota State. The Sun Devils' week one opponent, Lindenwood, dropped out of the others receiving votes category.

Arizona State received four points in the less-recognized USA Hockey poll, down from 16. It was the eighth team out, 44 points behind 20th-place Boston College.

Arizona State sits 34th in the NPI, the formula that decides the 10 at-large bids in the college hockey tournament.

St. Cloud State sits unranked and 27th in the USA Hockey and NPI, respectively.

The Sun Devils could move into the USCHO top 20 with a convincing sweep at St. Cloud State.