MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 2-12-17

Here's how things look in my latest power rankings as we head into the final week of the regular season:


1.  UST
2.  GAC
3.  Bethel
4.  St. Kate's
5.  CSB
6.  SMU
7.  Augsburg
8.  Concordia
9.  Carleton
10.  Macalester
11.  St. Olaf
12.  Hamline


No changes in the top three spots.  UST notched two easy wins this last week as expected over Hamline and Carleton but this last week of the regular season on the road could be a tricky venture. They have to make the run down the Mighty Mississippi and the Canadian Pacific Railway's River Sub mainline to Winona on Wednesday to take on what might now be a desperate SMU team and then turn around and head northwest on U.S. Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline on Saturday to Moorhead to face an always-dangerous Concordia team.  I think the Tommies come out of this last week okay but perhaps a bit scratched up.  Then again, nothing is a given in this conference.  GAC trounced St. Olaf in Northfield as expected on Wednesday night and had to survive a tough challenge from CSB in Claire Lynch up in St. Joe yesterday to move to 22-1 overall on the year and solidify its NCAA Tournament chances.  This next week is something of a mixed bag for the Gusties as they travel to the Cities on Wednesday night to play an incredibly dangerous St. Kate's team that will be playing much looser and without fear now that it has clinched a playoff spot before returning to the friendly confines of Lund Arena on Saturday to face sagging Carleton.  Bethel continues to methodically roll along; notching impressive road wins at both SMU and Augsburg, respectively to move to an impressive 19-4 on the year and the Royals finish up the regular season at home hosting Concordia on Wednesday night and then St. Kate's on Saturday.

Speaking of St. Kate's, WHAT an opportunistic and exciting team this is as they grabbed two thrilling home victories this last week to clinch a playoff spot.  The Wildcats are arguably the most dangerous team in the conference right now and with everyone seemingly healthy, this is a team to watch.  The bad news is that they finish up the regular season with two of the top three teams in the conference - at home against GAC on Wednesday night and then at Bethel on Saturday.  Meanwhile, a disastrous week for CSB which saw the Blazers lose a roadie at always-unpredictable Augsburg on Wednesday night and then drop a heart breaker at home to GAC yesterday.  Ideally, CSB needed to come away with at least a split this last week and given that the Blazers finish up the regular season at Hamline on Wednesday night and then have to make that dreaded trip down to Winona on Saturday to face SMU, their prospects are suddenly murky and they may have to settle for that fifth playoff spot.  But if things were bad from a CSB standpoint this last week, it was only worse for SMU as they lost at Bethel on Wednesday night and then blew a twelve-point fourth period lead at St. Kate's yesterday for their fifth loss in six games.  Oh, and even worse news for the Cardinals - they get UST on Wednesday night and then CSB on Saturday and it may not even matter if both of those games are in Winona or on the moon.  The Cardinals are now fighting for their very playoff life and they've picked the absolute worst stretch of the season to go into a tailspin.

Augsburg meanwhile has to feel much better about itself and future playoff prospects as they managed to come away with a split this last week - holding off CSB on Wednesday night before falling to powerhouse Bethel as expected yesterday.  So while the Auggies go on the road to finish out the regular season, both games are entirely doable propositions - at Macalester on Wednesday night and then at St. Olaf on Saturday.  Concordia dropped a heartbreaker at St. Kate's on Wednesday night but turned around and overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to knock off Hamline at home yesterday in an emotionally-charged contest in the annual Leanne Miller Pink Zone Game.  Though the Corn will likely finish out the season on a disappointing note as both a roadie to Bethel and the season finale at home against UST lie ahead in the offing, you've got to tip your hat to this Concordia team for fighting through an incredibly rough and trying season to the very end.  Carleton came away with a split this last week, knocking off Macalester at home on Wednesday night before predicatably getting roughed up by UST yesterday.  Ditto for Macalester which lost said game at Carleton but bounced back with a nice home win over St. Olaf yesterday.

Don't forget that the next round of regional rankings come out this coming Wednesday and I'll have something to say about them later in the week.