Around the W: Northeastern climbs to No. 4, and Hockey East gets a rematch

Hockey East has one team in the women's top five and a weekend to prove it isn't alone. Northeastern climbed to No. 4 in the new USCHO poll, and several more Hockey East teams get another crack at the ECAC on Friday and Saturday. After last weekend, the league needs points more than it needs speeches.

Here's the college week, with Hockey East first because the league has the most to prove.

Northeastern is the league's anchor

Northeastern jumped from No. 6 to No. 4 after its weekend at Quinnipiac. The Bobcats slid one spot to No. 5, which is the poll's way of saying the Huskies won that trip, and Northeastern now sits at 3-1-1 in the poll's count.

This weekend brings two afternoon games at RIT, a trip they should win twice, and anything less would cost them their spot.

The W read: Northeastern is the only Hockey East team I'd trust in a top-five game right now.

Round two against the ECAC

The ECAC owns this poll. By our count, it has six of the 15 ranked teams: Quinnipiac, Princeton, Colgate, Clarkson, Cornell and Yale. Hockey East has three, Northeastern, UConn and Vermont.

The rematch schedule is real. No. 12 Cornell plays at Boston College on Friday and Saturday. No. 14 Yale visits Boston University on Friday. Providence goes to No. 10 Clarkson for two, Holy Cross plays two at Dartmouth, and New Hampshire is at Harvard on Saturday.

BC is 3-1-0 and gets a home series against a Cornell team with two games played. That's the one Hockey East should take.

The W read: If Hockey East wins two of these series, last weekend becomes a bad week instead of a reputation.

UConn needs a reset

UConn fell from No. 8 to No. 11 after two losses at Princeton, and it's 2-4-0. Mercyhurst comes to the Toscano Family Ice Forum on Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

Both losses came against a Princeton team playing its first games of the season. That's the part that should sting in Storrs.

The W read: A sweep here is required, not optional.

The national game: Colgate at Ohio State

The best series of the weekend has no Hockey East team in it. Colgate is 6-0-0, ranked No. 8, and headed to No. 1 Ohio State, 7-1-0, for two games starting Friday.

Colgate shut out BU twice last weekend, while Ohio State holds 18 of the 20 first-place votes, so something has to give.

The W read: Ohio State takes one, Colgate takes one, and the poll gets more interesting.

Minnesota climbs to No. 2

Minnesota beat Ohio State 6-2 on Friday and lost 6-5 on Saturday. That split moved the Gophers from No. 3 to No. 2. Sarah Paul had two goals and two assists on the weekend and was named the WCHA's forward of the week. Joy Dunne answered with a hat trick for Ohio State in Saturday's win.

Lindenwood visits Ridder Arena next, which should mean two wins and a little rest before the schedule turns serious again.

The W read: Minnesota proved it can beat the No. 1 team. Now it has to prove it can do it twice.