Around the W: three top-10 teams lose on the road Friday

The poll lasted one Friday. Three of the USCHO top 10 lost last night, and two of them lost to teams nobody had ranked. That isn't chaos, it's October, and it's the best argument for watching these games before the conference schedule starts.

Here's what mattered from Friday night, and what to watch today.

RPI 2, No. 5 Northeastern 1 (OT)

Northeastern's season opener went to RPI in overtime. It was scoreless through two periods, both teams scored in the third, and the Engineers won it in the extra frame. RPI had dropped its first game of the season 5-3 to Minnesota State a week earlier.

The W read: an opening-night loss doesn't sink a top-five team. But RPI had a game under its belt and Northeastern didn't, and the Huskies still couldn't find a second goal. That's a forward group to watch, not a crisis.

Vermont 3, No. 7 Minnesota Duluth 0

The Catamounts scored once in every period at Gutterson Fieldhouse, with goals from Morgann Skoda, Stella Retrum and Kaylee Lewis. Duluth had just climbed from ninth to seventh in the poll after a 2-0 start that included a 4-0 win over Mercyhurst.

The W read: shutting out a top-10 WCHA team is a statement for a Hockey East program that started the year unranked. If Vermont takes a point or better at 1 p.m. today, it belongs in the poll on Monday.

UConn 3, No. 9 Clarkson 2

Clarkson led 2-0 after the first period in Storrs, then UConn scored twice in the second and once in the third and never gave it back. The Huskies were 0-2 coming in and had fallen from seventh to 12th in the poll.

The W read: this is the one I'd circle. UConn's slide looked like a team in trouble, and a 40-minute shutout of the Golden Knights says it was a slow start instead. The rematch is in the same building at 3 p.m. today, and I expect a much tighter, nastier game.

The favorites held

No. 1 Wisconsin beat Boston University 4-1. No. 2 Ohio State won 5-2 at St. Thomas, and No. 3 Minnesota won 5-2 at Bemidji State. No. 4 Penn State got its first win of the year, 8-4 over Robert Morris, after an 0-2 start.

The W read: the top three did what top-three teams do, and Wisconsin still hasn't been pushed. Penn State scoring eight is nice, but allowing four to Robert Morris is the line I'd show the defense on Monday.

St. Lawrence 3, Maine 0

The Saints went to Orono and shut out the Black Bears a week after Wisconsin beat them 6-0. It's a quiet result, but it settles a nervy start for a program that needed a reason to believe in its defensive structure.

The W read: St. Lawrence needed a clean night from its own end, and it got one.

This weekend's other date

Boston College plays at Stonehill at 7 p.m. tonight. It's a first look at the Eagles' young core, and a road win is the minimum.

By our count: eight top-10 teams played on Friday, and three lost, all on the road. Duluth and Clarkson get the rematch today in the same buildings. My call: both series split, Vermont cracks Monday's poll and UConn climbs back toward the top 10.