After a series sweep of University of Alaska Anchorage, Oct. 28-29, the Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey team has climbed to 18 in the USCHO.com top 20 poll, while they received votes in the fourth straight USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll of the season.

This week marks the fourth time the Beavers have appeared in the USCHO.com poll in 2016-17 and the 137th time since making a move to the NCAA Division I level for the 1999-2000 season. The Beavers have reached as high as No. 4 in the poll, Dec. 12, 2009, and have been a top 20 team for 36 weeks.

The University of Minnesota Duluth took over the nation’s this week, dethroning defending national champion North Dakota, which had occupied the spot for the first three weeks of the season. Minnesota Duluth was a unanimous vote for No. 1, receiving all 50 first place votes. The Bulldogs took 33 of 34 first place votes to take the top spot in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.

The Beavers join Minnesota State University Mankato, this week’s No. 10, as the only WCHA representatives in the USCHO.com poll, while MSU is the league’s lone representative in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll. However, Bemidji State and Lake Superior State University are receiving votes in the later poll.

The Beavers, now 6-2-0 overall, continues WCHA play this week as it travels to Fairbanks, Alaska for a two-game series at the University of Alaska. Both games are set for a 10:07 p.m. (CST) start.