ELMIRA, N.Y. -- For the first time in nearly two years, the Elmira College women's ice hockey team will see the coveted No. 1 before its name, as the Soaring Eagles checked in as the nation's top-ranked team in the latest U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Poll this afternoon. Elmira sits in a virtual tie for the top spot with ECAC West rival, Plattsburgh State, although the EC women received the most first-place votes (7) in this week's poll. The Elmira women also possess a No. 2 national ranking according to today's D3hockey.com National Poll.
 
Plattsburgh enjoyed a staggering 25-week stay atop the USCHO national poll, with the last team to check-in at the top spot being the Soaring Eagles back on March 2, 2015. Elmira would go on to reach the NCAA Division III National Championship game that season and compile a 26-3-1 overall record.
 
Elmira solidified its spot atop the rankings with a pair of hard-fought road wins against Buffalo State over the weekend to remain perfect during the 2016-17 campaign at 6-0-0 (6-0-0 ECAC West). The Soaring Eagles eked out a 2-1 overtime victory in Friday's series opener, before rolling past the Bengals on Saturday afternoon with a 4-0 shutout win. Elmira returns to action on Saturday, December 3rd, when the Purple and Gold take on Norwich University in a top-six showdown at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena. 
 
The move for Elmira was one of several shakeups around the national top-10 poll, as only two teams from last week's rankings remained in their spots. Elmira jumped two spots to No. 1, placing EC in a tie with the Cardinals, who received four first-place votes after corralling all 15 during the previous poll. Plattsburgh let a 2-0 lead slip away in its most recent contest, as the now seventh-ranked Lakers of Oswego State rallied with three unanswered goals to stun the top-ranked Cardinals on their home ice at the Stafford Ice Arena.
 
Adrian College claimed four first-place votes for a total of 133 points, just one shy of forcing a three-way tie for the No. 1 national ranking. The Bulldogs, who compete out of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA), were ranked fourth a week ago.
 
2016 NCAA Division III Tournament runner-up, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, dropped two spots to No. 4 in this week's poll, following a two-goal loss on the road to Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Middlebury College and Norwich University remained in the fifth and sixth spots, respectively, to round out the top-six.
 
The Lakers of Oswego were rewarded for their weekend split with the top-ranked Cardinals by moving up two spots to No. 7 in Monday afternoon's poll. Lake Forest College moved ahead one spot in the rankings to No. 8.
 
Rounding out the top-10 were Connecticut College and Augsburg College, which claimed the ninth and 10th spots, respectively. Making room for both programs in the top-10 were the departures of then No. 7 Amherst College and former No. 10 University of St. Thomas.

USCHO National Poll

No.	Team (1st-place Votes)	Record	Points	Last Poll
1	Elmira (7)	6-0-0	134	3
1	Plattsburgh (4)	6-1-0	134	1
3	Adrian (4)	6-0-0	133	4
4	Wisconsin-River Falls	5-1-0	101	2
5	Middlebury	2-0-0	89	5
6	Norwich	6-1-0	71	6
7	Oswego	7-1-0	50	9
8	Lake Forest	8-2-0	47	8
9	Connecticut College	2-0-0	23	NR
10	Augsburg	6-2-0	12	NR

Others receiving votes: Bethel 10, Endicott 6, Amherst 3, St. Thomas 3, Concordia (Minn.) 2, Trinity 2, Wisconsin-Superior 2, Manhattanville 1, Massachusetts-Boston 1, Wisconsin-Stevens Point 1.

Dropped out: Amherst (7), St. Thomas (10). 

D3hockey.com National Poll

No.	School (1st-place votes)	Record	Points	Previous
1	Plattsburgh State (7)	6-1-0	142	1
2	Elmira (7)	6-0-0	139	3
3	Adrian (1)	6-0-0	110	5
4	Middlebury	2-0-0	105	4
5	UW-River Falls	5-1-0	94	2
6	Norwich	6-1-0	76	7
7	Oswego State	7-1-0	65	8
8	Connecticut College	2-0-0	41	NR
9	Lake Forest	8-2-0	22	10
10	UMass Boston	6-2-0	12	9

Others receiving votes: Amherst 9, Augsburg 4, Endicott 1, Morrisville State 1, Utica 1, UW-Stevens Point 1
 
Dropped out: Amherst (6)