Not since the 2005-06 season has Miami captured the CCHA regular-season championship. The RedHawks, who are ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, moved within two points of clinching the 2009-10 championship by sweeping Lake Superior State over the weekend by scores of 2-0 and 10-4 at Steve Cady Arena.

The Denver Pioneers, who were ranked third in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, killed off all 13 power plays by No. 4 North Dakota en route to a 2-0 and 4-2 sweep before two packed houses (11,728 and 11,750, respectively) at Engelstad Arena.

Any team that’s ranked No.1 invariably is playing with a target on its back. Just ask the Denver Pioneers, who skated into a WCHA series against Wisconsin ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.

The Miami RedHawks didn’t take long to get back on the winning track. A week after being swept by Robert Morris University in a non-conference series, Miami took a pair of games from the Ferris State Bulldogs, who were ranked No. 7 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.

All season long, Miami has been ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll. And going into last weekend’s non-conference series against unranked Robert Morris, the RedHawks — understandably — had yet to be swept. Neither accomplishment intimidated the Colonials who swept Miami, 3-1 on Friday at Mellon Arena and 2-1 on Sunday at Steve Cady Arena.

Rhett Rakhashani (Huntington Beach, Calif.) turned the Denver Cup into his own personal showcase. A National Team Development Program alumnus, Rakhshani recorded a total of four goals and two assists as Denver, ranked second in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, blanked Nebraska-Omaha, 7-0, and edged No.5 Boston College for its 14^th Cup championship at Magness Arena.

Nebraska-Omaha got in the holiday spirit over the weekend by capturing the “Spirit of the Maverick” Trophy. In the annual non-conference series between UNO and Minnesota State — two teams that share the same nickname — UNO skated to a 1-1 tie on Friday and eked out a 2-1 victory on Saturday when Rich Purslow (Greenlawn, N.Y.) scored with 43 seconds left in overtime.

Colorado College gave veteran coach Scott Owens an early Christmas present on Saturday at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn. When the Tigers, who were ranked sixth in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, beat St. Cloud State 4-1, it was the 250^th victory for Owens at the school.

Miami built a brick wall in front if its goal before its weekend CCHA series against Notre Dame at Steve Cady Arena. For only the fourth time in school history — and the first time on the same weekend — the RedHawks posted back-to-back shutouts.