APPLETON, Wis. -- Team rankings are nothing new to Lawrence University athletics, but this is a new position for Vikings hockey.
When the United States College Hockey Online Division III poll came out late Monday afternoon, Lawrence was in the "others receiving votes" area. The Vikings had five points, which placed them 21st in the poll.
This is the first time Lawrence hockey has been included in a national poll. The Vikings have started the season 3-0 for only the second time in school history. The Vikings topped UW-Eau Claire in the season opener and then swept Concordia University of Wisconsin in a weekend series to open Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association play.
Lawrence also is coming off the best season in school history. The Vikings finished 16-11-1 and won the MCHA Northern Division title last season.
Dating as far back as the early 1980s, the Lawrence football team was one of the top-ranked teams in the nation. The Lawrence men's basketball team and wrestling team both were nationally ranked for the first time in the late 1990s, and men's basketball held the No. 1 ranking for several months during the 2005-06 season.
Lawrence returns to MCHA action on Friday when it travels to Lake Forest College. The Vikings then return home to face No. 14 UW-Superior on Saturday.