The latest USCHO Division III Men's Poll, released on January 12, brought a dramatic reshuffle to the NCHA’s national standing. While Aurora stayed steady at No. 2, St. Norbert climbed back into 3rd, and Trine punctuated its return to the top-15 by delivering a statement win at home over NCHA rival Adrian.

Aurora (13-2-0) maintains its grip on the No. 2 position this week, trailing only undefeated Hobart. The Spartans extended their winning streak and preserved their unbeaten non-conference record with a 4-1 victory over Lake Forest on Friday night. Backed by a 38-20 advantage in shots, the Spartans received 279 poll points.

St. Norbert (10-4-1) moved up one spot to No. 3 this week. The Green Knights received 242 points and benefited from a quiet weekend in terms of official NCAA competition. Their resume continues to gain respect following the shakeup elsewhere in the Top-10.

The most significant story of the week is the slide of Adrian (10-5-0), which moved down from No. 3 to No. 6. The Bulldogs have now lost three-consecutive games following a 4-1 road loss to Trine on Thursday night. Despite outshooting the Thunder 41-21, Adrian struggled to finish opportunities. They also lost a 7-1 exhibition loss to the USNTDP on Friday. The Bulldogs will look to reset as they return to conference play next weekend.

After falling out of the rankings last week, Trine (8-5-2) made a return, tying for the No. 15 spot in the poll. The Thunder's resurgence was fueled by a signature 4-1 win over then-No. 3 Adrian on Thursday. Trine used a balanced attack with four different goal scorers to secure the victory. They followed that up with a confidence-boosting 2-0 exhibition shutout of the USNTDP on Saturday.

The NCHA heading into mid-January remains a gauntlet, with Aurora, St. Norbert, and Adrian all positioned for high seeds, while Trine’s return adds another dangerous layer to the conference title race.