Despite losing all three games during the third ranking period, the club hockey kept its fifth spot in the latest rankings.

CMU (10-9 overall) lost twice to Miami University, the No. 2 team in the Southeast Conference and once to No. 3 Michigan State.

“I was surprised when we didn’t move down, but not shocked because there wasn’t any other teams that did enough in the last ranking to move ahead of us,” said captain Craig Lipar.

Grand Valley State remained the No. 1 team with 19 points, closely followed by Davenport with 20. MSU is third with 39 and Missouri State is fourth with 55. CMU had 63 points, good for fifth, while Minnesota is farther back in sixth place with 100 points.

A tough schedule kept CMU at its ranking. During this ranking period the team already has played Division I Eastern Michigan and still has to play No. 7 Michigan, MSU, GVSU and Indiana, the No. 5 team in the Southeast Region. As tough as CMU’s schedule is, the team relishes the challenge.

“That’s what we want; we don’t want a cupcake schedule going into regionals,” Lipar said. “We want to face teams that are going to challenge us, that we’re going to actually see at regionals and hopefully nationals.”

The team has a chance to prove itself the next two weekends when it plays Grand Valley twice, as well as Michigan and Michigan State.

“The next two weekends against Michigan State, Michigan and Grand Valley are absolutely huge for us to stay where we’re at in the rankings or move up,” Lipar said.

Two wins this weekend could move Central up in the rankings because Missouri State and CMU are separated by just eight points.

“The only way to move up is to win,” said junior Andrew Anson.

The team will hope to help its case to move up in the rankings and end a six-game losing streak against Delta University at 4 p.m. today at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw in the semifinal game in the Saginaw Spirit Tournament.

“It’s fun to play these guys just because they’re right in the area and it’s close,” Lipar said.

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