Maine Trust for Local News sports columnist Travis Lazarczyk is a voter in the USCHO.com men’s hockey poll. Each week he will share his top 20, as well as hit on a few items of interest in the sport.

Here’s my ballot for this week:

1. Michigan State
2. Michigan
3. Denver
4. Quinnipiac
5. North Dakota
6. Penn State
7. Minnesota-Duluth
8. Western Michigan
9. Maine
10. UConn
11. Wisconsin
12. Dartmouth
13. Northeastern
14. Boston College
15. Cornell
16. Union
17. UMass
18. Harvard
19. Michigan Tech
20. Colorado College

Another weekend, more inconsistency from the Black Bears

The last two weekends followed the same pattern for Maine: Look strong in all areas in the first game, then look completely flat in the second. Maine dominated Vermont in a 7-0 win on Friday. Saturday against the Catamounts, the Black Bears stopped doing the gritty work that generates good scoring chances and lost, 2-1. The 44 shots Maine took in the loss are a mirage. Few came because the Black Bears were grinding for rebounds or screening in front of the net. The lone goal came on a breakaway.

When the talent and work ethic merges, Maine is among the top teams in the country. The inconsistent effort has to be addressed. The Black Bears, who are 10th in the poll this week, face one of their toughest road trips of the season this weekend with a pair of games at Boston College. After facing their own struggles, the Eagles have won four straight.

Denver find its groove

Since dropping back-to-back games to Northeastern and Alaska-Anchorage, the Pioneers have won five straight, four of them over ranked opponents Western Michigan and Colorado College. Defenseman Eric Pohlkamp leads the Pioneers with eight goals and five assists, including four goals over the current winning streak. I kept Denver No. 3 on my ballot, right behind Michigan State and Michigan (that is where all three are in the poll this week, as well). Maine plays at Denver on Jan. 2-3, the first games back for both teams from the holiday break.

The bottom of my ballot

With most teams playing around a dozen games by now, the question I asked myself was, do I keep traditional powers from traditionally stronger conferences in my top 20, or do I reward some teams from typically smaller leagues for a good start? This week I opted for the latter. After losing to Quinnpiac, 6-2, Boston University’s record is 5-6-1. I expect the Terriers to make a run and again contend in Hockey East, but right now they’re not one of the top 20 teams, in my opinion. Michigan Tech is 6-1-1 over its last eight games, so I slid the Huskies in at No. 19. I also added Harvard (4-1-1) at No. 18. It’s gut feeling and not scientific at all.