Terriers poll vault to No. 1

Thanks to impressive wins over North Dakota, Michigan State, and Michigan, Boston University has climbed to the early season apex of the college hockey world by claiming the No. 1 position yesterday in both major polls.

The Terriers jumped from third place to first in the USA Today/USA Hockey and USCHO.com/CBS Division 1 polls, claiming the lofty perch for the first time since March 2006.

BU (6-1-0) collected 29 first-place votes in the USA Today poll and 19 in the USCHO balloting.

Boston College (5-3), second in both polls last week, dropped to fifth in USA Today and sixth in USCHO after losses to Notre Dame and Maine. Hockey East brethren New Hampshire (fifth USA Today, sixth USCHO) and Northeastern (seventh in both) remained in the top 10.

Football

BC safety Paul Anderson and linebacker Mark Herzlich earned Atlantic Coast Conference player of the week honors in the wake of the Eagles' 17-0 victory over Notre Dame. Anderson, the Defensive Back of the Week, intercepted a pair of Jimmy Clausen passes and returned one 76 yards for a touchdown. Herzlich, chosen co-Defensive Lineman of the Week with Florida State's Neefy Moffett, led the Eagles with 11 tackles (10 unassisted) against the Irish . . . Dwight Smith, who helped re-launch football at MIT, has retired as coach. Smith, who began coaching the school's club program in 1979 and led the Engineers in their first varsity game Sept. 24, 1988, compiled a record of 102-159-1. He will remain as a professor of physical education at the university . . . UNH's 24-13 loss to Villanova dropped the Wildcats from eighth to 13th in the Sports Network playoff subdivision poll. Maine is 21st and Massachusetts 22d.

Men's basketball

Freshman point guard Daniel West has been ruled academically ineligible to play for 14th-ranked Tennessee this season. West was expected to share time at the point with junior college transfer Bobby Maze and J.P. Prince. Last season's starting point guard, Ramar Smith, was dismissed from the team at the end of the season . . . Kyle Singler scored 12 of his 19 points during the decisive first half, and No. 8 Duke opened its season by routing Presbyterian, 80-49, in the 2K Sports Classic in Durham, N.C. Nolan Smith added 15 points for the Blue Devils

Women's soccer

Northeastern, Harvard, and Boston College will not have far to travel Friday for their first-round NCAA tournament games, while Boston University will have a hike for itself. NU (13-8-1) and Harvard (10-3-4) face off in the second game of a doubleheader at Boston College. The Eagles (13-5-2) and Central Connecticut State (12-6-4) play in the other game. The Terriers (15-5-1), meanwhile, are headed for Provo, Utah, to take on Southern Cal (15-4-1).