MONCTON (CIS) The defending national champion University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds have been established tournament favourites for the 2008 Canadian Interuniversity Sport mens hockey championship.
Official website: www.cisport.ca/e/championships/m_hockey/2008
The Cavendish University Cup, hosted for the second straight year by Universit de Moncton, will get under way Thursday, March 20 at the Moncton Coliseum. The gold-medal final is slated for Sunday, March 23 at 8 p.m. Atlantic Time (7 p.m. Eastern), live on Rogers Sportsnet.
Top-seeded UNB is followed in order in the championship seeding by the No.2-Alberta Golden Bears (Canada West champions), No.3-McGill Redmen (OUA champions), No.4-Saskatchewan Huskies (Canada West finalists), No.5-Brock Badgers (OUA finalists), and No.6-Moncton Aigles Bleus (championship hosts).
UNB, Saskatchewan and Brock will battle in Pool A for a berth in Sundays final, while Alberta, McGill and Moncton make up Pool B.
Opening day match-ups will see UNB face Brock at 2 p.m., and Alberta square off against host Moncton at 7 p.m.
The V-Reds have been nearly unstoppable thus far in 2007-08, setting single-season AUS records for wins and points en route to 26-1-0-1 conference record, before adding four games in four outings in the playoffs. Saint Marys gave them all they could handle in the best-of-three Atlantic final however, as UNB came out on top with a pair of 3-2 overtime wins.
UNB captured its second University Cup title a year ago with a thrilling 3-2 OT victory over Moncton.
The No.2-Bears, who hold the all-time record with 12 University Cup championships, defeated the No.4-Huskies 8-3 and 5-0 in the best-of-three Canada West final.
The No.-3 Redmen capped off an impressive 7-0 OUA playoff run with a 4-1 win over the No.5-Badgers in the single-game Queens Cup final, marking their first league title since 1946.
The Aigles Bleus were the only team to beat UNB in the regular season, claiming a 5-4 shootout win on November 21 and prevailing 5-3 on November 30.
SEEDING & POOLS
1. UNB Varsity Reds (AUS champions / 26-1-0-1 regular season, 4-0 playoffs)
2. Alberta Golden Bears (Canada West champions / 21-5-0-2 regular season, 4-0 playoffs)
3. McGill Redmen (OUA champions / 18-9-0-1 regular season, 7-0 playoffs)
4. Saskatchewan Huskies (Canada West finalists / 17-5-0-6 regular season, 2-2 playoffs)
5. Brock Badgers (OUA finalists / 17-8-0-3 regular season, 4-3 playoffs)
6. Moncton Aigles Bleus (Championship hosts / 17-10-0-1 regular season, 2-2 playoffs)
Pool A
1. UNB
4. Saskatchewan
5. Brock
Pool B
2. Alberta
3. McGill
6. Moncton
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE (All times LOCAL: Atlantic Time)
All games video webcast: www.cisport.ca/e/championships/m_hockey/2008
Wednesday, March 19
12:00 Media Conference (Moncton Coliseum)
18:00 All-Canadian Award Banquet
Thursday, March 20
14:00 Pool A #1: No. 1 UNB vs. No. 5 Brock
19:00 Pool B #1: No. 2 Alberta vs. No. 6 Moncton
Friday, March 21
14:00 Pool A #2: No. 4 Saskatchewan vs. Loser Pool A #1
19:00 Pool B #2: No. 3 McGill vs. Loser Pool B #1
Saturday, March 22
14:00 Pool A #3: No. 4 Saskatchewan vs. Winner Pool A #1 (Rogers Sportsnet)
20:00 Pool B #3: No. 3 McGill vs. Winner Pool B #1 (Rogers Sportsnet)
Sunday, March 23
20:00 Final (Rogers Sportsnet)
- CIS -
For more information please contact:
Michel Blanger
Communications manager
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Ph: (613) 562-5670 ext. 25
Cell: (613) 447-6334
belanger@universitysport.ca