(CIS) The Lakehead Thunderwolves men's hockey team was ranked No. 9 today in the first CIS Top 10 poll of the 2006-07 season. For the second consecutive season and for the sixth time in the past seven years, the University of Alberta Golden Bears are ranked No. 1 to open a CIS season. Two-time reigning CIS champion Alberta received five of 10 first-place votes in a very tight opening media poll, with the No. 2 Moncton Aigles Bleus (3) and No. 3 McGill Redmen (2) also earning first-place consideration.
Alberta opened conference play with three straight victories two over Regina and one over Calgary before dropping a 5-3 decision to the No. 8 Dinos on Saturday night. No. 2 Moncton earned 85 points in the weekly poll to 83 for No. 3 McGill, fittingly close totals for the rivals who split a two-game pre-season series two weeks ago in Montreal.
The offensive-minded Aigles Bleus exploded for an AUS-leading 14 goals in their first weekend of conference play, outscoring Saint Marys 7-3 before edging defending Atlantic conference champion Acadia 7-5.
Rounding out the Top 5 in the opening national poll are the No. 4 UNB Varsity Reds and the No. 5 Saskatchewan Huskies. UNB needed overtime against both Acadia and Saint Marys to come out of its first weekend of conference play with a 2-0 record, while 2-2 Saskatchewan has settled for weekend splits with UBC and Regina thus far.
RANK TEAM CONFERENCE (Overall) RECORD PTS (1st Place) LAST WEEK
1. ALBERTA GOLDEN BEARS 3-1-0 (7-1-0) 94 (5) -
2. MONCTON AIGLES BLEUS 2-0-0 (5-1-0) 85 (3) -
3. McGILL REDMEN 2-0-0 (6-2-0) 83 (2) -
4. UNB VARSITY REDS 2-0-0 (4-2-0) 72 -
5. SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES 2-2-0 (3-6-0) 46 -
6. StFX X-MEN 2-0-0 (4-2-0) 44 -
7. UQTR PATRIOTES 1-1-0 (4-3-0) 31 -
8. CALGARY DINOS 2-2-0 (4-7-0) 25 -
9. LAKEHEAD THUNDERWOLVES 1-1-0 (3-4-0) 18 -
10. REGINA COUGARS 2-4-0 (4-6-0) 10 -
Other teams receiving votes: Toronto Varsity Blues (8), Acadia Axemen (7), Manitoba Bisons (7), UBC Thunderbirds (5), Ottawa Gee-Gees (5), Western Ontario Mustangs (5), Saint Marys Huskies (3) and Brock Badgers (2).
Voting is based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis, with a 1st place vote worth 10 points. The CIS Mens Ice Hockey Top Ten Committee is made up of media members from across Canada.