OTTAWA (CIS) – The University of Alberta Golden Bears hope to repeat as University Cup champions later this week when the top CIS men's hockey programs gather in Halifax for the first time in history.
Championship website: www.universitycup.ca
St. Francis Xavier University hosts the 2015 tournament at the Scotiabank Centre. The national competition, using a new eight-team format this year, gets underway on Thursday and culminates Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Atlantic Time (5:30 p.m. ET) with the gold-medal final, live on Sportsnet 360.
Saturday's semifinals are also live on Sportsnet 360 (noon & 4 p.m. Atlantic), while the quarter-finals and the bronze-medal match are set to air on Eastlink TV. All eight games from the tourney will be webcast on www.CIS-SIC.tv.
The Golden Bears, who won their record 14th University Cup title a year ago and successfully defended the Canada West banner over the weekend, will be joined in Nova Scotia's capital by the second-seeded UNB Varsity Reds (AUS champions), No. 3 Guelph Gryphons (OUA champs), No. 4 UQTR Patriotes (OUA finalists), No. 5 Acadia Axemen (AUS finalists), No. 6 Calgary Dinos (Canada West finalists), No. 7 Windsor Lancers (OUA bronze medallists) and No. 8 StFX X-Men (AUS semi-finalists).
The quarter-final matchups, split over two days, include Calgary vs. Guelph at 1 p.m. and Windsor vs. UNB at 7 p.m. on Thursday, as well as Acadia vs. UQTR at 1 p.m. and StFX vs. Alberta at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Alberta was a logical choice to earn the top seed for a third straight year as the reigning champions led all 20 weekly national polls this season, posted a CIS-best 24-3-1 mark in league play and added four straight wins in the Canada West playoffs, including a two-game sweep against Calgary in the conference final.
The U of A opens this week's competition against the home team but facing the tourney hosts didn't prove a problem a year ago in Saskatoon, when the Bears downed Saskatchewan 3-1 in the national final to put an end to a five-year championship drought. This season, the Bears ranked second in the nation in offence, defence and power play efficiency, thanks to the likes of Canada West MVP T.J. Foster (18-24-42) and top defenceman Jesse Craige (5-14-19 / +26).
'We're not going to defend a title, we're going to win a title," said third-year head coach Ian Herbers. "We don't have the same guys in the dressing room as last year, the teams at the tournament are different and the format has changed too, so we don't approach this as defending last year, we approach it as trying to win this year."
Tournament host StFX is in tough against reigning champ Alberta in the quarter-finals but the X-Men more than held their own this season in the AUS going 17-9-2, including a 3-1 mark against Acadia, and then pushing UNB to the limit in a best-of-five conference semifinal. Goaltender Drew Owsley has been a workhorse all year, starting 24 of 28 games during the regular schedule and all seven in the post-season, and he will have to be at his best on Friday if the X-Men hope to pull off an upset.
"We are very excited to represent StFX and host the first-ever University Cup championship in Nova Scotia," said coach Brad Peddle. "It will be an exciting tournament offering the best university teams across the country. The competition will be outstanding among all eight teams where every game is a must win. We look forward to the challenge and have to be at our best every night."
NOTES: The traditional meet-the-teams media conference is scheduled for Wednesday at 11 a.m. Atlantic Time at the Scotiabank Centre... The All-Canadian Dinner & Gala is set for Wednesday evening at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS
NO. 1 ALBERTA GOLDEN BEARS
Team Statistics
Head Coach: Ian Herbers (3rd season)
Regular season record: 24-3-1
Regular season standing: 1st Canada West
Playoff record: 4-0
Playoff finish: Canada West champions
Overall record vs. CIS teams: 32-5
Overall record vs. U Cup teams: 5-2 (5-2 vs. CGY)
Top 10 final ranking (March 8): No. 1
Top 10 best ranking: No. 1 (all 20 polls)
Top 10 number of weeks ranked (20 polls): 20
National ranking (offence): 2nd (4.43)
National ranking (defence): 2nd (1.99)
National ranking (power play): 2nd (25.7)
National ranking (penalty kill): 6th (88.1)
Individual Statistics
Conference award winners: T.J. Foster (MVP), Jesse Craige (defenceman), Stephane Legault (rookie)
Conference 1st team all-stars: Jesse Craige (D), T.J. Foster (F), Jordan Hickmott (F)
Conference 2nd team all-stars: Jordan Rowley (D), Kruise Reddick (F)
Conference all-rookie team: Dylan Bredo (D), Stephane Legault (F), Riley Kieser (F)
Season leader (points): T.J. Foster, 18-24-42 (28 GP)
Season leader (goals): Jordan Hickmott, 19 (28 GP)
Season leader (assists): T.J. Foster, 24 (28 GP)
Season leader (points by defenceman): Jesse Craige, 5-14-19 (26 GP)
Season leader (goalie): Kurtis Mucha (17 GP, 14-2, 1 SHO, 1.87, .917)
University Cup History
Appearances: 38th
Last appearance: 2014 (champions)
All-time record: 65 wins, 31 losses, 2 ties (.673)
Best result: 14-time champions (2014, '08, '06, '05, '00, '99, '92, '86, '80, '79, '78, '75, '68, '64)
Sequence: 3rd consecutive appearance (17th in 19 years)
NO. 8 StFX X-MEN
Team Statistics
Head Coach: Brad Peddle (10th season)
Regular season record: 17-9-2
Regular season standing: 4th AUS
Playoff record: 4-3
Playoff finish: AUS semi-finalists
Overall record vs. CIS teams: 19-12
Overall record vs. U Cup teams: 5-8 (2-7 vs. UNB, 3-1 ACA)
Top 10 final ranking (March 8): No. 8
Top 10 best ranking: No. 8 (last 2 polls)
Top 10 number of weeks ranked (20 polls): 4
National ranking (offence): 24th (3.00)
National ranking (defence): 6th (2.15)
National ranking (power play): 12th (19.7)
National ranking (penalty kill): 8th (86.4)
Individual Statistics
Conference award winners: Robert Slaney (DR. Randy Gregg Award nominee)
Conference 1st team all-stars: None
Conference 2nd team all-stars: Drew Owsley (G), Nathan Chiarlitti (D), Michael Kirkpatrick (F)
Conference all-rookie team: Jagger Dirk (D)
Season leader (points): Michael Kirkpatrick, 9-25-34 (28 GP)
Season leader (goals): Blake Gall, 11 (28 GP)
Season leader (assists): Michael Kirkpatrick, 25 (28 GP)
Season leader (points by defenceman): Jagger Dirk, 4-13-17 (26 GP)
Season leader (goalie): Drew Owsley (24 GP, 14-10, 4 SHO, 2.28, .917)
University Cup History
Appearances: 12th
Last appearance: 2011 (2nd in pool)
All-time record: 14-12 (.538)
Best result: 1-time champions (2004)
Sequence: Return after 3-year absence
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE (all times ATLANTIC TIME)
Wednesday, March 11
11:00 Meet the Teams Media Conference (Scotiabank Centre)
18:30 All-Canadian Dinner & Gala (Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel)
Thursday, March 12
13:00 Quarter-final 1: No. 6 Calgary vs. No. 3 Guelph (Eastlink TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv)
19:00 Quarter-final 2: No. 7 Windsor vs. No. 2 UNB (Eastlink TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv)
Friday, March 13
13:00 Quarter-final 3: No. 5 Acadia vs. No. 4 UQTR (Eastlink TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv)
19:00 Quarter-final 4: No. 8 StFX vs. No. 1 Alberta (Eastlink TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv)
Saturday, March 14
12:00 Semifinal 1: Winner QF 1 vs. Winner QF 2 (Sportsnet 360 / www.CIS-SIC.tv) *
16:00 Semifinal 2: Winner QF 3 vs. Winner QF 4 (Sportsnet 360 / www.CIS-SIC.tv) *
Sunday, March 15
14:00 Bronze (Eastlink TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv)
18:30 Final (Sportsnet 360 / www.CIS-SIC.tv) *
* The webcast of the semifinals & final are on pay-per-view basis.
About Canadian Interuniversity Sport
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