March 21, 2006
REDMEN, HAWKS AND WOLVES HEAD WEST FOR NATIONALS
OTTAWA (CIS) - The reigning national champion University of Alberta Golden Bears, host of the event for the second consecutive year, will be looking to repeat as Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's hockey champions at this weekend's TELUS University Cup tournament in Edmonton (March 23-26).
Championship web site: http://www.cisport.ca/e/championships/m_hockey/2006
The Bears, which became the most decorated team in CIS men's hockey history a year ago when they captured their 11th University Cup with a 4-3 overtime win over the Saskatchewan Huskies in front of 10,331 fans at Rexall Place, have repeated three times as CIS champions in their storied history.
Alberta won back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000 under head coach Rob Daum, and pulled a three-peat from 1978-80 with legendary coach Clare Drake behind the bench for the first two championship wins, and Bill Moores completing the hat trick.
The Golden Bears, making their 10th straight appearance at the end-of-the-year tourney, are number-one favorites going into the weekend.
"There's always going to be pressure coming with the No. 1 seeding, but we like to think we have the experience to handle it," said first-year Alberta head coach Eric Thurston two weeks ago prior to the Canada West final between the Bears and Saskatchewan. Alberta went on to sweep the series in two games to secure the No. 1 ranking for the nationals.
"Being No. 1 allows you to control your own destiny. Among other things, you can't face the other conference champions before the gold-medal final," continued the long-time Bears assistant, who took over this season after Daum left to become head coach of the Minnesota Wild AHL affiliate in Houston.
In recent years, the University Cup has proven one of the hardest CIS championships to predict, with the three conferences advancing potential winners year in and year out.
Over the past 10 seasons, Ontario University Athletics has produced four champions, while Canada West and Atlantic University Sport have claimed three banners apiece. Over the past 20, the OUA boasts eight University Cup wins compared to six each for Canada West and the AUS.
"Getting out of the AUS is always tough. But the key was we were able to win the conference final in three straight, which gives us extra rest before the nationals," said Darren Burns, bench boss of the second-seeded Acadia Axemen, following a sweep of UNB in the AUS championship series.
"I am proud of what our team did over the last two seasons to rebuild the program," added Burns, whose squad missed a trip to the CIS tournament a year ago losing a heartbreaking, double-overtime decision to Moncton in the fifth and decisive game of the AUS final.
Pete Belliveau, head coach of the No. 3 and OUA champion Lakehead Thunderwolves, brings a red-hot team to Edmonton. The T-Wolves ousted arch-rival and perennial power Western in the first round of the playoffs, before claiming their first-ever OUA title with a convincing 4-0 win over No. 4 McGill in the Queen's Cup final.
"It took us five years to win but we did it and we're very happy," commented Belliveau, at the helm of a program that returned to CIS men's hockey in 2000-01 after an absence of almost two decades. "We have a lot of work to do to prepare for the nationals however. We'll have to take our game to yet another level."
The No. 4 Redmen (OUA finalists), No. 5 Saskatchewan Huskies (Canada West finalists), and No. 6 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (OUA bronze medalists) round out the list of participating teams for the 2006 University Cup.
Alberta, McGill and Laurier will make up Pool A for the round-robin portion of the tournament, while Acadia, Lakehead and Saskatchewan will compete in Pool B. All round-robin contests will be played at Clare Drake Arena on the campus of the University of Alberta, with the top finishers in each pool moving to Rexall Place for the gold-medal game on Sunday.
The 2006 Telus University Cup tournament gets under way on Thursday, March 23 with round-robin match-ups between Acadia and Saskatchewan (1 p.m. MST), and McGill and Laurier (7 p.m. MST).
Two games from the championship will be televised nationally on TSN: the last duel of the round-robin tournament on Saturday (4 p.m. MST), and the championship final on Sunday (7 p.m. MST / TV: following NHL broadcast).
Here is an up-close look at the six teams competing for the 2005-06 CIS banner.
The No. 6 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, vying for their first-ever University Cup title, return to the CIS championship for the first time since co-hosting the event in 2000-01, and the second time since the 1991-92 season. Laurier earned its ticket for Edmonton with a surprising, 2-1 road victory over nationally-ranked and perennial power UQTR in the OUA bronze-medal game. The Hawks, which had lost in three games to eventual OUA champion Lakehead in a best-of-three conference semi-final before facing UQTR, overcame a dismal 5-9-2 start in the regular season and closed out conference play on an 8-2 run. The Hawks are no strangers to Western Canada. Second-year head coach Steve Martell, a former draft pick of the NHL's Washington Capitals, came to Laurier following a four-year stint as an assistant with the Calgary Dinos, and his solid 2005-06 recruiting class includes two former WHL players, 6-foot-4 rearguard Danny Ehrman (Moose Jaw Warriors) and forward Joseph Grover (Portland Winter Hawks), who hails from Consort, Alta. Another freshman, forward Matt Maccarone, stands 6-foot-7 and will be the tallest player to line up at the TELUS University Cup. Starting goaltender Justin Day posted an excellent 11-4-1 mark in conference play with a 2.86 GAA and a .919 save percentage.
The No. 5 Saskatchewan Huskies advance to the nationals for the second consecutive season and the 11th time in history, vying to claim the University Cup for the first time since winning their lone national title back in 1982-83. The "˜Dogs couldn't have come closer to their second University Cup championship a year ago as they held a 3-2 lead in the gold-medal game with 23 seconds left in regulation, only to drop a 4-3 OT decision to Alberta. Saskatchewan came back in 2005-06 to win its third consecutive Great Plains Division title before losing in two games to Alberta in the Canada West final. The Huskies, which kept the best defensive record in Canada West in the regular season with 65 goals allowed in 28 contests (2.32 GAA), are led on offence by Dean Beuker, who tied for the CIS scoring lead in conference play with 47 points in 27 games (22-25-47), one year after topping all players in the nation with 46 points (15-31-46). Beuker, a fourth-year forward who was invited to the Florida Panthers rookie camp last fall, heads an almost all-Saskatchewan roster, as all but two Huskies are from the Prairie province, including 12 who hail from Saskatoon. Head coach Dave Adolph, in his 14th season at the helm, was a defenseman and co-captain with the 1982-83 national champion Huskies, when Saskatchewan was coached by former NHL and national team bench boss Dave King.
The No. 4 McGill Redmen have finally done it. The oldest hockey team in Canada, in its 130th season, will be making its first-ever appearance at the University Cup tournament since the inception of the national championship in 1962-63. Despite a young lineup that includes 10 freshmen and seven sophomores, the Redmen are enjoying one of the best seasons in school history, a campaign which has been filled with records and firsts: first No. 1 ranking in the CIS poll in history, best winning percentage (.896) in conference play in 67 years (.900 in 1938-39, 9-1), CIS records for most shutouts (12 in 24 games) and lowest goals against average (1.21) in conference play, first series win in history in 12 tries over arch-rival UQTR (two games to none in OUA semi-final). Traveling to Edmonton following a 4-0 loss to Lakehead in the single-game OUA final, the Redmen are led by 2004-05 CIS rookie of the year and 2005-06 OUA MVP, goalie Mathieu Poitras (regular season: 14-1-2, CIS record 7 shutouts, 1.40 GAA, .943 save percentage), who has had NHL tryouts with Anaheim (2004) and Washington (2005). One of McGill's top forwards, fifth-year right-winger and assistant captain Doug Orr (16 GP, 9-12-21 pts) is the nephew of NHL legend Bobby Orr.
The No. 3 Lakehead Thunderwolves make their third appearance in history at the University Cup tournament, fresh from winning their first-ever OUA Queen's Cup championship with a convincing 4-0 win over McGill. Prior to this season, Lakehead had advanced to the nationals once since returning to CIS hockey in 2000-01, in march 2003 in Fredericton, while the first incarnation of the team, the Norwesters (1965-84), had played in the 1973 tourney. Lakehead returned home with an 0-2 record on both occasions, and will be looking for its first win on the national stage this weekend. The T-Wolves are captained by fifth-year centre Joel Scherban, last year's CIS most valuable player, and a two-time recipient of the CIS most sportsmanlike player award. Scherban, who also wore the "C" in the OHL with the London Knights, is Lakehead's all-time leading scorer and topped the T-Wolves again this season with 27 points (13-14-27) in 24 conference games. Four Alberta natives suit up for the T-Wolves including 2001-02 CIS rookie of the year, defenseman Erik Lodge of Innisfail, and netminder Grant McCune of Sherwood Park, who shares the goaltending duties with sophomore Chris Whitley but was in net for the 4-0 shutout of McGill in the OUA final. The Thunderwolves shouldn't be intimidated by big crowds this weekend in Edmonton. Lakehead has averaged near-sellout crowds of over 3,000 fans at Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay since it's return to CIS hockey, by far the best attendance numbers in the nation.
The No. 2 Acadia Axemen, CIS champions in 1993 and '96, made sure they didn't leave anything to chance this year as they secured their first University Cup berth since a silver-medal finish in 1998. A year ago, the Axemen held a 2-0 lead over Moncton in the fifth and decisive game of the best-of-five AUS final only to see the Aigles Bleus come back to win 3-2 in double overtime, and earn the conference ticket to the CIS championship. This season, Acadia took care of UNB in three straight games in the AUS championship series to claim its first conference banner since 1995-96. The Axemen topped the AUS in both offense (110 goals) and defense (69 GA) this season in conference play, led by AUS MVP Kevin Baker, a right-winger who tied for the CIS lead in scoring with 47 points in 28 games (24-23-47). Acadia has no shortage of big-game experience, with 10 skaters who have played in the Memorial Cup tournament, including fourth-year centre Andrew Bergen of Red Deer, Alta., who won the CHL national title with the Red Deer Rebels in 2001. Fifth-year head coach Darren Burns, named CIS coach of the year in 2004-05 and honored at the conference level again this season, was a member of the two Axemen national championship teams, as a player in 1993 and as an assistant-coach in 1996.
The No. 1 Alberta Golden Bears are making their 10th consecutive appearance at the University Cup tournament, and their CIS-record 31st since 1962-63. The top-seeded Bears also enter the weekend holding the University Cup records for most titles (11), games (80), wins (53), losses (25), ties (2), goals scored (372) and goals against (245), and show a 4-1-0 record at the nationals against the 2006 field (2-0-0 vs. Lakehead, 1-0-0 vs. Saskatchewan, 1-1-0 vs. Acadia). Alberta is coming off yet another fantastic season under new head coach Eric Thurston, with their sixth consecutive first-place finish in the Canada West combined standings (21-5-2) and their sixth straight conference banner, the last five claimed over Saskatchewan (swept 2006 final in two games). The Bears lineup is filled with talent and experience. 16 players were members of the 2005 University Cup championship team, seven are in their fifth and final year of CIS eligibility, seven were captains in the WHL, including current team captain Gavin McLeod and 2005 University Cup tournament MVP Ben Thomson, and four Bears defensemen were NHL draft choices: McLeod (Ottawa, 1998), 2005-06 Canada West defenseman of the year Chris Ovington (Florida, (1998), Curtis Rich (Tampa Bay, 1998), and Jeff Feniak (Philadelphia, 1999). Heading the 2005-06 recruiting class is starting netminder Aaron Sorochan (15-4-1, 2.29 GAA, .908 save percentage), who was named Canada West rookie of the year after attending the Edmonton Oilers training camp last fall.
2005-06 CIS MAJOR AWARD NOMINEES
The 2005-06 CIS major award winners and all-Canadians will be announced on Wednesday night. The nominees for the major awards are:
Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy (outstanding player)
AUS: Kevin Baker, Acadia
OUA: Mathieu Poitras, McGill
Canada West: Dean Beuker, Saskatchewan
Clare Drake Award (rookie of the year)
AUS: Darryl Boyce, UNB
OUA: Mathieu Gravel, UQTR
CW: Aaron Sorochan, Alberta
R.W. Pugh Award (most sportsmanlike player)
AUS: Brad Self, Saint Mary's
OUA: Ben McLeod, Ottawa
CW: Dean Beuker, Saskatchewan
Father George Kehoe Memorial Award (coach of the year)
AUS: Darren Burns, Acadia
OUA: Martin Raymond, McGill
CW: Eric Thurston, Alberta
Dr. Randy Greg Award (student-athlete / community involvement)
AUS: David Chant, Saint Mary's
OUA: Joel Scherban, Lakehead
CW: Paul Deniset, Manitoba
TOURNAMENT SEEDING & SCHEDULE (All times LOCAL / Mountain Time)
1. Alberta Golden Bears
2. Acadia Axemen
3. Lakehead Thunderwolves
4. McGill Redmen
5. Saskatchewan Huskies
6. Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Thursday, March 23
13:00 Game 1 (Clare Drake Arena): Acadia (2) vs. Saskatchewan (5)
19:00 Game 2 (Clare Drake Arena): McGill (4) vs. Wilfrid Laurier (6)
Friday, March 24
13:00 Game 3 (Clare Drake Arena): Lakehead (3) vs. Loser Game 1
19:00 Game 4 (Clare Drake Arena): Alberta (1) vs. Loser Game 2
Saturday March 25
11:00 Game 5 (Clare Drake Arena): Lakehead vs. Winner Game 1
16:00 Game 6 (Clare Drake Arena): Alberta vs. Winner Game 2 (TSN)
Sunday March 26
19:00 Championship final (Rexall Place): (TSN / following NHL broadcast)
PARTICIPATING TEAMS
1. Alberta Golden Bears (Canada West champions / 21-5-2 regular season, 4-0 playoffs)
Last appearance (result): 2005 (CIS champions)
Previous appearances: 30
Last title: 2005
Number of titles: 11
2. Acadia Axemen (AUS champions / 19-7-1-1 season, 5-0 playoffs)
Last appearance (result): 1998 (finalists)
Previous appearances: 5
Last title: 1996
Number of titles: 2
3. Lakehead Thunderwolves (OUA champions / 13-9-2 season, 7-2 playoffs)
Last appearance (result): 2003 (0-2)
Previous appearances: 2
Last title: -
Number of titles: 0
4. McGill Redmen (OUA finalists / 20-1-3 season, 4-2 playoffs)
Last appearance (result): -
Previous appearances: 0
Last title: -
Number of titles: 0
5. Saskatchewan Huskies (Canada West finalists / 17-7-4 season, 2-2 playoffs)
Last appearance (result): 2005 (finalists)
Previous appearances: 10
Last title: 1983
Number of titles: 1
6. Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (OUA bronze medalists / 13-8-2-1 season, 4-3 playoffs)
Last appearance (result): 2001 (1-1)
Previous appearances: 6
Last title: -
Number of titles: 0
UNIVERSITY CUP CHAMPIONS
Year - Champions (Coach) / Host
2004-05 Alberta (Rob Daum) / Alberta
2003-04 StFX (Danny Flynn) / UNB
2002-03 UQTR (Jacques Laporte) / UNB
2001-02 Western (Clarke Singer) / Guelph, Laurier & Waterloo
2000-01 UQTR (Jacques Laporte) / Guelph, Laurier & Waterloo
1999-00 Alberta (Rob Daum) / Saskatchewan
1998-99 Alberta (Rob Daum) / Saskatchewan
1997-98 UNB (Mike Kelly) / Saskatchewan
1996-97 Guelph (Marlin Muylaert) / CIS Maple Leaf Gardens
1995-96 Acadia (Mark Hanneman) / CIS Maple Leaf Gardens
1994-95 Moncton (Pete Belliveau) / CIS Maple Leaf Gardens
1993-94 Lethbridge (Mike Babcock) / CIS Maple Leaf Gardens
1992-93 Acadia (Tom Coolen) / CIS Maple Leaf Gardens
1991-92 Alberta (Bill Moores) / Toronto
1990-91 UQTR (Dany Dubé) / Toronto
1989-90 Moncton (Len Doucet) / Toronto
1988-89 York (Graham Wise) / Toronto
1987-88 York (Graham Wise) / Toronto
1986-87 UQTR (Clément Jodoin) / Alberta
1985-86 Alberta (Clare Drake) / Alberta
1984-85 York (Dave Chambers) / Toronto
1983-84 Toronto (Mike Keenan) / UQTR
1982-83 Saskatchewan (Dave King) / Moncton
1981-82 Moncton (Jean Perron) / Moncton
1980-81 Moncton (Jean Perron) / Calgary
1979-80 Alberta (Bill Moores) / Regina
1978-79 Alberta (Clare Drake) / Concordia
1977-78 Alberta (Clare Drake) / Moncton
1976-77 Toronto (Tom Watt) / Alberta
1975-76 Toronto (Tom Watt) / Toronto
1974-75 Alberta (Clare Drake) / Alberta
1973-74 Waterloo (Bob McKillop) / Toronto
1972-73 Toronto (Tom Watt) / Toronto
1971-72 Toronto (Tom Watt) / Bishop's & Sherbrooke
1970-71 Toronto (Tom Watt) / Laurentian
1969-70 Toronto (Tom Watt) / UPEI
1968-69 Toronto (Tom Watt) / Alberta
1967-68 Alberta (Clare Drake) / SGW, Loyola, MacDonald
1966-67 Toronto (Tom Watt) / Calgary & Alberta
1965-66 Toronto (Tom Watt) / Laurentian
1964-65 Manitoba (Bill Robinson (Manitoba)
1963-64 Alberta (Clare Drake) / Queen's & RMC / CMR
1962-63 McMaster (Les Prince) / Queen's & RMC / CMR
- CIS -
(Photo: Mathieu Poitras and the McGill Redmen look for redemption this week in Edmonton after a silver-medal finish in the OUA. The Laurier Golden Hawks and Queen's Cup winning Lakehead Thunderwolves will also represent the conference in the six-team TELUS University Cup.)
For more information please contact:
Michel Bélanger
Communications manager
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Ph: (613) 562-5670 ext. 25
Cell: (613) 447-6334
belanger@universitysport.ca
www.universitysport.ca
Bob Stauffer
Communications officer
Department of Athletics
University of Alberta
Ph: (780) 492-7214
bob.stauffer@ualberta.ca
Championship web site: http://www.cisport.ca/e/championships/m_hockey/2006
The Bears, which became the most decorated team in CIS men's hockey history a year ago when they captured their 11th University Cup with a 4-3 overtime win over the Saskatchewan Huskies in front of 10,331 fans at Rexall Place, have repeated three times as CIS champions in their storied history.
Alberta won back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000 under head coach Rob Daum, and pulled a three-peat from 1978-80 with legendary coach Clare Drake behind the bench for the first two championship wins, and Bill Moores completing the hat trick.
The Golden Bears, making their 10th straight appearance at the end-of-the-year tourney, are number-one favorites going into the weekend.
"There's always going to be pressure coming with the No. 1 seeding, but we like to think we have the experience to handle it," said first-year Alberta head coach Eric Thurston two weeks ago prior to the Canada West final between the Bears and Saskatchewan. Alberta went on to sweep the series in two games to secure the No. 1 ranking for the nationals.
"Being No. 1 allows you to control your own destiny. Among other things, you can't face the other conference champions before the gold-medal final," continued the long-time Bears assistant, who took over this season after Daum left to become head coach of the Minnesota Wild AHL affiliate in Houston.
In recent years, the University Cup has proven one of the hardest CIS championships to predict, with the three conferences advancing potential winners year in and year out.
Over the past 10 seasons, Ontario University Athletics has produced four champions, while Canada West and Atlantic University Sport have claimed three banners apiece. Over the past 20, the OUA boasts eight University Cup wins compared to six each for Canada West and the AUS.
"Getting out of the AUS is always tough. But the key was we were able to win the conference final in three straight, which gives us extra rest before the nationals," said Darren Burns, bench boss of the second-seeded Acadia Axemen, following a sweep of UNB in the AUS championship series.
"I am proud of what our team did over the last two seasons to rebuild the program," added Burns, whose squad missed a trip to the CIS tournament a year ago losing a heartbreaking, double-overtime decision to Moncton in the fifth and decisive game of the AUS final.
Pete Belliveau, head coach of the No. 3 and OUA champion Lakehead Thunderwolves, brings a red-hot team to Edmonton. The T-Wolves ousted arch-rival and perennial power Western in the first round of the playoffs, before claiming their first-ever OUA title with a convincing 4-0 win over No. 4 McGill in the Queen's Cup final.
"It took us five years to win but we did it and we're very happy," commented Belliveau, at the helm of a program that returned to CIS men's hockey in 2000-01 after an absence of almost two decades. "We have a lot of work to do to prepare for the nationals however. We'll have to take our game to yet another level."
The No. 4 Redmen (OUA finalists), No. 5 Saskatchewan Huskies (Canada West finalists), and No. 6 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (OUA bronze medalists) round out the list of participating teams for the 2006 University Cup.
Alberta, McGill and Laurier will make up Pool A for the round-robin portion of the tournament, while Acadia, Lakehead and Saskatchewan will compete in Pool B. All round-robin contests will be played at Clare Drake Arena on the campus of the University of Alberta, with the top finishers in each pool moving to Rexall Place for the gold-medal game on Sunday.
The 2006 Telus University Cup tournament gets under way on Thursday, March 23 with round-robin match-ups between Acadia and Saskatchewan (1 p.m. MST), and McGill and Laurier (7 p.m. MST).
Two games from the championship will be televised nationally on TSN: the last duel of the round-robin tournament on Saturday (4 p.m. MST), and the championship final on Sunday (7 p.m. MST / TV: following NHL broadcast).
Here is an up-close look at the six teams competing for the 2005-06 CIS banner.
The No. 6 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, vying for their first-ever University Cup title, return to the CIS championship for the first time since co-hosting the event in 2000-01, and the second time since the 1991-92 season. Laurier earned its ticket for Edmonton with a surprising, 2-1 road victory over nationally-ranked and perennial power UQTR in the OUA bronze-medal game. The Hawks, which had lost in three games to eventual OUA champion Lakehead in a best-of-three conference semi-final before facing UQTR, overcame a dismal 5-9-2 start in the regular season and closed out conference play on an 8-2 run. The Hawks are no strangers to Western Canada. Second-year head coach Steve Martell, a former draft pick of the NHL's Washington Capitals, came to Laurier following a four-year stint as an assistant with the Calgary Dinos, and his solid 2005-06 recruiting class includes two former WHL players, 6-foot-4 rearguard Danny Ehrman (Moose Jaw Warriors) and forward Joseph Grover (Portland Winter Hawks), who hails from Consort, Alta. Another freshman, forward Matt Maccarone, stands 6-foot-7 and will be the tallest player to line up at the TELUS University Cup. Starting goaltender Justin Day posted an excellent 11-4-1 mark in conference play with a 2.86 GAA and a .919 save percentage.
The No. 5 Saskatchewan Huskies advance to the nationals for the second consecutive season and the 11th time in history, vying to claim the University Cup for the first time since winning their lone national title back in 1982-83. The "˜Dogs couldn't have come closer to their second University Cup championship a year ago as they held a 3-2 lead in the gold-medal game with 23 seconds left in regulation, only to drop a 4-3 OT decision to Alberta. Saskatchewan came back in 2005-06 to win its third consecutive Great Plains Division title before losing in two games to Alberta in the Canada West final. The Huskies, which kept the best defensive record in Canada West in the regular season with 65 goals allowed in 28 contests (2.32 GAA), are led on offence by Dean Beuker, who tied for the CIS scoring lead in conference play with 47 points in 27 games (22-25-47), one year after topping all players in the nation with 46 points (15-31-46). Beuker, a fourth-year forward who was invited to the Florida Panthers rookie camp last fall, heads an almost all-Saskatchewan roster, as all but two Huskies are from the Prairie province, including 12 who hail from Saskatoon. Head coach Dave Adolph, in his 14th season at the helm, was a defenseman and co-captain with the 1982-83 national champion Huskies, when Saskatchewan was coached by former NHL and national team bench boss Dave King.
The No. 4 McGill Redmen have finally done it. The oldest hockey team in Canada, in its 130th season, will be making its first-ever appearance at the University Cup tournament since the inception of the national championship in 1962-63. Despite a young lineup that includes 10 freshmen and seven sophomores, the Redmen are enjoying one of the best seasons in school history, a campaign which has been filled with records and firsts: first No. 1 ranking in the CIS poll in history, best winning percentage (.896) in conference play in 67 years (.900 in 1938-39, 9-1), CIS records for most shutouts (12 in 24 games) and lowest goals against average (1.21) in conference play, first series win in history in 12 tries over arch-rival UQTR (two games to none in OUA semi-final). Traveling to Edmonton following a 4-0 loss to Lakehead in the single-game OUA final, the Redmen are led by 2004-05 CIS rookie of the year and 2005-06 OUA MVP, goalie Mathieu Poitras (regular season: 14-1-2, CIS record 7 shutouts, 1.40 GAA, .943 save percentage), who has had NHL tryouts with Anaheim (2004) and Washington (2005). One of McGill's top forwards, fifth-year right-winger and assistant captain Doug Orr (16 GP, 9-12-21 pts) is the nephew of NHL legend Bobby Orr.
The No. 3 Lakehead Thunderwolves make their third appearance in history at the University Cup tournament, fresh from winning their first-ever OUA Queen's Cup championship with a convincing 4-0 win over McGill. Prior to this season, Lakehead had advanced to the nationals once since returning to CIS hockey in 2000-01, in march 2003 in Fredericton, while the first incarnation of the team, the Norwesters (1965-84), had played in the 1973 tourney. Lakehead returned home with an 0-2 record on both occasions, and will be looking for its first win on the national stage this weekend. The T-Wolves are captained by fifth-year centre Joel Scherban, last year's CIS most valuable player, and a two-time recipient of the CIS most sportsmanlike player award. Scherban, who also wore the "C" in the OHL with the London Knights, is Lakehead's all-time leading scorer and topped the T-Wolves again this season with 27 points (13-14-27) in 24 conference games. Four Alberta natives suit up for the T-Wolves including 2001-02 CIS rookie of the year, defenseman Erik Lodge of Innisfail, and netminder Grant McCune of Sherwood Park, who shares the goaltending duties with sophomore Chris Whitley but was in net for the 4-0 shutout of McGill in the OUA final. The Thunderwolves shouldn't be intimidated by big crowds this weekend in Edmonton. Lakehead has averaged near-sellout crowds of over 3,000 fans at Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay since it's return to CIS hockey, by far the best attendance numbers in the nation.
The No. 2 Acadia Axemen, CIS champions in 1993 and '96, made sure they didn't leave anything to chance this year as they secured their first University Cup berth since a silver-medal finish in 1998. A year ago, the Axemen held a 2-0 lead over Moncton in the fifth and decisive game of the best-of-five AUS final only to see the Aigles Bleus come back to win 3-2 in double overtime, and earn the conference ticket to the CIS championship. This season, Acadia took care of UNB in three straight games in the AUS championship series to claim its first conference banner since 1995-96. The Axemen topped the AUS in both offense (110 goals) and defense (69 GA) this season in conference play, led by AUS MVP Kevin Baker, a right-winger who tied for the CIS lead in scoring with 47 points in 28 games (24-23-47). Acadia has no shortage of big-game experience, with 10 skaters who have played in the Memorial Cup tournament, including fourth-year centre Andrew Bergen of Red Deer, Alta., who won the CHL national title with the Red Deer Rebels in 2001. Fifth-year head coach Darren Burns, named CIS coach of the year in 2004-05 and honored at the conference level again this season, was a member of the two Axemen national championship teams, as a player in 1993 and as an assistant-coach in 1996.
The No. 1 Alberta Golden Bears are making their 10th consecutive appearance at the University Cup tournament, and their CIS-record 31st since 1962-63. The top-seeded Bears also enter the weekend holding the University Cup records for most titles (11), games (80), wins (53), losses (25), ties (2), goals scored (372) and goals against (245), and show a 4-1-0 record at the nationals against the 2006 field (2-0-0 vs. Lakehead, 1-0-0 vs. Saskatchewan, 1-1-0 vs. Acadia). Alberta is coming off yet another fantastic season under new head coach Eric Thurston, with their sixth consecutive first-place finish in the Canada West combined standings (21-5-2) and their sixth straight conference banner, the last five claimed over Saskatchewan (swept 2006 final in two games). The Bears lineup is filled with talent and experience. 16 players were members of the 2005 University Cup championship team, seven are in their fifth and final year of CIS eligibility, seven were captains in the WHL, including current team captain Gavin McLeod and 2005 University Cup tournament MVP Ben Thomson, and four Bears defensemen were NHL draft choices: McLeod (Ottawa, 1998), 2005-06 Canada West defenseman of the year Chris Ovington (Florida, (1998), Curtis Rich (Tampa Bay, 1998), and Jeff Feniak (Philadelphia, 1999). Heading the 2005-06 recruiting class is starting netminder Aaron Sorochan (15-4-1, 2.29 GAA, .908 save percentage), who was named Canada West rookie of the year after attending the Edmonton Oilers training camp last fall.
2005-06 CIS MAJOR AWARD NOMINEES
The 2005-06 CIS major award winners and all-Canadians will be announced on Wednesday night. The nominees for the major awards are:
Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy (outstanding player)
AUS: Kevin Baker, Acadia
OUA: Mathieu Poitras, McGill
Canada West: Dean Beuker, Saskatchewan
Clare Drake Award (rookie of the year)
AUS: Darryl Boyce, UNB
OUA: Mathieu Gravel, UQTR
CW: Aaron Sorochan, Alberta
R.W. Pugh Award (most sportsmanlike player)
AUS: Brad Self, Saint Mary's
OUA: Ben McLeod, Ottawa
CW: Dean Beuker, Saskatchewan
Father George Kehoe Memorial Award (coach of the year)
AUS: Darren Burns, Acadia
OUA: Martin Raymond, McGill
CW: Eric Thurston, Alberta
Dr. Randy Greg Award (student-athlete / community involvement)
AUS: David Chant, Saint Mary's
OUA: Joel Scherban, Lakehead
CW: Paul Deniset, Manitoba
TOURNAMENT SEEDING & SCHEDULE (All times LOCAL / Mountain Time)
1. Alberta Golden Bears
2. Acadia Axemen
3. Lakehead Thunderwolves
4. McGill Redmen
5. Saskatchewan Huskies
6. Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Thursday, March 23
13:00 Game 1 (Clare Drake Arena): Acadia (2) vs. Saskatchewan (5)
19:00 Game 2 (Clare Drake Arena): McGill (4) vs. Wilfrid Laurier (6)
Friday, March 24
13:00 Game 3 (Clare Drake Arena): Lakehead (3) vs. Loser Game 1
19:00 Game 4 (Clare Drake Arena): Alberta (1) vs. Loser Game 2
Saturday March 25
11:00 Game 5 (Clare Drake Arena): Lakehead vs. Winner Game 1
16:00 Game 6 (Clare Drake Arena): Alberta vs. Winner Game 2 (TSN)
Sunday March 26
19:00 Championship final (Rexall Place): (TSN / following NHL broadcast)
PARTICIPATING TEAMS
1. Alberta Golden Bears (Canada West champions / 21-5-2 regular season, 4-0 playoffs)
Last appearance (result): 2005 (CIS champions)
Previous appearances: 30
Last title: 2005
Number of titles: 11
2. Acadia Axemen (AUS champions / 19-7-1-1 season, 5-0 playoffs)
Last appearance (result): 1998 (finalists)
Previous appearances: 5
Last title: 1996
Number of titles: 2
3. Lakehead Thunderwolves (OUA champions / 13-9-2 season, 7-2 playoffs)
Last appearance (result): 2003 (0-2)
Previous appearances: 2
Last title: -
Number of titles: 0
4. McGill Redmen (OUA finalists / 20-1-3 season, 4-2 playoffs)
Last appearance (result): -
Previous appearances: 0
Last title: -
Number of titles: 0
5. Saskatchewan Huskies (Canada West finalists / 17-7-4 season, 2-2 playoffs)
Last appearance (result): 2005 (finalists)
Previous appearances: 10
Last title: 1983
Number of titles: 1
6. Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (OUA bronze medalists / 13-8-2-1 season, 4-3 playoffs)
Last appearance (result): 2001 (1-1)
Previous appearances: 6
Last title: -
Number of titles: 0
UNIVERSITY CUP CHAMPIONS
Year - Champions (Coach) / Host
2004-05 Alberta (Rob Daum) / Alberta
2003-04 StFX (Danny Flynn) / UNB
2002-03 UQTR (Jacques Laporte) / UNB
2001-02 Western (Clarke Singer) / Guelph, Laurier & Waterloo
2000-01 UQTR (Jacques Laporte) / Guelph, Laurier & Waterloo
1999-00 Alberta (Rob Daum) / Saskatchewan
1998-99 Alberta (Rob Daum) / Saskatchewan
1997-98 UNB (Mike Kelly) / Saskatchewan
1996-97 Guelph (Marlin Muylaert) / CIS Maple Leaf Gardens
1995-96 Acadia (Mark Hanneman) / CIS Maple Leaf Gardens
1994-95 Moncton (Pete Belliveau) / CIS Maple Leaf Gardens
1993-94 Lethbridge (Mike Babcock) / CIS Maple Leaf Gardens
1992-93 Acadia (Tom Coolen) / CIS Maple Leaf Gardens
1991-92 Alberta (Bill Moores) / Toronto
1990-91 UQTR (Dany Dubé) / Toronto
1989-90 Moncton (Len Doucet) / Toronto
1988-89 York (Graham Wise) / Toronto
1987-88 York (Graham Wise) / Toronto
1986-87 UQTR (Clément Jodoin) / Alberta
1985-86 Alberta (Clare Drake) / Alberta
1984-85 York (Dave Chambers) / Toronto
1983-84 Toronto (Mike Keenan) / UQTR
1982-83 Saskatchewan (Dave King) / Moncton
1981-82 Moncton (Jean Perron) / Moncton
1980-81 Moncton (Jean Perron) / Calgary
1979-80 Alberta (Bill Moores) / Regina
1978-79 Alberta (Clare Drake) / Concordia
1977-78 Alberta (Clare Drake) / Moncton
1976-77 Toronto (Tom Watt) / Alberta
1975-76 Toronto (Tom Watt) / Toronto
1974-75 Alberta (Clare Drake) / Alberta
1973-74 Waterloo (Bob McKillop) / Toronto
1972-73 Toronto (Tom Watt) / Toronto
1971-72 Toronto (Tom Watt) / Bishop's & Sherbrooke
1970-71 Toronto (Tom Watt) / Laurentian
1969-70 Toronto (Tom Watt) / UPEI
1968-69 Toronto (Tom Watt) / Alberta
1967-68 Alberta (Clare Drake) / SGW, Loyola, MacDonald
1966-67 Toronto (Tom Watt) / Calgary & Alberta
1965-66 Toronto (Tom Watt) / Laurentian
1964-65 Manitoba (Bill Robinson (Manitoba)
1963-64 Alberta (Clare Drake) / Queen's & RMC / CMR
1962-63 McMaster (Les Prince) / Queen's & RMC / CMR
- CIS -
(Photo: Mathieu Poitras and the McGill Redmen look for redemption this week in Edmonton after a silver-medal finish in the OUA. The Laurier Golden Hawks and Queen's Cup winning Lakehead Thunderwolves will also represent the conference in the six-team TELUS University Cup.)
For more information please contact:
Michel Bélanger
Communications manager
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Ph: (613) 562-5670 ext. 25
Cell: (613) 447-6334
belanger@universitysport.ca
www.universitysport.ca
Bob Stauffer
Communications officer
Department of Athletics
University of Alberta
Ph: (780) 492-7214
bob.stauffer@ualberta.ca
