V-Reds still the best in CIS hockey

The University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds top the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's hockey top 10 rankings for the seventh week in a row.

The 23-5 V-Reds once again received all but one first-place vote from the 18-member media panel for a total of 179 points. The McGill Redmen received the remaining first-place nod and 152 points.

The Alberta Golden Bears and the reigning CIS champion Saint Mary's Huskies remain at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, while the Western Ontario Mustangs move up one spot to fifth.

The St. Francis Xavier X-Men, who swept the Dalhousie Tigers two straight in an AUS best-of-three series, move from seventh to sixth.

Rounding out the top 10 are the Calgary Dinos, Saskatchewan Huskies, UQTR Patriotes and Carleton Ravens.

The Acadia Axemen, who swept the UPEI Panthers in the other first-round AUS series, were 11th in voting.

The Axemen and V-Reds open a best-of-five AUS semifinal with games Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Aitken University Centre (CHSR-FM 97.9). Game 3 and 4 will be played in Wolfville, N.S. the following Thursday and Friday with the fifth and final game if required slated for the AUC on Tuesday, March 8.

The X-Men, due to a scheduling conflict in Halifax, host the Huskies for Game 1 of the other semifinal Friday. The second game goes Sunday in Halifax. Game 3 is also slated for Halifax with Game 4 back in Antigonish. If a fifth game is necessary, it'll be back in Halifax on Tuesday, March 8.