V-Reds vs. UdeM for AUS title
March 5, 2012
Best-of-5 .nal | Series opens here Wednesday at AUC
The Universite de Moncton Aigles Bleus will open the best-offive Atlantic University Sport Men's Hockey Conference final against the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds with games Wednesday and Thursday at the Aitken Centre.
Les Aigles Bleus edged the Saint Mary's Huskies 2-1 Saturday night before a capacity crowd at the J. Louis Levesque Arena to win the best-offive AUS semifinal series 3-1. In so doing, they've already guaranteed a berth in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's hockey championship tournament here March 22-25.
The V-Reds, who swept past the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers in straight games in the other best-of-five semifinal, are already guaranteed a berth as the host-team in the six-team tourney, but would likely go in as the top seed in the tournament should they defeat les Aigles Bleus and defend their AUS championship. In that case, les Aigles would inherit the sixth seed in the host team slot.
Les Aigles punched their ticket to the tourney by rallying for three straight wins over the Huskies. After dropping the opener in the series 6-2 to the Huskies with backup goaltender Andre-Michel Guay in the net, les Aigles went back to number one goaltender Pierre-Alexandre Marion and won by scores of 3-1, 6-1 and then the series-clinching 2-1 victory Saturday.
In that game, Les Aigles pounced quickly, scoring in the opening minute of both the first and second periods past Saint Mary's goaltender Anthony Peters. Christopher Guay struck first, opening the scoring 46 seconds into the first period to get the capacity crowd of 1,539 fans at the J. Louis Levesque Arena buzzing. Alex Quesnel scored 58 seconds into the second period for the goal that stood as the game winner, connecting on a power play with Parker Deighan of the Huskies off for slashing.
It would be enough. The Huskies couln't penetrate until Cam Fergus scored 6:02 into the third period past Marion, and though the Huskies outshot les Aigles 11-5 in the final period and 30-28 overall, they couldn't break through.
That means les Aigles advance to the CIS tournament for the first time since hosting the event in 2007 and losing the CIS championship game in overtime to the Varsity Reds on Rob Pearce's goal. The teams were separated by six points in the final standings this season, with the V-Reds winning the regular season pennant with a 20-5-3 mark and les Aigles finishing third with an 18-9-1 mark.
The V-Reds won three of four regular season meetings, doubling les Aigles 6-3 in Moncton Nov. 4, winning 2-1 here Nov. 20, falling 5-1 in Moncton on Jan. 20 and wrapping up the regular season with a 4-1 win on home ice Feb. 11.
Following the games at the Aitken Centre the series switches to Moncton for Game 3 next Sunday night at the Levesque Arena. A fourth game would go Tuesday, March 13 in Moncton with a fifth and deciding game March 15 at the Aitken Centre.
The McGill Redmen of Montreal will also be back at the Aitken Centre for the CIS tourney after clinching the Ontario Universities East Division crown with a 5-4 double overtime victory over the Universite of Quebec at Trois Rivieres Saturday.
Andrew Wright's second goal of the game in double overtime lifted the Redmen. Goaltender Hubert Morin was the other hero for McGill, making 45 saves, including 11 in the first 10 minute overtime period, when the Redmen were outshot 11-0.
The Universite de Moncton Aigles Bleus will open the best-offive Atlantic University Sport Men's Hockey Conference final against the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds with games Wednesday and Thursday at the Aitken Centre.
Les Aigles Bleus edged the Saint Mary's Huskies 2-1 Saturday night before a capacity crowd at the J. Louis Levesque Arena to win the best-offive AUS semifinal series 3-1. In so doing, they've already guaranteed a berth in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's hockey championship tournament here March 22-25.
The V-Reds, who swept past the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers in straight games in the other best-of-five semifinal, are already guaranteed a berth as the host-team in the six-team tourney, but would likely go in as the top seed in the tournament should they defeat les Aigles Bleus and defend their AUS championship. In that case, les Aigles would inherit the sixth seed in the host team slot.
Les Aigles punched their ticket to the tourney by rallying for three straight wins over the Huskies. After dropping the opener in the series 6-2 to the Huskies with backup goaltender Andre-Michel Guay in the net, les Aigles went back to number one goaltender Pierre-Alexandre Marion and won by scores of 3-1, 6-1 and then the series-clinching 2-1 victory Saturday.
In that game, Les Aigles pounced quickly, scoring in the opening minute of both the first and second periods past Saint Mary's goaltender Anthony Peters. Christopher Guay struck first, opening the scoring 46 seconds into the first period to get the capacity crowd of 1,539 fans at the J. Louis Levesque Arena buzzing. Alex Quesnel scored 58 seconds into the second period for the goal that stood as the game winner, connecting on a power play with Parker Deighan of the Huskies off for slashing.
It would be enough. The Huskies couln't penetrate until Cam Fergus scored 6:02 into the third period past Marion, and though the Huskies outshot les Aigles 11-5 in the final period and 30-28 overall, they couldn't break through.
That means les Aigles advance to the CIS tournament for the first time since hosting the event in 2007 and losing the CIS championship game in overtime to the Varsity Reds on Rob Pearce's goal. The teams were separated by six points in the final standings this season, with the V-Reds winning the regular season pennant with a 20-5-3 mark and les Aigles finishing third with an 18-9-1 mark.
The V-Reds won three of four regular season meetings, doubling les Aigles 6-3 in Moncton Nov. 4, winning 2-1 here Nov. 20, falling 5-1 in Moncton on Jan. 20 and wrapping up the regular season with a 4-1 win on home ice Feb. 11.
Following the games at the Aitken Centre the series switches to Moncton for Game 3 next Sunday night at the Levesque Arena. A fourth game would go Tuesday, March 13 in Moncton with a fifth and deciding game March 15 at the Aitken Centre.
The McGill Redmen of Montreal will also be back at the Aitken Centre for the CIS tourney after clinching the Ontario Universities East Division crown with a 5-4 double overtime victory over the Universite of Quebec at Trois Rivieres Saturday.
Andrew Wright's second goal of the game in double overtime lifted the Redmen. Goaltender Hubert Morin was the other hero for McGill, making 45 saves, including 11 in the first 10 minute overtime period, when the Redmen were outshot 11-0.