Clendenning and V-Reds look forward to 'favourite time of year'

AUS hockey .nal | UNB, UdeM both teams going to University Cup, but still lots on line

The University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds battle the Universite de Moncton Aigles Bleus Wednesday night in Game One of the Atlantic University Sport men's hockey championships at the Aitken University Centre.

Puck drop is 7 p.m.

Moncton dropped the Saint Mary's Huskies 3-1 in a best-of-five semifinal series to earn a berth in the league championship, while the V-Reds punched their ticket to the finals with a clean sweep of the UPEI Panthers the other league semifinal playoff series.

Jordan Clendenning's Game 3 overtime winner against UPEI sent the defending champion V-Reds to the final for the sixth time in the past nine seasons, setting the table for a rematch of the 2006-07 AUS championships, in which Moncton emerged victorious.

Clendenning, who overcame a mid-season ACL team to rejoin the V-Reds for the playoff run, said for him, it's all about playoff hockey. 'It's been a roller coaster season for me,' said the fourth-year forward, who was sidelined nearly three months with a knee injury and didn't skate Tuesday due to pneumonia. 'I was off to a good start (then) had the injury. But right now, I'm excited. It's my favourite time of the year.' Although he's not 100 per cent, with a brace on his knee, the senior centerman will do just about anything to help his V-Reds earn the AUS banner ahead of this month's Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championships, which UNB is hosting.

'As of right now, I'm coming back in a third line center role,' he said. 'It's a role I'm familiar with. I've been there pretty much the last four years, and in junior...I'm there to create some energy and chip in some offence, while focusing on being a two-way (player) that can play offence or defence. Another role I've taken on in playoffs is taking big faceoffs.' UNB head coach Gardiner Mac-Dougall said Clendenning, who battled through a flu to score that big OT winner vs. PEI, has provided a big boost to the V-Reds' lineup since returning.

'He usually plays his best hockey this time of year,' said MacDougall. 'He's battled through with the ACL (injury), he's been playing with a brace. But he brings so much to the team - his performance and leadership, and he competes...he's representative of what our team is all about.' Defenceman Luke Gallant said via Twitter that he is 'looking forward to getting back in the lineup (tomorrow)' after missing the entire UPEI series with an undisclosed injury.

Heading into Wednesday's Game 1, both teams have secured a spot at nationals.

Moncton's defeat of SMU in the semis - thanks to three-straight wins after dropping the series opener came to the surprise of some, said Aigles Bleus head coach Serge Bour geois.

And even though they'll be back at the Aitken Centre in late March when the puck drops on the Cavendish University Cup, Bourgeois said there is still lots to play for in the meantime.

'I don't think people give us a lot of a chance against UNB,' he said. 'But we'll go there and try our best to find ways to win.

'We had a good meeting, with captains and assistants,' said Bourgeois. 'And we decided to focus on the now. That's UNB and the series to win the AUS. That's our goal. That's what we want to do. As soon as that's over, win or lose, we move on. I asked the boys if they wanted to play smart, to rest guys, but we decided 'no.' We're going to do our best to win, it's the only thing that would prepare us well for the (CIS) championships.' UNB took the season series between the two squads 3-1.

MacDougall said he expects a fastpaced best-of-five against Moncton will prepare both sides for what lies ahead March 22-25 at the Aitken Centre.

'It's not easy to win in this league this year,' said MacDougall. 'I think both teams bring out the best in one another. Going back to different times we've played them for AUS championships, or even regular season games, there's a lot of passion and emotion when these two teams play off. And I think it will make both teams better for the big dance down the road at nationals.' Around the CIS men's hockey circuit, the pool of teams that will vie for a national championship starting Mar. 22 is beginning to take shape.

The best of three Canada West hockey finals between the University of Calgary and the University of Saskatchewan begins this Friday, with the winner earning a national berth.

In Ontario, both McGill University of Montreal and Western University of London, Ont. have each qualified by winning the OUA Eastern and Western Conferences respectively, Both teams were here last year, with McGill losing the gold medal game to UNB.

A wild card final between the Universite du Quebec at Trois Rivieres (UQTR) and the University of Windsor on Mar. 11 will determine the third Ontario entry.