The reigning Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's hockey champion University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds are taking their program to new heights in October. They're in the Mile High City for games against the University of Denver Pioneers Oct. 6, sandwiched around a pair of games in Colorado Springs - elevation 6,035 feet - for games against the Colorado College Tigers Oct. 5 and Air Force Academy Falcons Oct. 7.

The V-Reds open the preseason schedule in Cocagne against the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus on Monday, Sept. 16 – the fourth consecutive year UNB has opened up on the road for their exhibition and the second year versus Moncton. They will then host the University of Windsor Lancers Friday night, Sept. 20, and Saturday, Sept. 21, as the Lancers make their first trip to the Aitken Centre.

The Carleton Ravens of Ottawa are in the following Friday night at the Aitken Centre as part of UNB's Fall Homecoming before the Varsity Reds hit the road for their annual NCAA trip. Coach Gardiner MacDougall is still hoping to firm up an exhibition game against the American Hockey League Portland Pirates in early October prior to flying off to Denver. The V-Reds are still confirming their opponent for their annual Pete Kelly Christmas Challenge but also have added an additional date on Tuesday, January 21^st when they will travel to Alfond Arena and play their annual game versus the University of Maine.

"It's unbelievable to get this opportunity, we've had an annual NCAA trip for a lot of years now and I think they always make your team better, there's the competition on the ice, but you always look for team-building activities. And really, it's a lifetime opportunity for the majority of our group, to get to Denver in October and to be able to play three top-notch teams." said MacDougall, who has had his share of rich experiences with UNB, highlighted, of course, by the four national championships the V-Reds have won in his 12 years at the helm and eight CIS Nationals appearances.

Mac Dougall and Pioneers director of hockey operations David Tenzer put the tour together last summer and MacDougall expects the trip to provide the V-Reds with some excellent competition. "They" in this case are the Denver Pioneers of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, who kick off the 2013-14 schedule with the game, booked for the Magness Arena.
Colorado College and Denver are rivals in a newly commissioned National Collegiate Hockey Conference this season. They'll play a 24-game regular-season schedule against Miami, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, St. Cloud State and Western Michigan.

Both were formerly part of the 12-team Western Collegiate Hockey Association, Denver finishing fourth in the circuit last year with a 14-9-5 record in conference and a 20-14-5 record overall, Colorado College in eighth, 11-13-4 in conference and 18-19-5 overall. Air Force was second in the Division 1 Atlantic League with a 15-7-5 mark in their league and a 17-13-7 mark overall.

The V-Reds are coming off a sixth straight regular-season pennant in the Atlantic University Sport men's hockey conference and another CIS national championship after defeating the Saint Mary's Huskies. See the complete UNB exhibition schedule below:




UNB HOCKEY 2013-14
Non- Conference Schedule

MON. SEPT 16 Game 1 UNB @ Moncton – Cocagne, NB 7:00 PM

2013 FALL CLASSIC CHALLENGE

FRI. SEPT 20 Game 2 UNB VS Windsor - AUC 7:00 PM

SAT. SEPT 21 Game 3 UNB VS Windsor - AUC 7:00 PM

UNB ALUMNI HOMECOMING

FRI. SEPT 27 Game 4 UNB VS Carleton - AUC 7:00 PM


UNB US TRIP # 1

TBA GM 5 AHL Game UNB @ Portland Pirates

SAT. OCT 6 Game 6 UNB @ Colorado College 7:00 PM

SUN. OCT 7 Game 7 UNB @ Denver 7:00 PM

MON. OCT 8 Game 8 UNB @ Air Force 6:00 PM

TBD DEC. Game 9 UNB VS. 2013 PETE KELLY CHALLENGE

UNB US TRIP # 2

TUES. JAN 21 Game 10 UNB @ University of Maine 7:00 PM