UNB second seed at CIS national championship

OTTAWA (CIS) – The UNB Varsity Reds are the second-seeded team heading into the CIS men's hockey championship.

For the third consecutive year, the University of Alberta Golden Bears have earned the number one seed.

Championship website: www.universitycup.ca  

The seeding was announced on Sunday for the 2015 University Cup tournament hosted by St. Francis Xavier University at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax. The national competition, using a new eight-team format this year, gets underway on Thursday and culminates next Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Atlantic Time (5:30 p.m. ET) with the gold-medal final, live on Sportsnet 360.

Saturday’s semifinals are also live on Sportsnet 360 (noon & 4 p.m. Atlantic), while the quarter-finals and the bronze-medal match are set to air on Eastlink TV. All eight games from the tourney will be webcast on www.CIS-SIC.tv. 

The Golden Bears, who won their record 14^th University Cup title a year ago and successfully defended the Canada West banner earlier this weekend, will be joined in Nova Scotia’s capital by the second-seeded UNB Varsity Reds (AUS champions), No. 3 Guelph Gryphons (OUA champs), No. 4 UQTR Patriotes (OUA finalists), No. 5 Acadia Axemen (AUS finalists), No. 6 Calgary Dinos (Canada West finalists), No. 7 Windsor Lancers (OUA bronze medallists) and No. 8 StFX X-Men (AUS semi-finalists).  

The quarter-final matchups, split over two days, include Calgary vs. Guelph Thursday at 1 p.m., Windsor vs. UNB Thursday at 7 p.m., Acadia vs. UQTR Friday at 1 p.m., as well as StFX vs. Alberta Friday at 7 p.m.

Alberta was the logical choice for the top seed as the reigning national champions led all 20 weekly national polls this season, posted a CIS-best 24-3-1 mark in league play and added four straight wins in the Canada West playoffs, including a two-game sweep against Calgary in the conference final. 

In addition to the Bears, five other contenders have claimed the CIS banner in the past, including UNB (5), UQTR (4), Acadia (2), Guelph (1) and StFX (1), while Calgary and Windsor are still looking for their first triumph. 

NOTES: A complete championship preview will follow on Tuesday... The traditional meet-the-teams media conference is scheduled for Wednesday at 11 a.m. Atlantic Time at the Scotiabank Centre... The All-Canadian Dinner & Gala is set for Wednesday evening at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel. 

SEEDING

1. Alberta Golden Bears (CWUAA champions: 24-3-1 regular season / 4-0 playoffs)

2. UNB Varsity Reds (AUS champions: 22-4-2 regular season / 5-2 playoffs)

3. Guelph Gryphons (OUA champions: 11-13-3 regular season / 7-2 playoffs)

4. UQTR Patriotes (OUA finalists: 19-4-3 regular season / 6-1 playoffs)

5. Acadia Axemen (AUS finalists: 20-5-3 regular season / 3-4 playoffs)

6. Calgary Dinos (CWUAA finalists: 20-8-0 regular season / 2-3 playoffs)

7. Windsor Lancers (OUA bronze medallists: 22-4-1 regular season / 5-3 playoffs)

8. StFX X-Men (AUS semi-finalists: 17-9-2 regular season / 4-3 playoffs)

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE (all times ATLANTIC TIME)

Wednesday, March 11

11:00 Meet the Teams Media Conference (Scotiabank Centre)

18:30 All-Canadian Dinner & Gala (Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel)

Thursday, March 12

13:00 Quarter-final 1: No. 6 Calgary vs. No. 3 Guelph (Eastlink TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv) 

19:00 Quarter-final 2: No. 7 Windsor vs. No. 2 UNB (Eastlink TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv) 

Friday, March 13

13:00 Quarter-final 3: No. 5 Acadia vs. No. 4 UQTR (Eastlink TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv) 

19:00 Quarter-final 4: No. 8 StFX vs. No. 1 Alberta (Eastlink TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv) 

Saturday, March 14

12:00 Semifinal 1: Winner QF 1 vs. Winner QF 2 (Sportsnet 360 / www.CIS-SIC.tv) * 

16:00 Semifinal 2: Winner QF 3 vs. Winner QF 4 (Sportsnet 360 / www.CIS-SIC.tv) * 

Sunday, March 15

14:00 Bronze (Eastlink TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv) 

18:30 Final (Sportsnet 360 / www.CIS-SIC.tv) *