The 2014 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) University Cup will take place from March 20-23 at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon for the second straight year. There are six teams competing at the men’s national hockey tournament in two divisions of three teams, with the top finisher in each division moving on to the championship final.
‘Pool A’ consists of the top-seeded University of Alberta, the fourth-seeded McGill University, and sixth-ranked Carleton University. The Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team is making its first appearance at the University Cup in program history, since its revival seven years ago.
‘Pool B’ includes second-seeded Acadia University, the third-ranked University of Windsor, and the fifth-seeded University of Saskatchewan.
Here is a preview of the six teams competing for a national title:
#1– University of Alberta Golden Bears (25-2-1 in regular season, 4-0 in playoffs)
How they got here: Canada West University Athletic Association (CWUAA) champions
Player to watch: Sean Ringrose (fifth-year forward)
Ringrose is the captain of the Golden Bears and is now finishing his fifth and final campaign with the team. He led his team in scoring with 36 points coming off 15 goals and 21 assists. He was named to the second team of CIS All-Canadians this season.
Noteworthy statistics: U of A is a national powerhouse at both ends of the ice. The Golden Bears not only led the CIS by a wide margin with an average of 5.21 goals per game, they also had the fewest goals allowed every contest, posting a miniscule 1.92 goals against average. They also have the best special teams in the country, with the best power play rate and second-best penalty kill percentage.
Tournament history: The Golden Bears have won a record 13 University Cup titles, but have been in a recent drought. The team has not won a national championship since 2008, and finished last in their pool a year ago after initially being seeded first.
Coach’s words at pre-tournament media conference: “We’re very excited to get things going here and we feel we’ve got some unfinished business,” Golden Bears head coach Ian Herbers said.
Biggest question: Can the Golden Bears bounce back after a disappointing showing last year, especially given all the expectations this season?
#2– Acadia University Axemen (21-4-3 in regular season, 6-2 in playoffs)
How they got here: Atlantic University Sport (AUS) champions
Player to watch: Liam Heelis (third-year forward)
Heelis captured of the prestigious Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy as national player of the year, awarded at the Credit Union Centre March 19. His 42 points were tied for his team’s lead, with 24 of those being a team-high goal total to go along with his 18 helpers. He also serves as his team’s captain and was named to the first team of CIS All-Canadians.
Noteworthy statistics: The Axemen had the third-best goals against average in Canada this year, only allowing about 2.32 goals each game. Acadia is also well-versed in all other major categories, ranking in the top-10 in goals per game, save percentage, power play percentage, penalty kill percentage, shorthanded goals scored, and shots on goal each game.
Tournament history: Acadia is returning to the tournament after a significant absence, having last competed in 2006. In their previous six University Cup showings, they won it all twice—but none since 1996. The absence of defending champs from the University of New Brunswick, winners of four of the last seven national championships, means Acadia is the sole hope for Atlantic hockey fans.
Coach’s words at pre-tournament media conference: “We’re very happy to be here and we’re excited. We know there’s some great competition here,” Axemen head coach Darren Burns said.
Biggest question: Is Acadia ready to handle the pressures of being back under the spotlight?
#3– University of Windsor Lancers (17-11-0 in regular season, 7-1 in playoffs)
How they got here: Ontario University Athletics (OUA) champions
Player to watch: Parker Van Buskirk (fourth-year goalie)
Van Buskirk, a Windsor native, was a crucial member of his team this season, appearing in 26 of 28 regular season games. In these games, he posted a .920 save percentage and led the CIS in saves with 763 stops this season. He is one of only two players on the team in their fourth or fifth years, along with defenceman Christian Steingraber.
Noteworthy statistics: The Lancers went on a surprise run to win the Queen’s Cup, the OUA championship trophy, and it showed in their regular season stats. The team only had the 19th-best in Canada for goals scored per game, as well as being just the 14th-best in average goals against. However, the team went 7-1 in playoffs, largely in part to its defensive play. Their one loss to the University of Toronto—by a 3-2 margin—was the only time the Lancers allowed more than two goals against in a game all playoffs. They are also the most penalized team of any competing at nationals.
Tournament history: The Lancers have appeared at nationals twice before in 1998 and 1999, which was coincidentally also held in Saskatoon, but the team has yet to win a University Cup game in program history.
Coach’s words at pre-tournament media conference: “We feel that we’ve beaten four great teams to be here, and we’re certainly deserving to be at this table,” Lancers head coach Kevin Hamlin said.
Biggest question: Will Windsor be able to maintain its stellar playoff play to make a run in this tournament?
#4– McGill University Redmen (21-5-2 in regular season, 6-2 in playoffs)
How they got here: OUA finalists
Player to watch: Ryan McKiernan (fourth-year defenceman)
McKiernan was named defenceman of the year in the CIS after leading the nation in defence scoring with 13 goals and 24 assists for 37 points from the blue-line. He acts as an assistant captain on his Redmen team, and actually wound up winning his team’s scoring race. He was also named to the CIS first-team all-Canadian roster.
Noteworthy statistics: The Redmen are a high-scoring team, observed with the team tying for fourth in Canada with 4.5 goals scored per game. The team is also solid in other important categories, ranking sixth on the power play, seventh on the penalty kill, seventh in save percentage, and cracking the top 10 in goals against per game with an average of 2.52 allowed each contest. One category where McGill stands out is shots on goal, as they led the country with 1155 shots recorded in 28 games.
Tournament history: McGill is competing in its seventh national championship in the last nine national championships. Even though this year’s Redmen team is young and did not qualify last season, there are a few players on the team who remember winning the University Cup in 2012.
Coach’s words at pre-tournament media conference: “There’s some good teams that aren’t here, so [each team] has certainly done some things right to get here,” Redmen head coach Kelly Nobes said.
Biggest question: Will the Redmen be able to perform well and rely on championship experience to help make up for their youth?
#5– University of Saskatchewan Huskies (17-10-1 in regular season, 1-2 in playoffs)
How they got here: Host team
Player to watch: Derek Hulak (fourth-year forward)
Hulak is from Saskatoon, so the Most Valuable Player in the CWUAA this season will compete for a national championship in his hometown. He ran away with the league scoring title with 48 points from 13 goals and 35 assists in only 28 games. For his success, Hulak was selected as a first-team CIS all-Canadian.
Noteworthy statistics: The Huskies are a solid defensive hockey team, evidenced by their sixth-best goals against average of 2.45 allowed each game and fifth-ranked save percentage of .917. The team also has some moderate offensive success from its 12th-ranked goals scored per game position, an average of 3.71 every battle. However, they got beat out in the CWUAA playoff quarter-finals to the University of British Columbia, so they have not played in about a month since they were eliminated from the Canada West playoffs Feb. 23.
Tournament history: U of S has appeared in 16 national championships, but only captured one win, way back in 1983. The Huskies lost both their games and have a rare opportunity to make up for last year’s failure by repeating as hosts.
Coach’s words at pre-tournament media conference: “We started our year, the University of Saskatchewan team, with about seven guys who chose other options at the beginning of the year . . . I thought that it was pretty incredible the way we bounced back,” Huskies coach Dave Adolph said.
Biggest question: Will Saskatchewan avoid coming out flat after not playing hockey in about a month?
#6– Carleton University Ravens (22-5-1 in regular season, 6-3 in playoffs)
How they got here: OUA bronze medallists
Player to watch: Mike McNamee (first-year forward)
McNamee led his Carleton team in scoring as a freshman, racking up 14 goals and 23 assists for a total of 37 points—good for 14th in the country in his rookie year. He was named to the OUA all-rookie team, as well as a second team all-star in his conference.
Noteworthy statistics: The Ravens are a well-balanced hockey club, and their team stats from this season demonstrate why. Carleton tied for second in the country in goals scored per game, behind only U of A, after scoring about 4.54 goals each night. They also allowed the fourth-fewest goals per game, averaging only 2.28 goals against during games. But the Ravens struggle with their special teams, as they are only the 14th-best on the man advantage and they are only the 21st-ranked team killing off penalties while down a man.
Tournament history: This year marks the first time in the history of the Ravens men’s hockey program where they will compete at nationals, after narrowly missing out in heartbreaking fashion over the last couple years. Finally, after missing out on an automatic nationals berth in an OUA East final loss to McGill, Carleton was able to beat Lakehead University to win the OUA bronze medal and a spot at the University Cup.
Coach’s words at pre-tournament media conference: “We’ve been treated first class from the minute we got here . . . In terms of us breaking new ground at this tournament, we’re obviously very excited,” Ravens head coach Marty Johnston said.
Biggest question: Can Carleton cement the growth of its program by proving it can compete with the best teams in the country?
Schedule for the opening round games March 20 (All games are in EST—Eastern Standard Time):
3 p.m. – #1 Alberta vs. #6 Carleton
9 p.m. – #2 Acadia vs. #3 Windsor
