Hockey: CIS top 10 - Mustangs move up, Bears blunder costs them single spot

The look atop the CIS top 10 rankings changed slightly this week with the Western Ontario Mustangs sliding into the number-three spot, flip-flopping positions with the now number-four ranked Alberta Golden Bears. UNB remains the top team in the nation, with McGill continuing to hold down the number-two spot after both teams won both their games over the weekend.

1. UNB (17-4-0) / 178 pts (16) / (1)
2. McGill (21-0-2) / 156 (2) / (2)
3. Western Ontario (17-1-4) / 130 / (4)
4. Alberta (13-5-2) / 126 / (3)
5. Saint Mary’s (13-7-1) / 104 / (5)
6. UPEI (12-6-3) / 82 / (7)
7. Saskatchewan (11-7-0) / 60 / (6)
8. Manitoba (10-4-4) / 60 / (8)
9. Calgary (11-6-2) / 34 / (NR)
10. Lakehead (14-7-1) / 21 / (10)

Other teams receiving votes: Acadia (13), StFX (12), UQTR (10), Nipissing (3), Carleton (1).
Dropped from the top 10: St. FX (#9 last week)

Top three tales: Steady as she goes for the UNB Varsity Reds who picked up a pair of victories over the weekend, first over SMU 4-1 on Friday night before notching their second win over a top 10 team in as many days Saturday with another 4-1 win. UNB has clinched a playoff berth, and is a full seven points up on SMU - it's now only a matter of time before the national hosts clinch home-ice for the AUS playoffs.

As for the Redmen, they're in action tonight when they'll take on Concordia after beating Carleton 4-2 Friday night and a 4-0 shutout win over UQTR the following night. McGill remains the only team in the nation that has yet to lose a game in regulation, sitting with a 21-0-2 record heading into tonight's game against the Stingers.

Making their debut inside the top three this week is Western Ontario after a 4-3 OT win over Laurier and 5-4 SO win over Windsor this past weekend. The Mustangs are nine points up on second place Lakehead in the OUA West, and last lost January 8th against Laurier by a score of 2-1.

Best of the rest: For the second consecutive week the Alberta Golden Bears dropped in the rankings and now sit fourth after being swept by Calgary. It was the first time since 2008 that the Bears had been swept, and with their win Friday night Calgary scored their first win at Clare Drake Arena since October of 2006. Alberta is now 2-3-1 to start the second half, but still hold down top spot in the conference - four points up on Manitoba and Calgary.

The Bears only slipped a single spot thanks to Saint Mary's dropping both their games this weekend to hold steady in the fifth spot, while UPEI moved up a spot into sixth by way of wins over St. FX and the aforementioned Huskies.

The Canada West is well represented in the bottom half of the rankings with #7 Saskatchewan, #8 Manitoba, newly minted #9 Calgary and #10 Lakehead out of the OUA rounding out the top 10.

Top 10 games this weekend: #9 Calgary at #7 Saskatchewan (Friday and Saturday in Saskatoon), #1 UNB at #6 UPEI (Saturday night in Charlottetown)
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3 comments:

  1. McGill and W.O. at #2 and #3 is a cruel joke on the Canadian public.

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  2. McGill hasn't lost a regular season game in regulation. They got spanked (and I mean spanked) by UNB 7-1 over the Christmas break. At least the Ontario/Quebec teams make good warm up games at Nationals for the top teams before they have to play real contenders.

    McGill is likely a below average team in the AUS. They would have to fight hard to make the play-offs let alone worry about the Top 10.

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  3. I think Friday's StFX at SMU is HUGE! The X-Men rode their goaltender last night, and the Huskies goalie was not great (when have we seen that movie before ...), so now when they meet on Friday a win could put X in a multi-team tie for second place.

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