OTTAWA — The reigning national-champion University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds top the CIS men’s hockey rankings for the sixth time in as many polls this season.
However, the Varsity Reds are starting to feel the heat from the team they beat in last year’s University Cup final, the McGill Redmen.
The Varsity Reds, coached by Bedeque native Gardiner MacDougall, lost four first-place votes to the No. 2-ranked Redmen this week, earning 12 No. 1 nods, and 165 points, from the national media panel compared to five, and 148 points, for their Montreal rivals.
After opening the regular season with seven straight wins, UNB (9-2-1) lost a game for the third consecutive week this past weekend, dropping a 3-2 decision at UPEI on Friday night. The University Cup champs rebounded on Sunday for a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the No. 3 Moncton Aigles Bleus.
McGill (10-1-2), meanwhile, kept rolling in the OUA conference, shutting out Queen’s 6-0 in its lone outing of the week.
Rounding out the new media poll are Moncton (9-3-0), up two positions to No. 3; Western Ontario (9-1-2), which stays put at No. 4; No. 5 Alberta (8-2-2) and No. 6 Acadia (8-3-1), both up one position; No. 7 Saskatchewan (7-2-2), down four spots; No. 8 Lakehead (11-3-0), up one; No. 9 Calgary (9-5-0), unranked a week ago, and Manitoba (7-3-2), down two spots to No. 10.
The UPEI Panthers, who are on a three-game winning streak, received seven votes.
