V-Reds playing waiting game

Pennant-winning University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds get a week to relax as playoff action begins in the Atlantic University Sport men's hockey conference with a pair of best-of-three quarterfinal series this week.

V-Reds, winners of 23 of 28 games for 46 points during the regular schedule, and defending national and conference champion Saint Mary's Huskies, 18-9-1 for 37 points, get first round byes for finishing first and second respectively.

Third-place St. Francis Xavier X-Men, 17-10-1 for 35 points, play sixth-place Dalhousie Tigers, 13-15-0 for 26 points, in one quarterfinal with the other matchup featuring fourth-place Acadia Axemen, 14-11-3 for 31 points, taking on fifth place University of Prince Edward Island Panthers, who also finished with 31 points with the same mark as Acadia. By virtue of a better head-to-head record, Acadia gets the higher placing.

The X-Dal series begins Thursday in Antigonish with Game 2 on Saturday in Halifax. If a third game is required, it'll be Monday night in Antigonish. UPEI makes the trek to Wolfville to play the Axemen in Game 1 of that series Friday night with Game 2 the following night in Charlottetown. If a third game is required, it'll be Tuesday night in Wolfville.

The lowest survivor takes on UNB with SMU taking on the highest ranking survivor in a pair of best-of-five semifinals tentatively scheduled to begin Friday, Feb. 25.

UNB's Hunter Tremblay and UPEI's Matt Carter each finished with 44 points to tie for the lead atop the scoring derby. Tremblay, who won the scoring title on his way to being named the top player in the country last year, finished with a league high 22 goals in 27 games. Carter had 20 goals and 24 assists in 28 games.

Ben Breault of Dal finished third with 41 points including 15 goals in 26 games. UNB's Chris Culligan was fourth with 38 points including 13 goals while SMU defenceman Andrew Hotham rounded out the top five with 37 points including eight goals in 27 games. UNB's Kyle Bailey finished in a four-way tie for 11th position with 29 points.

Hotham was the most prolific scorer among defenceman with his 37 points. UNB's Jonathan Harty was tied with UPEI's Dylan Qualie for fourth overall with 19 points including three goals.

St. FX sniper Chris Hulit had the most shots per game with 4.58 followed by Tremblay with 4.19 per tilt. Third was Cam Fergus of SMU with 4.04 per game. UNB's Bailey was 11th with 3.25 shots per game.

V-Reds goaltending was by far the most outstanding statistically with Travis Fullerton finishing with a goals against mark of 1.60 in 1160 minutes of action. He had five shutouts, a league high, and had a save percentage of .928. His won-loss mark was 15-4.

His goaltending partner, Derek Yeomans, didn't play enough minutes to qualify among the league leaders, but he finished with a 1.26 goals against mark in 523 minutes played, allowing just 11 goals all season. He had one shutout and a save percentage of .939.

Huskies' Neil Conway had a 2.21 goals against mark in a league high 1657 minutes of work including three shutouts and a save percentage of .912. His won-loss was 18-9. Joseph Perricone of St. FX was third with a 2.37 goals against mark in 1111 minutes of work, with a 14-4 won-loss mark. He had two shutouts and a save percentage of .925.

St. Thomas Tommies' Charles Lavigne ranked ninth in overall average with a 4.20 mark in 1257 minutes play and an .893 save percentage. His won-loss was 3-19. Lavigne did record the most saves per game with 33.55 followed by Moncton's Pierre Alexandre Marion with a 29.14 per game average.

In AUS women's hockey conference news, Universite de Moncton forward Marieve Provost in the most prolific scorer in the history of women's hockey in the CIS.

The native of Laval, Que., who is playing her fifth and final season at UdeM, had two goals and three assists last weekend to up her career totals to 108 goals and 107 assists for 215 points in 102 regular season games. That eclipsed the previous record of 213 points set by Tarin Podloski at University of Alberta. Danielle Bourgeois of Alberta finished with 212 career points.

Two more weeks remain in the regular season with the St. Thomas Tommies holding down fourth place with a 9-10-3 mark for 21 points. Dalhousie Tigers are third just two points higher than STU. Leading is St. Francis Xavier with a 19-0 mark and 38 points followed by UdeM with 30 points on a 14-5-2 mark.

STU plays Dalhousie Saturday night in Halifax and finishes their season with a home game against Mount Allison Mounties Sunday, Feb. 27.

AUS volleyball

For the first time in a long time, the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds will have the extra-home match if needed in the best-of-three Atlantic University Sport men's volleyball championship final.

The V-Reds recorded a pair of 3-0 sweeps over perennial champion Dalhousie Tigers on the weekend to clinch the conference pennant with a 12-5 mark while Dalhousie finished with an 11-6 record.

As a result, the best-of-three final begins Friday night at the UNB main gym beginning at 7 o'clock. The second match will be played Sunday in Halifax with a third and deciding match if necessary back at the UNB main gym on Saturday, Feb. 26. Dalhousie has won the last 24 conference titles and 30 over the last 31 years.

Meanwhile, UNB finished second in the AUS women's volleyball conference with an 11-7 mark and 22 points, four back of Saint Mary's Huskies who finished with a 14-4 mark. As a result, both teams will get first round byes in the conference championship tournament beginning Friday in Cape Breton.

It'll be host Cape Breton Capers taking on third place Dalhousie Tigers in one quarterfinal Friday with St. Francis Xavier taking on Universite de Moncton in the other.

Lowest survivor plays Saint Mary's in one semifinal Saturday with UNB taking on the highest survivor. Semifinal winners meet in Sunday's 2 p.m. final.