Every CIS hockey season, the pace picks up following the Christmas break — that’s the beauty of playing in a 28-game schedule. The intensity increases with each game and implications on playoff positioning become more and more important. The best teams already know this and are beginning to ramp up their play.
As a result, there is not much change in the top half of the power rankings. However, St. FX slips out of the Top 10 after losing both games last weekend, and also dropping a rare midweek, midseason game against the University of Maine.
Teeing off this weekend is a highly-anticipated matchup between the top two AUS teams, Acadia and UNB. Regardless of the outcome Friday night, Acadia will still hold on to first place in the conference, even though many still feel that UNB may be the better team. Moving west, first place is up for grabs in both the East and West divisions of the OUA.
For now, here’s how the top schools in the country rank:
CIS Men’s Hockey coverage: Scores & schedule | Standings
1. Calgary (17-0-1) | Last week: 1
Complacency is the enemy. That should be the Dinos’ motto as they continue to roll over the Canada West conference. Last Friday, Calgary pummeled last place Lethbridge 14-2. The following night, in the conclusion of the home-and-home, the Dinos squeaked out a 2-1 victory in overtime. It is tough in a weaker conference but it is imperative they continue to find ways to improve.
2. Alberta (16-2-0) | Last week: 2
Like the Dinos, the Golden Bears continue to separate themselves from the rest of the conference. Alberta, and their top-ranked power play, handled University Cup host University of Saskatchewan last weekend. They now hold an 11-point lead over the third-place Huskies.
3. Acadia (15-1-2) | Last week: 3
The Axemen continued their strong play when they gutted out a 2-1 win versus St. FX last Saturday. It’s tough to find anyone who is not impressed with Acadia’s season thus far, but the jury is still out on whether they are a better team than UNB. The ruling just may come Friday night when they walk in the Aiken Centre in Fredericton.
4. UNB (14-3-1) | Last week: 4
I ruffled a few feathers at my alma mater last week, suggesting there are plenty of question marks surrounding this young team. Well these questions are about to be answered as players have more time to work on their game. On Monday, the university’s professors went on strike. In the short-term, it allows the players to focus solely on hockey, allowing extra time for workouts, video and special teams work.
5. UQTR (14-4-0) | Last week: 5
UQTR is one of the hottest teams in the country right now. The Patriotes have only lost one game in their last 14 and are currently on a seven-game winning streak. Their schedule the rest of the season looks favourable, except for the fact that over half of the games are on the road. Up to this point, UQTR has a sub-.500 record when they are the visitors.
6. McGill (14-5-1) | Last week: 6
The Redmen finally get back to McConnell Arena after spending the last five games on the road. McGill had a much better contribution throughout the entire lineup this past week, climbing into a tie for first in the OUA East. On Friday, they’ll host Queen’s looking to win two straight games against the Gaels. They’ll be doing it in front of a packed house for the highly-anticipated annual Management Carnival Game.
7. Ryerson (14-6-0) | Last week: 7
The Rams had a great litmus test Wednesday night when they faced a good Western team. They could only muster up two goals and were on the losing end, but the Rams are still sitting in first in the OUA West. Ryerson will need more scoring from someone not named Domenic Alberga or Jamie Wise if they plan to have any success come playoff time.
8. Carleton (13-5-1) | Last week: N/A
Carleton came within a quadruple overtime goal of beating UQTR last year in the playoffs and earning a berth in the U-Cup tournament. Coming into this weekend, they have won seven of their past eight games, including victories over Queen’s and McGill in that span.
9. Queen’s (12-2-5) | Last week: 8
It was a great run but it was bound to end eventually. The Gaels still have an impressive record, but as mentioned last week, their schedule is incredibly tough down the stretch. The OUA East division is just too strong at the top to see Queen’s be able to survive and finish the season where they are now.
10. Lakehead (13-4-1) | Last week: 9
The Thunderwolves lost both games on the road last weekend, giving them a .500 record outside of Thunder Bay. The good news is they are perfect at home and that is where they’ll be this weekend when they host Ryerson. Along with Acadia versus UNB, this weekend series will certainly be one to keep an eye on.