X-Women hockey close out first half ranked No. 5

The StFX X-Women hockey team closed out the first half of the season with a No. 5 ranking in the CIS top ten.

December 3, 2013

CIS TOP TEN TUESDAY (#14)
Calgary No. 1 in men's hockey for first time in 17 years

OTTAWA (CIS) – For the first time in 17 years, the University of Calgary Dinos are the top-ranked team in CIS men's hockey.

The Dinos, who opened the campaign at No. 4 and moved up to second place two weeks ago, had last reached the No. 1 spot back in the fall of 1996, when they occupied the position for five straight weeks. Calgary improved to a remarkable 15-0-1 in league play over the weekend thanks to a convincing two-game sweep against Regina, 8-2 and 9-0.

Meanwhile, the Alberta Golden Bears (14-2), who had topped each of the first eight national polls this season, settled for a weekend split against Manitoba and dropped to No. 2 in the new Top 10.

In other CIS sports, Saint Mary's (women's basketball), Carleton (men's basketball), McGill (women's hockey), UBC (women's swimming & women's volleyball), Toronto (men's swimming) and McMaster (men's volleyball) all maintain their No. 1 status this week.

The top two teams in the country clashed in men's basketball, Friday night in the nation's capital. Led by a 32-point, nine-rebound performance by former CIS MVP Tyson Hinz, the top-ranked Ravens (9-0) comfortably defeated archrival Ottawa (8-1) 94-73 on home court.

These are the last CIS national rankings on the fall semester. The next rankings will be released on Tuesday, January 7 (with the exception of women's basketball: Jan. 14).

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous rankings)

1. Saint Mary's (8-0) / 496 points (34) / (1)
2. Windsor (9-1) / 470 (8) / (2)
3. Alberta (8-2) / 418 / (3)
4. Saskatchewan (9-1) / 377 / (4)
5. Regina (8-2) / 336 / (5)
6. McGill (4-0) / 289 / (7)
7. Fraser Valley (7-3) / 244 / (6)
8. Concordia (2-2) / 187 / (9)
9. Wilfrid Laurier (9-1) / 160 / (10)
10. Ottawa (6-3) / 130 / (8)

Other teams receiving votes: Western (114), UBC (27).

MEN'S BASKETBALL
(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous rankings)

1. Carleton (9-0) / 528 points (44) / (1)
2. Ottawa (8-1) / 460 / (2)
3. Alberta (9-1) / 454 / (4)
4. Ryerson (8-1) / 378 / (5)
5. Victoria (9-1) / 377 / (3)
6. McGill (4-0) / 305 / (6)
7. Saskatchewan (9-1) / 269 / (7)
8. McMaster (7-3) / 207 / (10)
9. UNB (6-1) / 145 / (NR)
10. Windsor (6-4) / 138 / (8)

Other teams receiving votes: Saint Mary's (75), Laurentian (72).

WOMEN'S HOCKEY
(regular season record) / (previous rankings)

1. McGill (10-0-0) / (1)
2. Montreal (6-3-0) / (3)
3. Wilfrid Laurier (13-2-0) / (5)
4. Queen's (12-2-3) / (2)
5. StFX (11-1-0) / (4)
6. UBC (12-3-1) / (6)
7. Guelph (11-3-0) / (7)
8. Saskatchewan (11-3-2) / (8)
9. Alberta (9-4-3) / (9)
10. Saint Mary's (10-2-0) / (NR)

Other teams receiving votes: Toronto.

MEN'S HOCKEY
(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous rankings)

1. Calgary (15-0-1) / 169 points (16) / (2)
2. Alberta (14-2-0) / 149 (1) / (1)
3. Acadia (11-1-2) / 140 / (4)
4. UNB (11-2-1) / 118 / (3)
5. McGill (11-3-1) / 97 / (5)
6. UQTR (11-4-0) / 67 / (6)
7. Lakehead (11-3-0) / 64 / (7)
8. Queen's (10-0-5) / 57 / (8)
9. Windsor (11-4-0) / 43 / (NR)
10. Ryerson (10-5-0) / 9 / (NR)

Other teams receiving votes: Moncton (6), Western (6), Saskatchewan (4), Ottawa (3), UPEI (2), StFX (1).

WOMEN'S SWIMMING
(points) / (previous rankings)

1. UBC 668 points / (1)
2. Toronto 372 / (2)
3. Montreal 276 / (3)
4. Calgary 261 / (4)
5. Western 236 / (5)
6. Laval 177 / (6)
7. McGill 175 / (7)
8. Dalhousie 170 / (8)
9. Alberta 116 / (9)
10. Ottawa 115 / (10)

MEN'S SWIMMING
(points) / (previous rankings)

1. Toronto 525 points / (1)
2. UBC 427 / (2)
3. Calgary 338 / (3)
4. Alberta 271 / (4)
5. Western 223 / (6)
6. McMaster 193 / (5)
7. Dalhousie 169 / (7)
8. Montreal 149 / (8)
9. McGill 138 / (9)
10. Laval 110 / (10)

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
(regular season record) / (votes) / (previous rankings)

Will follow later today.

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL
(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous rankings)

1. McMaster (10-0) / 273 points (21) / (1)
2. Trinity Western (11-1) / 260 (7) / (2)
3. UBC (9-3) / 219 / (3)
4. Alberta (8-4) / 199 / (4)
5. Brandon (7-5) / 137 / (5)
6. Thompson Rivers (8-4) / 118 / (7)
7. Manitoba (5-7) / 94 / (6)
8. Laval (8-2) / 72 / (9)
9. UNB (7-3) / 64 / (8)
10. Saskatchewan (4-8) / 39 / (10)

CIS Men's Hockey Top 10 (#9)
Dinos No. 1 for first time in 17 years

OTTAWA (CIS) – For the first time in 17 years, the University of Calgary Dinos are the team to beat in CIS men's hockey.

After spending the last two weeks at No. 2, the Dinos (15-0-1) received 16 of 17 first-place votes and 169 points this week from the national media panel to move past their archrivals, the Alberta Golden Bears (14-2), who had led the first eight polls of the campaign and who drop to second place this week after tallying the remaining first-place nod and 149 points.

The Dinos had last reached the top of the CIS charts in the fall of 1996, when they held the pole position for first straight weeks (Oct. 20 to Nov. 25 polls).

There is also movement right behind the two leaders in the new Top 10 as the Acadia Axemen (11-1-2) gain one position to reach a season-high No. 3, while the defending University Cup champion UNB Varsity Reds (11-2-1) slide to the fourth spot, their lowest ranking this fall.

Rounding out the final poll of the fall semester are the No. 5 McGill Redmen (11-3-1 / no change), No. 6 UQTR Patriotes (11-4 / no change), No. 7 Lakehead Thunderwolves (11-3 / no change), No. 8 Queen's Gaels (10-0-5 / no change), as well as the No. 9 Windsor Lancers (11-4) and No. 10 Ryerson Rams (10-5), both unranked last Tuesday.

Top-ranked Calgary resumed its domination of Canada West opponents last weekend with a convincing two-game sweep against Regina, 8-2 and 9-0. The only blemish on the Dinos' conference record so far this season is a 3-2 shootout loss to Alberta on Nov. 23.

Alberta couldn't quite keep pace with its provincial rivals over the weekend, dropping a 5-4 decision to Manitoba on Saturday after dominating the Bisons 8-1 in Friday's series opener. The Bears trail the Dinos by three points in the Canada West standings heading into the December break.

The race for first place is even tighter in the other CIS divisions at the end of the first semester.

In the AUS, Acadia defeated UNB 5-1 on home ice on Saturday to build a slim one-point lead over last year's national champs going into the break.

In the OUA East, Queen's leads the way with 25 points, followed by McGill (23), UQTR (22) and Ottawa (21).

In the OUA West, Lakehead and Windsor are tied for first with 22 points, two more than Ryerson and Toronto.

The next CIS men's hockey rankings will be release on January 7.

CIS MEN'S HOCKEY TOP 10 (#9)

Voting is based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis, with a 1st place vote worth 10 points. The CIS Men's Ice Hockey Top Ten Committee is made up of media members from across Canada.

(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes)

Other teams receiving votes: Moncton (6), Western (6), Saskatchewan (4), Ottawa (3), UPEI (2), StFX (1).