CIS Hockey: New Brunswick faces Alberta for men’s title, Western vs. McGill in women’s clash

Philippe Halley scored four goals, leading the University of New Brunswick to a 5-2 semifinal victory over the Guelph Gryphons at the Canadian men’s university hockey championship in Halifax on Saturday.

UNB will play Alberta in Sunday’s final after the Golden Bears downed the University of Quebec at TroisRivieres 5-1 in the other semifinal. Guelph plays UQTR for bronze.

Halley completed the hat trick with 65 seconds left in the third period, then added an empty-netter 28 seconds later to seal the win. He said linemates Dana Fraser and Philippe Maillet deserved credit for giving him scoring opportunities.

“They were great at finding me on the ice, and I just had to put the puck in the net,” Halley said.

Cam Braes had the other goal for the Varsity Reds. UNB outshot Guelph 40-15.

“We pride ourselves on our third periods and we got better throughout the game,” said UNB defenceman Adrian Robertson.

Nicholas Trecapelli and Nicklas Huard scored for the Gryphons.

Jordan Hickmott scored twice, including an empty-net goal at the 19-minute mark of the third period, and added an assist as Alberta topped the Patriotes in the second semi.

At the CIS women’s championship in Calgary, Gabrielle Davidson’s power-play goal in the final minute was the only scoring as the No. 1 McGill Martlets edged the No. 4 St. Francis Xavier X-Women 1-0 in semifinal action. McGill advances to Sunday’s final against the No. 2 Western Mustangs, who beat the No. 6 Montreal Carabins 2-0.

Davidson fired a Leslie Oles re- bound past X-Women goaltender Sojung Shin with 48 seconds left on the clock for the victory.

“I saw my teammate walk in the slot and I figured I would go sneak back door and I was fortunate to get the puck on my stick and bury it,” Davidson said. “We believed in ourselves, we just kept going and we knew it was going to come eventually. We knew that we were going to get a goal one way or another.”