UNB on verge of hockey history
Acadia loses volleyball bronze; Dalhousie curlers collect two medals
The UNB Reds were one victory away from capping a season like no other in Canadian university men's hockey.
The No. 1 Reds, the Atlantic university and defending national champion, faced the second-seeded UQTR Patriotes in the gold medal final of the University Cup Sunday night in Toronto. UQTR won the Canadian university banner in 2022. UNB has not lost a game – regular season or playoff – game this season, having gone 30-0 in league play, 5-0 in the AUS postseason and 2-0 at nationals.
Their latest victory came in Saturday’s semifinal. UNB goalie Samuel Richard, last year’s University Cup MVP, stopped all 22 shots he faced to earn the shutout in a 7-0 rout of the host TMU Bold at the Mattamy Athletic Centre
Sean Mcgurn, Kale Mccallum, Colton Kammerer, Austen Keating, Kade Landry, Camaryn Baber and Jason Willms each scored for UNB.
Reds head coach Gardiner Macdougall has established a number of University Cup coaching records, and a victory Sunday night can tie Tom Watt for most-ever with nine Canadian university titles.
By reaching the national tournament, Macdougall set a new University Cup record with 17 appearances, has collected a record 36 career U Cup coaching wins and will make his 12th final appearance, also a new standard.
In the bronze medal game on Sunday morning, Brandon Frattaroli scored two goals for the Mcgill Redbirds in a 3-2 win over TMU.
At the U Sports women’s hockey championship in Saskatoon, Atlantic representatives UNB and St. Francis Xavier X-women each lost in their consolation semifinals on Saturday.
St. F.X. lost 3-1 to the host Saskatchewan Huskies while the UBC Thunderbirds blanked UNB 4-0.
The Concordia Stingers faced the Toronto Varsity Blues in the championship final on Sunday night. The Waterloo Warriors played the Montreal Carabins in the bronze medal game.
VOLLEYBALL
The Acadia Axewomen’s bid for their first-ever U Sports medal in women’s volleyball ended abruptly on Sunday afternoon after dropping a straight-sets decision to the No. 1-ranked Manitoba Bisons in the bronze medal match at the U Sports championship in Hamilton, Ont.
Scores were 25-18, 25-13, 25-17.
Light Uchechukwu collected 11 kills for Manitoba, which was upset by the
Alberta Pandas in five sets in Saturday's semifinal.
Alexia Lemay-evans answered with eight kills for Acadia. The Axewomen were swept by UBC in the other semifinal.
Alberta and UBC played in the gold medal match on Sunday night.
Earlier on Sunday, the Saint Mary’s Huskies lost 3-1 to the Mcmaster Marauders in the consolation final.
CURLING
Dalhousie brings home two medals from the U Sports curling championships in Fredericton.
The Tigers men’s rink, skipped by skip Owen Purcell, earned a silver after falling 8-5 to the Regina Cougars in the national final Sunday.
Dal held a narrow 2-1 lead at the halfway point but in the sixth end, Regina’s Joshua Bryden made an outstanding shot with his final stone to take out two Dalhousie rocks and score a double to jump ahead 3-2. The Tigers pulled even in the seventh before the Cougars scored a five-ender to take a commanding 8-3 lead in the eighth. The teams shook hands after the ninth end.
In the women’s bronze medal game, Dal, led by skip Allyson Macnutt used a steal of four in the fifth end to defeat UNB 9-2. The Alberta Pandas won gold after defeating the Waterloo Warriors 10-7 in the women’s final.
Five Dalhousie curlers earned all-canadian recognition following the championship. On the women’s side, Tigers lead Cate Fitzgerald and third Lindsey Burgess were named to the first all-canadian team while Macnutt was selected to the second team. For the men, lead Caelan Mcpherson (first team) and third Owen Mcpherson (second team) were honoured.