ALBERTA AND SASKATCHEWAN RETURN TO UNIVERSITY CUP TOURNAMENT IN EDMONTON
44TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP OPENS ON THURSDAY
The University of Alberta Golden Bears and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies will represent Canada West Hockey at the 44th annual TELUS University Cup national championship tournament. The six-team tournament, hosted by the Golden Bears, runs from Thursday, March 23rd to Sunday, March 26th in Edmonton, Alberta.
Alberta, which is making its 10th consecutive appearance, and record-setting 31st at the University Cup, enters the tournament as Canada West Hockey champions. The Golden Bears claimed their sixth consecutive and 45th conference championship with a two-games to none victory over the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in the Canada West Hockey Final on March 10th-11th at Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton.
Saskatchewan, who qualified for the University Cup tournament as conference finalists, will be making its 11th tournament appearance and second consecutive.
The remainder of the University Cup field includes the Acadia University Axemen (Atlantic University Sport champions), the Lakehead Universty Thunderwolves (Ontario University Athletics champions), the McGill University Redmen (Ontario University Athletics finalists) and the University of Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (Ontario University Athletics wild card qualifier).
Games on the first three days of the tournament (March 23rd-25th) will be played at Clare Drake Arena on the campus of the University of Alberta, while the championship final will be played at Rexall Place, the home of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, on Sunday, March 26th.
The tournament features two pools of three teams with each team playing two games in a round robin among its pool. The first place team in each pool advances to the University Cup Final on Sunday at Rexall Place.
Alberta is in Pool A with McGill and Wilfrid Laurier, while Pool B is composed of Saskatchewan, Acadia and Lakehead.
Saskatchewan opens tournament play on Thursday, March 23rd as the Huskies take on Acadia in the opening game of the University Cup at 1:00 pm (MST). Alberta’s first game will be played on Friday, March 24th as the Golden Bears will play the loser of the McGill-Wilfrid Laurier game at 7:00 pm (MST).
Following is the schedule for the 2006 CIS TELUS University Cup:
2006 CIS TELUS UNIVERSITY CUP
Thursday, March 23 at Clare Drake Arena, Edmonton, Alberta
Pool B Game #1 Acadia Axemen vs Saskatchewan Huskies 1:00 pm
Pool A Game #2 McGill Redmen vs Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks 7:00 pm
Friday, March 24 at Clare Drake Arena, Edmonton, Alberta
Pool B Game #3 Loser Game 1 vs Lakehead Thunderwolves 1:00 pm
Pool A Game #4 Loser Game 2 vs Alberta Golden Bears 7:00 pm
Saturday, March 25 at Clare Drake Arena, Edmonton, Alberta
Pool B Game #5 Winner Game 1 vs Lakehead Thunderwolves 11:00 am
Pool A Game #6 Winner Game 2 vs Alberta Golden Bears 4:00 pm - TSN
Sunday, March 26 at Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta
CIS Final Game #7 Winner Pool A vs Winner Pool B 7:00 pm – TSN
All times listed are MST.
