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CIS Top 10 Tuesday (#2): Reigning champ Lethbridge tops first women's rugby rankings
OTTAWA (CIS) - The two-time defending national champion
University of Lethbridge Pronghorns top the first-ever Canadian
Interuniversity Sport women's rugby rankings.
The Pronghorns, who defeated the St. Francis Xavier X-Women in
last year's CIS final to become the first team to capture
back-to-back Monilex trophies since Alberta in 2002 and 2003,
received 88 points in the inaugural coaches poll.
StFX, which claimed its lone CIS title in 2006 and has won 11
conference titles in 11 years since women's rugby was added to the
AUS program in 1998, is ranked No. 2 with 69 points.
Following in order are 2008 CIS bronze medallist and OUA champion
Guelph (65), reigning QSSF champion Laval (48), five-time CIS
titlist Alberta (47), two-time Monilex trophy winner Western
Ontario (46), McMaster (25), Concordia (22), Trent (13) and UBC
(11).
The 2009 regular season kicks off this coming weekend with nine
games in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. Canada West squads join
the action on Sept. 25, with Lethbridge opening its title defence
at home against Calgary on Sept. 26.
The six-team CIS championship will be hosted by UBC in Vancouver
from November 5-8.
In soccer, the Trinity Western Spartan women and York Lion men,
both reigning national champions, lead the CIS coaches polls for
the second straight week.
There are no changes to this week's women's rankings with
Montreal, Victoria, Brock, Ottawa, Laurier, Cape Breton, UBC,
Dalhousie and McGill still following the Spartans in order.
No. 5-Ottawa was the lone Top-10 team in action as the regular
schedule got under way on Labour Day weekend. The Gee-Gees amassed
four out of a possible six points on the road thanks to a 2-2 tie
against Nipissing and a 3-0 win over Laurentian.
Trinity Western opens its title defence this weekend with road
tilts against Saskatchewan on Saturday and Alberta on Sunday.
One major change to the second men's rankings of the young
campaign sees Carleton drop five spots to No. 10 following a
difficult opening weekend. The Ravens settled for a 1-1 draw
against Laurentian before dropping a 1-0 decision to Nipissing.
The only other Top-10 squad in action on Labour Day weekend, No.
9-Toronto, blanked Trent 6-0 and tied Queen's 0-0.
Following York in the new coaches poll are Trinity Western,
Montreal, Laval, Dalhousie, Victoria, Wilfrid Laurier, UBC, Toronto
and Carleton.
The reigning CIS champion Lions open conference play with home
dates against Brock on Saturday and McMaster on Sunday.
WOMEN'S RUGBY
(regular season record) / (votes) / (previous
rankings)
1. Lethbridge (0-0) / 88 points / (-)
2. StFX (0-0) / 69 / (-)
3. Guelph (0-0) / 65 / (-)
4. Laval (0-0) / 48 / (-)
5. Alberta (0-0) / 47 / (-)
6. Western Ontario (0-0) / 46 / (-)
7. McMaster (0-0) / 25 / (-)
8. Concordia (0-0) / 22 / (-)
9. Trent (0-0) / 13 / (-)
10. UBC (0-0) / 11 / (-)
Other teams receiving votes: Brock (7), McGill (4), Queen's (2),
Saint Mary's (1).
WOMEN'S SOCCER
(regular season record) / (votes) / (previous
rankings)
1. Trinity Western (0-0-0) / 50 points / (1)
2. Montreal (0-0-0) / 44 / (2)
3. Victoria (0-0-0) / 37 / (3)
4. Brock (0-0-0) / 36 / (4)
5. Ottawa (1-0-1) / 31 / (5)
6. Wilfrid Laurier (0-0-0) / 29 / (6)
7. Cape Breton (0-0-0) / 18 / (7)
8. UBC (0-0-0) / 15 / (8)
9. Dalhousie (0-0-0) / 13 / (9)
10. McGill (0-0-0) / 10 / (10)
Others receiving votes: Memorial, Toronto.
MEN'S SOCCER
(regular season record) / (previous rankings)
1. York (0-0-0) / (1)
2. Trinity Western (0-0-0) / (2)
3. Montreal (0-0-0) / (3)
4. Laval (0-0-0) / (4)
5. Dalhousie (0-0-0) / (6)
6. Victoria (0-0-0) / (7)
7. Wilfrid Laurier (0-0-0) / (8)
8. UBC (0-0-0) / (9)
9. Toronto (1-0-1) / (10)
10. Carleton (0-1-1) / (5)
-CIS-
