February 15, 2011

BlackBerry - CIS Top Ten Tuesday (#21): National leaders get set for playoffs

Photo credit McGill Athletics

OTTAWA (CIS) – There is only one change at the top of Canadian Interuniversity Sport rankings this week as national leaders get set for the conference playoffs and the winter championship season.

In women’s track and field, the game of musical chairs continues as the University of Windsor Lancers move up two positions to become the third different team in three weeks to claim the No. 1 spot.

Meanwhile in other CIS sports, Saskatchewan (women’s basketball), Carleton (men’s basketball), McGill (women’s hockey), UNB (men’s hockey), UBC (women’s volleyball), Laval (men’s volleyball), Calgary (women’s & men’s swimming) and Windsor (men’s track and field) all maintain their No. 1 status.

Women’s basketball

Top-ranked Saskatchewan (20-2) once again received all 41 first-place votes in the coaches’ poll this week following a huge two-game sweep over No. 5 Regina (17-5). The Huskies prevailed 67-66 last Thursday in Regina and 100-87 at home on Saturday.

Saskatchewan, which secured first place in Canada West with the two wins over its provincial rival, wraps up the regular season this weekend with a Friday-Saturday doubleheader at Calgary (10-12).

Men’s basketball

No. 1 Carleton had no problems improving its conference record to 21-0 last weekend as the Ravens recorded impressive road victories over Toronto, 102-75, and Ryerson, 100-62.

OUA-leading Carleton completes the regular schedule on Friday night with a visit to cross-town rival Ottawa (11-10). A win would give the Ravens their first unblemished campaign since 2007-08 and their fourth in the last eight years.

Women’s hockey

Top-ranked McGill easily improved to 18-0 in RSEQ action last weekend with shutouts over Concordia, 4-0, and Ottawa, 10-0. The Martlets are riding a 99-game win streak over conference opponents since 2007. Two-time Olympic gold medalist Charline Labonté posted both whitewashes and now has a CIS-record 37 regular season shutouts in 65 career starts.

McGill wraps up the RSEQ regular schedule this weekend against Montreal (8-7-3) and Concordia (8-8-2) hoping for a fourth straight perfect campaign.

Men’s hockey

No. 1 UNB (23-5-0) wrapped up the regular season in style over the past week with three victories in four days over St. Thomas, 3-1, Acadia, 4-0, and Dalhousie, 5-2.

The Varsity Reds, who finished atop the Atlantic conference standings for the fourth consecutive year, enjoy a bye this week as the AUS playoffs get under way with a pair of quarter-final series.

Women’s volleyball (final Top 10 of season)

The regular season came to an end last week in CIS women’s volleyball with three-time national champion UBC (15-3) securing first place in Canada West thanks to a pair of straight-set wins over Thompson Rivers.

The top-ranked Thunderbirds enjoy a bye this week as the Canada West playoffs get under way.

Men’s volleyball (final Top 10 of season)

No. 1 Laval (17-0) enjoyed a well-deserved break last week as they were awaiting the winners of the RSEQ semifinal series that saw Sherbrooke eliminate Montreal in two matches.

The best-of-three Quebec final kicks off on Friday at Laval and resumes Sunday in Sherbrooke. Both the Rouge et Or and Vert & Or (9-8 / 2-0 playoffs) have already secured their tickets for next month’s CIS championship in Langley, B.C.

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

1. Saskatchewan (20-2) / 492 pts (41) / (1)
2. Windsor / (18-2) / 451 / (2)
3. Western Ontario (17-3) / 380 / (5)
4. Carleton (18-3) / 344 / (3)
5. Regina (17-5) / 341 / (4)
6. Toronto (17-4) / 323 / (6)
7. Cape Breton (14-3) / 249 / (7)
8. UNB (13-4) / 205 / (8)
9. Winnipeg (18-4) / 167 / (9)
10. Alberta (17-7) / 107 / (NR)

Other teams receiving votes: McGill (59), Wilfrid Laurier (34), StFX (21), UBC (16).

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

1. Carleton (21-0) / 492 pts (41) / (1)
2. UBC (20-2) / 451 / (2)
3. Saskatchewan (18-4) / 402 / (3)
4. Trinity Western (21-3) / 369 / (4)
5. Cape Breton (16-1) / 336 / (5)
6. Lakehead (16-4) / 285 / (6)
7. StFX (11-5) / 231 / (7)
8. Dalhousie (11-5) / 205 / (9)
9. Windsor (14-6) / 171 / (10)
10. Laval (9-4) / 101 / (8)

Other teams receiving votes: Victoria (54), Concordia (46), Toronto (12).

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

1. McGill (18-0-0) / (1)
2. Wilfrid Laurier (24-2-1) / (2)
3. StFX (19-0-0) / (3)
4. Alberta (17-4-3) / (4)
5. Brock (22-5-0) / (5)
6. Manitoba (16-5-3) / (6)
7. Calgary (16-6-2) / (7)
8. Guelph (17-7-3) / (8)
9. Saskatchewan (15-8-1) / (10)
10. Windsor (15-11-1) / (9)

Other teams receiving votes: Moncton.

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

1. UNB (23-5-0) / 179 (17) / (1)
2. McGill (24-2-2) / 150 (1) / (2)
3. Alberta (16-5-3) / 135 / (3)
4. Saint Mary’s (18-9-1) / 131 / (5)
5. Saskatchewan (16-8-0) / 105 / (6)
6. Western Ontario (20-3-5) / 85 / (4)
7. StFX (17-10-1) / 83 / (7)
8. Calgary (13-8-2) / 46 / (9)
9. UQTR (19-8-1) / 33 / (NR)
10. Carleton (18-8-2) / 19 / (8)

Other teams receiving votes: Acadia (9), Manitoba (8), UPEI (5), Guelph (1), Nipissing (1).

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

1. Calgary / 724 pts / (1)
2. UBC / 474 / (2)
3. Toronto / 273 / (3)
4. Montreal / 211 / (4)
T5. Laval / 152 / (5)
T5. Western Ontario / 152 / (6)
7. Guelph / 118 / (7)
8. McMaster / 87 / (10)
9. Dalhousie / 71 / (T8)
10. Alberta / 70 / (T8)

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

1. Calgary / 481 pts / (1)
2. Toronto / 343 / (2)
3. Laval / 296 / (3)
4. UBC / 214 / (4)
5. Alberta / 210 / (5)
6. Western Ontario / 208 / (NR)
7. Ottawa / 165 / (8)
8. Victoria / 161 / (6)
9. Dalhousie / 150 / (7)
10. Guelph / 119 / (NR)

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD
(points) / (previous rankings)

1. Windsor / 123.5 pts / (3)
2. Guelph / 96.5 / (1)
3. Calgary / 75.83 / (2)
4. Alberta / 55.5 / (4)
5. Ottawa / 43 / (5)
6. Saskatchewan / 40.5 / (6)
7. Regina / 33.33 / (8)
8. Western Ontario / 29.83 / (7)
9. Toronto / 29 / (9)
10. UQAM / 20 / (10)

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD
(points) / (previous rankings)

1. Windsor / 118.5 pts / (1)
2. Guelph / 108 / (2)
3. Western Ontario / 58 / (3)
4. Calgary / 54 / (10)
5. York / 50 / (4)
6. Regina / 47.5 / (6)
7. Alberta / 37 / (8)
8. Saskatchewan / 36 / (7)
9. Dalhousie / 35.5 / (5)
10. Toronto / 19 / (NR)

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL (final Top 10 of season)
(regular season record) / (votes) / (previous rankings)

1. UBC (15-3) / 60 pts / (1)
2. Montreal (17-3 / 2-0 playoffs) / 54 / (2)
3. Trinity Western (15-3) / 52 / (4)
4. Laval (17-3) / 50 / (3)
5. Alberta (11-7) / 40 / (7)
6. Calgary (10-8) / 38.5 / (6)
7. Manitoba (10-8) / 38 / (5)
8. Brandon (11-7) / 35.5 / (8)
9. Saint Mary’s (14-4) / 28 / (9)
10. Regina (8-10) / 21 / (10)

Next highest vote getters: McGill (19), Guelph (17), UNB (12), McMaster (9), Western Ontario (3).

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL (final Top 10 of season)
(regular season record) / (votes) / (previous rankings)

1. Laval (17-0) / 240 pts / (1)
2. Alberta (17-1) / 233 / (2)
3. Calgary (16-2) / 202 / (3)
4. Trinity Western (13-5) / 178 / (4)
5. Manitoba (11-7) / 142 / (5)
6. Western Ontario (18-2) / 127 / (6)
7. Brandon (10-8) / 111 / (7)
8. Thompson Rivers (9-9) / 56 / (9)
9. McMaster (16-4) / 44 / (NR)
10. Queen’s (16-4) / 38 / (8)

-CIS-