CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – When the UNB Reds first hit the ice in late August, moments like Sunday’s U SPORTS championship are the goal. Really, it’s the case for any program. But for UNB, it’s the standard.  Some might even say it’s expected – for the players; it’s why they commit to spending their U SPORTS years at the Aitken Centre in Fredericton.  Since head coach … Continue reading UNB Reds set platform for a new era with U SPORTS win in PEI

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – While the UQTR Patriotes came to Charlottetown hoping to defend their U SPORTS gold medal, they’re still heading home with some hardware.  Following a 6-3 loss to the UNB Reds in the semifinal, the two-time defending OUA Queen’s Cup champions regrouped and refocused ahead of Sunday en route to a 3-2 victory, winning a bronze medal against the UPEI Panthers.  The Panthers, … Continue reading UQTR Patriotes capture U SPORTS bronze with win over UPEI

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – With more than 3,600 fans packing the rink, there was no doubt it was going to be an emotional night of U SPORTS semifinal hockey.  While the UPEI Panthers came into the game brimming with energy, fresh off a monumental win over the top-seeded Calgary Dinos, the game didn’t start ideally. Within 23 seconds, the Alberta Golden Bears led — and the 16-time … Continue reading “It didn’t feel safe”: Alberta’s experience shines through ahead of U SPORTS final

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI –  Cole Mackay doesn’t mind playing back-to-back games on Sunday — his UNB Reds have a chance to win the U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Championship.  A first-year forward, Mackay, like many others, committed to UNB for the academics and the chance to win University Cup titles with a competitive group that demands high standards under head coach Gardiner MacDougall.  “It’s something we hear … Continue reading “A big part of why we come”: UNB’s young core learning in U SPORTS run

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – Matt Brassard hadn’t played a game with the UPEI Panthers in 48 days. The Panthers hadn’t competed for 25. Yet, at the U SPORTS U CUP, it all proved worth it. On Friday night, amid the roars of a sold-out Eastlink Centre, they stunned and came out with vigour and energy not dissimilar to the crowd surrounding them. From their first strides, they … Continue reading Green Gables Miracle: How UPEI knocked off U SPORTS’ top team

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI –  In single knockout competitions, a turning point can change a game — that’s no different at the U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Championship.  On Friday, the Alberta Golden Bears posted their second straight 7-0 win in the tournament’s quarter-finals, eliminating the OUA West champion Windsor Lancers from U SPORTS championship contention.  Yet, despite the Golden Bears matching their scoreline from the 2022 quarter-final … Continue reading “It’s not over for us”: U CUP turning point critical as Alberta oust Windsor

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI –  When the UNB Reds skated off the ice in Wolfville in 2022, eliminated from the U CUP at the hands of the TMU Bold in the quarter-finals, they hadn’t lived up to head coach Gardiner MacDougall’s short-tournament mantra.  “Survive and advance,” the UNB coach of 23 years says — it’s a line that’s earned his teams two AUS championships, a FISU gold … Continue reading UNB draws on 2022 heartbreak to “survive and advance” at U CUP

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI –  Really, was there ever a doubt for the defending U CUP champions?  For the UQTR Patriotes, it’s not been a season where they’ve made things easy on themselves. Yet, they continue to push on, just as they did in an 4-1 win over the SMU Huskies in the U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Championship quarterfinal on Thursday. From allowing the Concordia Stingers to … Continue reading UQTR’s resilience shines through in era-ending U CUP