Golden Bears say anything can happen despite dominant season at CIS hockey final

SASKATOON – Despite being the top-seeded team after a dominant season, Coach Ian Herbers of the Alberta Golden Bears says victory in the Canadian Interuniversity Sports hockey championships is anything but certain.

This season the Golden Bears won their one thousandth game, clinched their fiftieth division championship and celebrated their hundredth year on the ice. But in a seven-game tournament, Herbers said, there is little room for error.

“There are six very good teams here and anything can happen in one game,” he said. “You get a bad bounce, a bad call…that one little mistake might end up costing you.”

The CIS men’s hockey championships begin Thursday in Saskatoon, and will culminate with a final matchup Sunday evening to decide who takes home the University Cup.

The six competing teams placed first and second in Canada’s three university-level hockey conferences: Ontario University Athletics, Atlantic University Sport and the Canada West Universities Athletic Association.

In order of ranking, the six competing teams are the Golden Bears, the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds, the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières Patriotes, the Saint Mary’s University Huskies, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and the University of Waterloo Warriors.

Last year’s champions – the McGill University Redmen – did not qualify this year.

The Golden Bears have won this tournament 13 times, and the Varsity Reds have taken top spot four times. Both teams are coming off strong seasons, unlike some of the other competitors.

Coach Brian Bourque of the Waterloo Warriors said his team placed sixth in the OUA’s regular season, and only qualified for the tournament after an unexpected upset in division playoffs.

“Our team, statistically, had a very mediocre year,” he said. “We were 11-12-5 in the regular season.”

Despite the somewhat lopsided field of competition this year, Herbers said the Golden Bears will have to fight hard every minute.

“There is no easing into this tournament,” Herbers said. “You take that first period off, those first five minutes off, next thing you know you’re out of the tournament.”

Saskatchewan Huskies Coach Dave Adolph has coached his team through 10 CIS championships. He said his team is focused on scoring after previous appearances saw the team struggle to put up points.

But even with these changes, he said, it’s going to be an uphill battle.

“This is the hardest tournament to win, and I’ve said that all along,” Adolph said. “Our team is better now than it was five years ago, but I think every team has gotten better.”

In recent years, the CIS has taken a tougher stand on fighting, slapping players who fight with an automatic one game suspension and two games if they instigate.

Herbers said none of his players have fought this season.

“There is still room for it, but it’s not near as prevalent,” he said. “With the new rules that have come in, the tempo and pace the game is a lot better to watch.”

Saint Mary’s Huskies winger Lucas Bloodoff, who is nominated for CIS Most Valuable Player this year, said that since fighting has declined there has been more slashing and other dirty play.

“Now with no fighting, you remember who did what and those grudges get carried over,” he said. “People start waiting in the weeds.”

In a tournament where every game is do or die, Bloodoff said, he expects players to get physical and finish their checks. And while tensions will run high, he said, players will most likely keep the gloves on.

“In a tournament like this, you get suspended for a game and your tournament could be over,” he said.

The action starts Thursday as the Golden Bears face off with the Warriors, and the Varsity Reds take on the Huskies.