CIS TOP TEN TUESDAY (#10)
McMaster women, Ottawa men open at No. 1 in basketball
In other CIS sports, the Alberta Pandas move up to No. 1 in women’s volleyball, the Montreal Carabins return to first place in women’s hockey, and the UBC Thunderbirds are now alone at the top in men’s soccer, breaking a tie with UQAM. Meanwhile, the Guelph Gryphons (women’s & men’s cross country), UNB Varsity Reds (men’s hockey), Laval Rouge et Or (women’s soccer) and McMaster Marauders (men’s volleyball) all maintain their pole position.
In women’s basketball, the Marauders open at No. 1 for the first time since 2006-07, when they topped the first 10 coaches’ polls of the season. McMaster hadn’t reached No. 1 since.
The Marauders received 28 first-place votes and 522 points in the inaugural poll of 2015-16 to distance No. 2 Saskatchewan (468 points / 2 first-place votes), No. 3 McGill (446 / 14), No. 4 Ryerson (356) and No. 5 Saint Mary’s (339).
The reigning five-time national champion Windsor Lancers, who topped all 13 weekly rankings last season and who had opened at No. 1 each of the past three years, settled for ninth place after receiving only one first-place nod.
McMaster, an OUA quarter-finalist last winter, went a perfect 6-0 in preseason action this fall, including a 5-0 record against CIS competition. The Marauders kick off conference play Wednesday night when they host No. 6 Brock.
On the men’s side, Ottawa debuts at No. 1 for the first time in program history. The Gee-Gees topped the national rankings for four straight weeks last season, in January and February.
In the first poll of 2015-16, Ottawa merited 11 first-place votes and 401 points to edge the defending five-time CIS champion Carleton Ravens, who earned 14 first-place nods and 372 points. Carleton had opened at No. 1 each of the past nine years.
Rounding out the leading quintet are No. 3 McGill (365 points / 13 first-place votes), No. 4 Brock (336 / 7) and No. 5 Ryerson (221).
The Gee-Gees, national finalists each of the past two campaigns, posted an 8-1 record versus CIS rivals in the preseason, their lone loss coming against McGill on Sunday, 74-70. Ottawa wraps up exhibition play Tuesday night in Bloomington, Ind., against NCAA foe Indiana University, before returning home on Friday to face Nipissing in its league opener.
NOTES: Regina, in 2011-12, was the last team other than Windsor to open at No. 1 in women’s basketball... Laval, in 2005-06, was the last program other than Carleton to debut on top in men’s hoops.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous ranking)
1. McMaster (0-0) / 522 points (28) / (-)
2. Saskatchewan (0-0) / 468 (2) / (-)
3. McGill (0-0) / 446 (14) / (-)
4. Ryerson (0-0) / 356 / (-)
5. Saint Mary’s (0-0) / 339 / (-)
6. Brock (0-0) / 304 (1) / (-)
7. Regina (0-0) / 267 / (-)
8. Laval (0-0) / 234 / (-)
9. Windsor (0-0) / 216 (1) / (-)
10. Alberta (0-0) / 148 / (-)
Other teams receiving votes: Concordia (85), Queen’s (61).
MEN’S BASKETBALL
(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous ranking)
1. Ottawa (0-0) / 401 points (11) / (-)
2. Carleton (0-0) / 372 (14) / (-)
3. McGill (0-0) / 365 (13) / (-)
4. Brock (0-0) / 336 (7) / (-)
5. Ryerson (0-0) / 221 / (-)
6. Western (0-0) / 186 (1) / (-)
7. Saskatchewan (0-0) / 165 (1) / (-)
8. McMaster (0-0) / 162 / (-)
9. Calgary (0-0) / 120 / (-)
10. UBC (0-0) / 116 / (-)
Other teams receiving votes: Dalhousie (37), Concordia (35).
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
(points) / (previous ranking)
1. Guelph 100 points / (1)
2. Trinity Western 90 / (2)
3. Queen’s 80 / (T3)
4. McMaster 60 / (T6)
T5. Toronto 47 / (T3)
T5. Victoria 47 / (T6)
7. Laval 44 / (5)
8. Dalhousie 40 / (T8)
9. Laurentian 27 / (10)
10. Calgary 14 / (T8)
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
(points) / (previous ranking)
1. Guelph 97 points / (1)
2. Windsor 87 / (3)
3. Laval 84 / (2)
4. McMaster 70 / (4)
5. Trinity Western 64 / (5)
6. Queen’s 47 / (6)
7. Victoria 44 / (7)
8. Lakehead 24 / (8)
9. StFX 20 / (9)
10. Dalhousie 10 / (NR)
WOMEN’S HOCKEY
(regular season record) / (votes) / (previous ranking)
1. Montreal (2-1-1) / 39 points / (3)
2. McGill (2-1-0) / 36 / (1)
3. Toronto (7-0-0) / 33 / (5)
T4. Western (4-3-0) / 26 / (2)
T4. Guelph (6-2-0) / 26 / (6)
6. Lethbridge (7-3-0) / 20 / (4)
7. StFX (3-2-1) / 14 / (8)
8. Saskatchewan (7-2-1) / 13 / (9)
9. Moncton (2-3-0) / 8 / (7)
10. Alberta (5-4-1) / 3 / (10)
Other teams receiving votes: Ottawa (1), St. Thomas (1).
MEN’S HOCKEY
(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous ranking)
1. UNB (5-0-1) / 158 points (15) / (1)
2. Saskatchewan (7-1-0) / 137 / (2)
3. Alberta (5-2-1) / 122 (1) / (3)
4. McGill (7-1-0) / 109 / (4)
5. Acadia (5-1-1) / 88 / (7)
6. UQTR (6-1-1) / 71 / (6)
7. Western (6-1-0) / 58 / (5)
8. UBC (6-0-2) / 45 / (10)
9. Moncton (5-1-1) / 38 / (NR)
10. Windsor (6-1-1) / 23 / (NR)
Other teams receiving votes: StFX (13), Saint Mary’s (12), York (4), Mount Royal (1), Queen’s (1).
WOMEN’S SOCCER (last rankings of season)
(regular season / playoff records) / votes / (previous ranking)
1. Laval (12-0-2) / 59 points / (1)
2. York (15-0-1 / 1-0) / 54 / (2)
3. Ottawa (13-0-3 / 1-0) / 49 / (3)
4. UBC (11-1-2 / 1-0) / 42 / (4)
5. Trinity Western (10-1-3 / 1-0) / 33 / (5)
6. Laurier (12-2-2 / 1-0) / 30 / (6)
7. Sherbrooke (10-2-2) / 15 / (8) *
8. Acadia (10-1-2) / 14 / (9)
9. Victoria (7-3-4 / 1-0) / 7 / (10)
10. Saskatchewan (10-3-1 / 1-0) / 19 / (NR)
* Sherbrooke edged Acadia for the No. 7 position thanks to a higher ranking the previous week
Other teams receiving votes: Cape Breton (2), Queen’s (2).
MEN’S SOCCER (last rankings of season)
(regular season / playoff records) / votes / (previous ranking)
1. UBC (10-0-2 / 1-0) / 60 points / (T1)
2. York (13-1-2 / 1-0) / 51 / (3)
3. UQAM (10-1-1) / 47 / (T1)
4. Ryerson (11-2-3 / 1-0) / 44 / (5)
5. Cape Breton (8-1-4) / 31 / (10)
6. Toronto (11-3-2 / 1-0) / 26 / (6)
7. UNB (8-2-3) / 21 / (7)
8. Montreal (9-3-0) / 19 / (9)
9. Victoria (6-3-3 / 1-0) / 16 / (NR)
10. McMaster (11-5-0 / 2-0) / 8 / (NR)
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
(regular season record) / votes / (previous ranking)
1. Alberta (4-0) / 59 points / (2)
2. Trinity Western (6-0) / 57 / (3)
3. UBC Okanagan (5-1) / 49 / (1)
4. McGill (5-0) / 47 / (4)
5. Montreal (6-0) / 45.5 / (T5)
6. Toronto (3-0) / 42.5 / (T5)
7. UBC (4-0) / 35 / (8)
8. Sherbrooke (4-1) / 31 / (7)
9. Dalhousie (1-0) / 25 / (10)
T10. McMaster (2-1) / 21 / (9)
T10. Calgary (4-2) / 21 / (NR)
Next highest votes: Ottawa (16), Thompson Rivers (10.5), Brandon (6.5), Ryerson (4), Winnipeg (4).
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous ranking)
1. McMaster (4-0) / 284 points (23) / (1)
2. Alberta (4-0) / 268 (7) / (2)
3. Calgary (6-0) / 230 / (3)
4. Manitoba (6-0) / 210 / (4)
5. Mount Royal (4-2) / 108 / (6)
6. UBC (2-2) / 105 / (7)
7. Laval (6-0) / 104 / (8)
8. Saskatchewan (4-2) / 83 / (NR)
9. Trinity Western (3-3) / 74 / (5)
10. Ryerson (3-0) / 73 / (NR)
FRC – CIS Football Top 10 (#10)
Top-ranked Dinos complete unblemished regular season
In the final national poll of the season, the Dinos (8-0) received 26 of 30 first-place votes and 296 points from the Football Reporters of Canada panel. The remaining No. 1 nods went to the Western Mustangs (8-0), who merited 270 points to hold on to second place for the third straight week.
Following in order in the tenth Top 10 of the campaign are the third-ranked Laval Rouge et Or (7-1 / 238 points / no change), No. 4 Montreal Carabins (6-2 / 216 / no change), No. 5 Guelph Gryphons (7-1 / 170 / no change), No. 6 UBC Thunderbirds (6-2 / 134 / up three positions), No. 7 Sherbrooke Vert & Or (5-3 / 126 / no change), No. 8 Manitoba Bisons (5-3 / 76 / no change), No. 9 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (5-4 / 51 / previously unranked) and No. 10 Carleton Ravens (6-3 / 43 / no change).
Laurier makes its first Top 10 appearance in over a calendar year (No. 10 in Oct. 7, 2014 poll) after scoring the first upset of the 2015 playoffs Saturday at Hamilton, a 29-15 OUA quarter-final win over defending conference champion and Vanier Cup finalist McMaster. Playing in what could have been the final game of his brilliant university career, running back Dillon Campbell exploded for 295 rushing yards, the best tally in the country this season, on 40 carries, a new OUA single-game record.
In the other OUA quarter-final, Carleton dominated Queen’s 39-8 at Kingston for its first playoff victory since 1986.
In the other conferences, where the regular season was coming to an end, results from Top-10 teams included Calgary 64, Alberta 28 (at Alberta); Laval 57, McGill 10 (at McGill); Montreal 22, Concordia 17 (at Montreal); UBC 24, Manitoba 10 (at UBC); Sherbrooke 42, Bishop’s 29 (at Sherbrooke).
In addition to completing a perfect league schedule, top-ranked Calgary set a plethora of records Saturday in Edmonton, including most points scored by a Canada West team in a single season (471). Quarterback Andrew Buckley, the reigning Hec Crighton Trophy winner, passed for 463 yards and three touchdowns in just over two quarters of action to end the campaign with 3,162 yards through the air (CIS record), a 72.0 completion percentage (Canada West record) and a sensational 19-1 TD-to-interception ratio. For his part, kicker Johnny Mark had three field goals and 19 points to finish the season with 26 field goals (tied CIS record) and 144 points (CIS record for a kicker).
In Saturday’s Canada West semifinals, the Dinos host Saskatchewan (3-5) at 1 p.m. MT (CanadaWest.TV), while Manitoba flies to Vancouver for the second straight week to face UBC at noon PT (live nationally on Global TV and CanadaWest.TV).
The other conference semis, also on Saturday, include Laurier at Western at 1 p.m. (Rogers TV and OUA.TV), Carleton at Guelph at 1 p.m. (CHCH TV and OUA.TV), Concordia (4-4) at Laval at 2 p.m., Sherbrooke at Montreal at 2 p.m. (TVA Sports), as well as Acadia (4-4) at StFX (5-3) at 2 p.m. AT (Bell Aliant FibreOP TV1 and AUStv.ca).
NOTES: The ArcelorMittal Dofasco Mitchell Bowl (RSEQ at OUA) and Uteck Bowl (Canada West at AUS) are set for Nov. 21 at 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time, respectively... The ArcelorMittal Vanier Cup, presented by Promutuel Assurance follows on Nov. 28 at 1 p.m. ET in Quebec City... Sportsnet and TVA Sports have live coverage of all three national games... For all the information on the 51st Vanier Cup (including tickets) visit vaniercup.com.
FRC – CIS FOOTBALL TOP 10 (#10)
Pts (1st place) Last week
1. Calgary (8-0) 296 (26) 1
2. Western (8-0) 270 (4) 2
3. Laval (7-1) 238 3
4. Montreal (6-2) 216 4
5. Guelph (7-1) 170 5
6. UBC (6-2) 134 9
7. Sherbrooke (5-3) 126 7
8. Manitoba (5-3) 76 8
9. Laurier (4-4 / 1-0) 51 NR
10. Carleton (5-3 / 1-0) 43 10
Other teams receiving votes: Concordia (17), McMaster (9), Mount Allison (4), StFX (2).
WEEK 10 RESULTS
October 30 (regular season)
Saskatchewan 38, Regina 37 (at Regina)
October 31 (OUA quarter-finals)
Laurier 29, McMaster 15 (at McMaster)
Carleton 39, Queen’s 8 (at Queen’s)
October 31 (regular season)
Laval 57, McGill 10 (at McGill)
Sherbrooke 42, Bishop’s 29 (at Sherbrooke)
Montreal 22, Concordia 17 (at Montreal)
StFX 24, Mount Allison 18 (at Mount Allison)
Acadia 27, Saint Mary’s 0 (at Acadia)
Calgary 64, Alberta 28 (at Alberta)
UBC 24, Manitoba 10 (at UBC)
WEEK 11 SCHEDULE (all times local)
NOTE: Click HERE for the complete 2015 regular season schedule & results.
NOTE: Click HERE for the complete playoff schedule & results.
November 7 (conference semifinals)
12:00 No. 8 Manitoba (5-3) at No. 6 UBC (6-2) (Global TV & CanadaWest.TV)
13:00 No. 9 Laurier (4-4 / 1-0) at No. 2 Western (8-0) (Rogers TV & OUA.TV)
13:00 No. 10 Carleton (5-3 / 1-0) at No. 5 Guelph (7-1) (CHCH TV & OUA.TV)
13:00 Saskatchewan (3-5) at No. 1 Calgary (8-0) (CanadaWest.TV)
14:00 Acadia (4-4) at StFX (5-3) (Bell Aliant FibreOP TV1 & AUStv.ca)
14:00 Concordia (4-4) at No. 3 Laval (7-1)
14:00 No. 7 Sherbrooke (5-3) at No. 4 Montreal (6-2) (TVA Sports)