The StFX men’s hockey team opens the best-of-three AUS final in Fredericton against the UNB Varsity Reds.
The X-Men (15-12-3) finished the regular season third in the seven-team conference with 33 points, and beat Acadia (two-games-to-one in their best-of-three quarterfinal series) and Saint Mary’s (three-games-to-two in their best-of-five semifinal series) to advance.
The V-Reds (25-2-3) were first with 53 points; they had a first-round bye then swept UPEI (three-games-to none in their best-of-five semi-final series) to advance.
UNB had a 3-2 edge in the five-game season series; those two losses to StFX were their only regulation losses of the season.
Brad Peddle, the head coach of the X-Men, told The Hawk Morning Show their key will be to play their game, not UNB’s.
“They were a much better team than us in the first half when we played them both games,” he said. “I thought the second half, when we played them the two games at home (and) gave them their first two regulation losses, we played more our style against them, and were successful.”
It’s the fourth straight year these two teams have met in the AUS final- StFX won in 2016 and 2017, while UNB won in 2018.
Game time is 7 p.m.
The winner of game one will have a chance to win the AUS title when the series shifts to Antigonish for game two Wednesday night; both teams have already clinched a spot at the 2019 University Cup in Lethbridge, Alberta March 14-17.
