CIS Top Ten Tuesday (#10): CIS champions SFU, Carleton top first hoops rankings

OTTAWA (CIS) – The reigning national champion Simon Fraser Clan and Carleton Ravens top the inaugural CIS women’s and men’s basketball rankings of the 2009-2010 campaign.

Other teams topping CIS polls this week include Lethbridge in women’s rugby, Montreal in women’s soccer, Toronto in men’s soccer, Guelph in women’s and men’s cross country, McGill in women’s hockey, UNB in men’s hockey, UBC in women’s volleyball, and Alberta in men’s volleyball.

In women’s hoops, the Clan, winners of four of the past eight Bronze Baby trophies, received 40 of the available 42 first-place votes to open at No. 1 for the third straight year. SFU has now led 28 of 29 coaches polls dating back to the start of the 2007-08 schedule. The Clan dominated all 14 rankings two years ago and 13 of 14 polls last season, when they were second to Alberta for one week (second poll).

After going 4-0 in pre-season action, all victories over CIS opponents, Simon Fraser kicked off conference play last Saturday with a 61-49 win over the No. 5-Victoria Vikes (0-1), before edging Western Washington (NCAA Division II) 65-62 on Sunday for their fifth non-conference victory this fall.

The Clan resume Canada West play this weekend with home tilts against Trinity Western (0-1) and the UBC Thunderbirds (1-0).

Rounding out the initial women’s basketball Top 10 are the No. 2-Saskatchewan Huskies (0-0), who earned the remaining two first-place nods, No. 3-Windsor (0-0), No. 4 and 2008-09 CIS finalist Regina (0-0), No. 6-Laval (0-0), No. 7-Bishop’s (0-0), No. 8-Cape Breton (0-0), No. 9-Acadia (0-0), as well as No. 10-Alberta (2-0), national bronze medallist last season.

In men’s basketball, the Ravens, recipients of six of the past seven W.P. McGee trophies, top the first rankings for the fourth consecutive year and have also been voted No. 1 in 28 of 29 coaches polls since the start of 2007-08. Like SFU in women’s hoops, Carleton led all 14 rankings two years ago and was 13-of-14 last season, dropping to No. 2 behind the UBC Thunderbirds – who they would beat in the national final - for one week (third poll).

The Ravens, who received 37 of 41 first-place votes in the opening poll, were once again solid this pre-season going 7-2 overall, including a 6-0 mark against CIS rivals and tournament titles at their own House-Laughton Classic and at UVic’s Guy Vetrie Tournament.

Carleton kicks off conference play this weekend with road games against Guelph on Friday and Brock on Saturday.

No. 2-UBC (1-0) and the No. 4-McMaster Marauders (0-0) split the remaining four first-place nods. The T-Birds dominated Trinity Western 71-44 in their Canada West opener. The No. 3 seed went to the Calgary Dinos, who kicked off the regular schedule with a convincing weekend sweep of Winnipeg, 94-56 and 96-55.

Rounding out the first men’s basketball Top 10 are No. 5-Dalhousie (0-0), No. 6-Toronto (0-0), No. 7-Cape Breton (0-0), No. 8-Windsor (0-0), No. 9-Saskatchewan (0-0) and No. 10-Wilfrid Laurier (0-0).

In women’s rugby, the two-time defending national champion Lethbridge Pronghorns (4-0 season / 2-0 playoffs), who have been ranked No. 1 all season, go for a third straight Monilex trophy this week in Vancouver. UBC hosts the 2009 CIS tournament from Nov. 6-8.

Joining the Canada West champion Pronghorns on the West Coast are No. 2 and OUA champion Guelph (5-0 / 3-0), No. 3 and AUS champion St. Francis Xavier (6-0 / 1-0), No. 4 and QSSF champion Concordia (5-1 / 2-0), No. 5-Western Ontario (3-2 / 2-1) and No. 9-UBC (2-2 / 1-1).

In women’s soccer, the Montreal Carabins (12-1-1) move up two spots to No. 1 after securing first place in the Quebec standings with a pair of dominating wins in the final weekend of QSSF conference play, 6-0 over UQAM and 10-0 against Bishop’s.

Reigning CIS champion Trinity Western (11-2-1), falls from first to second in the Top 10 following a 2-0 loss to No. 4-Victoria, but still finished atop the Canada West regular season standings.

In men’s soccer, the Toronto Varsity Blues (11-1-2 season / 1-0 playoffs) move all the way from No. 4 to No. 1 after they opened the OUA playoffs with an impressive 4-0 quarterfinal victory over Laurentian. The Blues had last topped the national rankings for two weeks in October of 2003.

New CIS champions will be crowned on Nov. 15 in Langley, B.C., as the York Lions, who held the No. 1 position a week ago and captured their first national title since 1977 last season, were upset 1-0 by Western in the OUA quarterfinals.

Also of note in men’s soccer, No. 6-Laval (8-2-2) became the second team to qualify for the CIS tournament (along with host Trinity Western) after finishing first in Quebec. The QSSF sends its regular season champions and its playoff champions to the national tourney.

In women’s hockey, the two-time defending CIS champions McGill Martlets (4-0) remain at No. 1 after they extended their overall winning streak against CIS opponents to 58 straight games dating back to December of 2007 with a 7-2 victory over No. 10-Montreal and a 1-0 shutout of Carleton.

In men’s hockey, the No. 1 and University Cup champion UNB Varsity Reds improved to 6-0 in AUS conference play with a 2-1 overtime defeat of cross-town rival St. Thomas and a 7-3 win over Acadia.

In women’s volleyball, the No. 1 and two-time reigning national champion UBC Thunderbirds (4-0) remained undefeated in the regular season with a weekend sweep of No. 8-Trinity Western, 3-0 and 3-2.

In men’s volleyball, the No. 1 and two-time defending CIS champion Alberta Golden Bears (3-1) were impressive in a pair of straight-set victories over Thompson Rivers.

In cross country, the Guelph Gryphons, who swept the CIS team banners for a record third straight season a year ago, top both national rankings this week. The Guelph women have been No. 1 all season, while the men temporarily fell to No. 2 behind Windsor last week.

Over the weekend, Guelph captured both OUA banners for the fifth straight year, StFX swept the AUS titles, and the Laval women and Sherbrooke men were crowned QSSF champions.

The 2009 CIS cross country championships are only 11 days away. Queen’s hosts the national meet in Kingston on Saturday, Nov. 14.

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

1. Simon Fraser (1-0) / 503 points (40) / (-)
2. Saskatchewan (0-0) / 457 (2) / (-)
3. Windsor (0-0) / 385 / (-)
4. Regina (0-0) / 346 / (-)
5. Victoria (0-1) / 342 / (-)
6. Laval (0-0) / 245 / (-)
7. Bishop’s (0-0) / 208 / (-)
8. Cape Breton (0-0) / 196 / (-)
9. Acadia (0-0) / 132 / (-)
10. Alberta (2-0) / 87 / (-)

Other teams receiving votes: UBC (55), Memorial (51), Carleton (49), Calgary (39), Ottawa (39), Saint Mary’s (30), Wilfrid Laurier (18), StFX (9).

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

1. Carleton (0-0) / 496 points (37) / (-)
2. UBC (1-0) / 450 (2) / (-)
3. Calgary (2-0) / 416 / (-)
4. McMaster (0-0) / 380 (2) / (-)
5. Dalhousie (0-0) / 316 / (-)
6. Toronto (0-0) / 276 / (-)
7. Cape Breton (0-0) / 228 / (-)
8. Windsor (0-0) / 177 / (-)
9. Saskatchewan (0-0) / 169 / (-)
10. Wilfrid Laurier (0-0) / 88 / (-)

Other teams receiving votes: Trinity Western (70), Queen’s (60), StFX (38), Concordia (19), Simon Fraser (17).

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
(votes) / (previous rankings)

1. Guelph (100.0 points) / (1)
2. McMaster (82.7) / (2)
3. StFX (59.1) / (5)
4. Calgary (53.6) / (4)
5. Toronto (45.5) / (3)
6. Queen’s (44.5) / (T8)
7. Laval (39.1) / (T8)
8. Victoria (38.2) / (6)
9. Alberta (36.4) / (NR)
10. Windsor (19.1) / (NR)

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
(votes) / (previous rankings)

1. Guelph (99.2 points) / (2)
2. Windsor (90) / (1)
3. StFX (70.8) / (3)
4. Regina (53.3) / (6)
5. Calgary (52.5) / (4)
6. Queen’s (46.7) / (7)
7. Victoria (39.2) / (5)
8. Toronto (28.3) / (8)
9. Alberta (25) / (NR)
10. Sherbrooke (17.5) / (NR)

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

1. McGill (4-0) / (1)
2. Wilfrid Laurier (6-0) / (2)
3. Alberta (8-0) / (3)
4. Manitoba (4-2) / (4)
5. StFX (4-2) / (5)
6. Moncton (2-2) / (6)
7. Queen’s (5-1) / (7)
8. Saskatchewan (4-1-1) / (9)
9. Guelph (4-2-1) / (8)
10. Montreal (5-1) / (10)

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

1. UNB (6-0-0) / 180 (18) / (1)
2. Alberta (6-1-1) / 152 / (2)
3. UQTR (7-0-0) / 138 / (3)
4. Saint Mary’s (3-1-0) / 104 / (5)
5. McGill (4-0-0) / 87/ (7) - x
6. Manitoba (6-3-1) / 87 / (6) - x
7. Waterloo (6-1-1) / 64 / (10)
8. Nipissing (6-1-1) / 38 / (9)
9. St. Francis Xavier (4-1-1) / 36 / (NR) - x
10. Wilfrid Laurier (5-1-1) / 36 / (8) - x

x - McGill and St. Francis Xavier were awarded the higher ranking based on number of higher-placed votes.

Other teams receiving votes: Lakehead (32), Calgary (19), Western Ontario (14), Brock (3).

WOMEN’S RUGBY
(regular season record) / (votes) / (previous rankings)

1. Lethbridge (4-0 / 2-0 playoffs) / 118 points / (1)
2. Guelph (5-0 / 3-0 playoffs) / 95 / (2)
3. StFX (6-0 / 1-0 playoffs) / 91 / (3)
4. Concordia (5-1 / 2-0 playoffs) / 68 / (7)
5. Western Ontario (3-2 / 2-1 playoffs) / 62 / (5)
6. Alberta (3-1 / 1-1 playoffs) / 52 / (6)
7. Laval (6-0 / 1-1 playoffs) / 39 / (4)
8. McMaster (4-1 / 2-1 playoffs) / 34 / (8)
9. UBC (2-2 / 1-1 playoffs) / 18 / (10)
10. Queen’s (4-1 / 1-2 playoffs) / 17 / (9)

Other teams receiving votes: Saint Mary’s (3),Ottawa (2), Laurier (1), Waterloo (1), Trent (1).

WOMEN’S SOCCER
(regular season record) / (votes) / (previous rankings)

1. Montreal (12-1-1) / 37 pts / (3)
2. Trinity Western (11-2-1) / 36 / (1)
3. Queen’s (13-1-2 / 1-0 playoffs) / 35 / (2)
4. Victoria (9-2-3) / 25 / (4)
5. Dalhousie (10-0-3) / 24 / (5)
6. York (11-2-1 / 1-0 playoffs) / 21 / (7)
7. Ottawa (11-2-3 / 1-0 playoffs) / 19 / (6)
8. McGill (10-3-1) / 9 / (NR)
9. UBC (8-2-4) / 7/ (NR)
10. Wilfrid Laurier (9-3-2 / 1-0 playoffs) / 4 / (NR)

Teams also receiving votes: UPEI, Laval, Sherbrooke, Toronto.

MEN’S SOCCER
(regular season record) / points / (previous rankings)

1. Toronto (11-1-2 / 1-0 playoffs) / 56 pts / (4)
2. UBC (10-3-1) / 54 / (5)
3. Cape Breton (9-1-3) / 47 / (6)
4. Montreal (8-3-1) / 40 / (3)
5. Trinity Western (8-2-4) / 38 / (2)
6. Laval (8-2-2) / 29 / (NR)
7. York (9-2-3 / 0-1 playoffs) / 25 / (1)
8. Dalhousie (8-2-3) / 22 / (9)
9. Victoria (8-5-1) / 9 / (10)
10. Carleton (7-5-2 / 2-0 playoffs) / 7 / (NR)

Other teams receiving votes: Windsor, UPEI, UNB, McMaster, Western Ontario.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
(regular season record) / (votes) / (previous rankings)

1. UBC (4-0) / 60 pts / (1)
2. Montreal (4-0) / 56 / (2)
3. Alberta (4-0) / 52 / (3)
4. Laval (4-0) / 47 / (5)
5. Calgary (2-2) / 44 / (6)
T6. Manitoba (2-2) / 38 / (4)
T6. Regina (3-1) / 38 / (7)
8. Trinity Western (2-2) / 32 / (8)
9. Brandon (1-1) / 27 / (NR)
10. McGill (4-0) / 26 / (9)

Next highest vote getter (11-15): Waterloo (17), Sherbrooke (16), Western Ontario (8), UNB (7), Toronto (5).

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
(regular season record) / points / (previous rankings)

1. Alberta (3-1) / 242.5 points / (1)
2. McMaster (4-0) / 231.5 / (2)
3. Calgary (1-1) / 214.5 / (3)
4. Laval (0-0) / 200 / (4)
5. Manitoba (3-1) / 144.5 / (5)
6. Dalhousie (2-0) / 137 / (6)
7. Trinity Western (2-0) / 88 / (10)
8. Brandon (1-1) / 86 / (9)
9. Winnipeg (1-1) / 70 / (8)
10. UBC (1-3) / 44.5 / (7)


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