AUS Regular Season 2017-18

[AUS Fan]

Big road win for UdeM on the Island, 8-5. In a lackluster game SFX comes away with a 4-2 win against SMU in Halifax.

 

[UNB Bruins Fan]

As much as I love a good blowout...it’s embarassing that a team is forced to play with only 12 skaters.

 

[rethinking]

Last year, SMU played shorthanded and now UPEI are the latest victims of the Roster Cap. I don't think the Roster Cap that penalizes AUS teams has really had the effect that the pro voters hoped for.

At the end of the UNB / UPEI game the announcers said that they had never seen that type of fracas or problem in the hand shaking line. I have, I think last year at the end of an Acadia / UPEI game on the island. Did anyone see what or who started it?

 

[UNB Bruins Fan]

Having said that though, it clearly hasn’t hurt the conference on a national level given the success of AUS teams at the University Cup since it has been implemented.

 

[Prov1X]

Last year, SMU played shorthanded and now UPEI are the latest victims of the Roster Cap. I don't think the Roster Cap that penalizes AUS teams has really had the effect that the pro voters hoped for.

At the end of the UNB / UPEI game the announcers said that they had never seen that type of fracas or problem in the hand shaking line. I have, I think last year at the end of an Acadia / UPEI game on the island. Did anyone see what or who started it?

It was a UPEI-Acadia game in PEI last year, forget who all was involved, but there were at least two fighting majors, and I believe that is game that I found out that if the other player gets an instigator, the other guy doesn't get the automatic one game suspension.
I have no idea who it was, but someone either face washed or punched Thomas in the line and it went downhill from there. You knew something was going to happen, Boudens and Keilly hadn't even gotten to each other at that point LOL

 

[UNB Bruins Fan]

Kielly was pretty fired up for the last bit of the game. I think frustration was definitely starting to boil over after the Brace hit and then that Thomas penalty shortly afterwards....on top of the score.

 

[Prov1X]

Kielly was pretty fired up for the last bit of the game. I think frustration was definitely starting to boil over after the Brace hit and then that Thomas penalty shortly afterwards....on top of the score.

Yes he was, I am not sure if it was something before, but he slashed Boudens, then Boudens got him back and then they started throwing a few punches. No matter how much he wanted to, UPEI can not afford to have him missing even one game. Not sure how someone didn't go to the box with Thomas on that call, I forget who was sitting on Pomerleau's back and got a couple of shots in, and the ref doesn't do anything. All Thomas did was get him off his back LOL..

 

[UNB Bruins Fan]

Anyone else notice that there have been a lot of new/different refs so far this year? Don’t remember seeing much of the usuals.

 

[Prov1X]

Anyone else notice that there have been a lot of new/different refs so far this year? Don’t remember seeing much of the usuals.

They have been using a bunch of different officials, but not really complaining, found that they have been a bit better than the usual cast of characters. Can you imagine if O'Shaunessy had of done tonights game?
For the most part, I would say that they were decent to good. LOL

 

[AUS Fan]

Another day, another Dal game. Tonight it was the Axemen in town. After a poor effort in the 1st period, someone got their skates off the bus and they came out much better in the 2nd. Goals by Fioretti and Farrell, both from almost the goal line and a shorty by McNulty off a rebound gave Acadia the 3-1 win. Good effort from Dal, but that doesn't translate into points. Acadia was missing defensemen Lepkowski who was serving an automatic suspension from a slashing major Friday night at SFX ( I assume he'll get a few more games added to this), Maaskant who suffered a concussion in the same game and Schemitsch who is still recovering from a leg injury.

 

[AUS Fan]

Looking ahead to the end of the 1st half, it would appear that UPEI has the "toughest" schedule with a road trip to SMU and ACA. UNB plays the same weekend, but has shown the ability to win against these teams. SFX has the "easiest" with games at DAL and UdeM. By Saturday night there is a possibility that SFX could be tied with UNB (I can't see UNB losing two on the road).

 

[Rob]

I just noticed that UNB is going to have three exhibition games over the Xmas break while the other AUS teams have none.

How often do the other teams have exhibition games during the break?

 

[AUS Fan]

They'll "normally" play a game on the 30th or 31st. UNB has 3 games open, as does DAL. UdeM has 2, ACA, SMU and SFX have 1 and UPEI has played 6 exhibition games.

 

[Drummer]

Anyone else notice that there have been a lot of new/different refs so far this year? Don’t remember seeing much of the usuals.

Can't say it's been that different, but last weekend was for sure. There was a HC Level VI Seminar in Moncton, those candidates worked AUS and Q games as part of the seminar and evaluations.

For UNB's Friday game, we had Troy Murray from the Saskatchewan Hockey Assoc. (SHA) who is a WHL Referee and Kris Nikolic from the Austrian National Program (he's also a IIHF 'A' License for 2018). Explains why Thomas didn't get a penalty for that hit on Yetman - a local ref would have given him a penalty for sure, but these guys were 'all new' with no bias.

In Saturday's game vs UdeM, UNB had Dexter Rasmussen from BC Hockey who is a WHL ref and Brett Roeland from Manitoba who works both WHL and CW (mainly U. Manitoba). Brett even had a CW crested jersey which was cool. One of the linesman for this game was Mat Hicks, he is notorious for pulling the logo out of the ice at the QMHL Islanders game last year. He got a hit/stick to the face with 2 min left in the game and had to leave - way too much blood. It had no impact in the end.

Have to say it was great to see really experienced guys working the games. Too bad it wasn't next weekend when we play in Nova Scotia

 

[UNB Bruins Fan]

They'll "normally" play a game on the 30th or 31st. UNB has 3 games open, as does DAL. UdeM has 2, ACA, SMU and SFX have 1 and UPEI has played 6 exhibition games.

I imagine the NS teams will play a couple games amongst themselves.

 

[AUS Fan]

Perhaps. I haven't heard anything, but I haven't asked either....

 

[AUS Fan]

SFX - DAL finishes with a 2-0 win for SFX. Another good effort by DAL, but no points.

 

[RED ARMY EAST]

From what I can see, only UNB,X,SMU will have a shot at a first round bye. I can't see Acadia closing the gap on the top two teams. Yes, 2 games left in the first half and all of the second half to go, but i just don't see it.

 

[Drummer]

From what I can see, only UNB,X,SMU will have a shot at a first round bye. I can't see Acadia closing the gap on the top two teams. Yes, 2 games left in the first half and all of the second half to go, but i just don't see it.

Agree. 9pts is a large margin with only 28pts (14 games) on the table for both teams. Acadia would have to win all of their DAL/UDM/PEI games (7 in total - no upsets allowed because UNB will likely win these games as well), all of their head-2-head games vs UNB (3 in total which makes up 6pts), plus their head-2-head vs SFX (1 game) and go 2 for 3 vs SMU and 'hope' UNB only goes 2-3-0 vs SFX & SMU.

This is a tall task for a team(Acadia) that has, over the past few years, faltered in the second half - which is not true of UNB over the past 5 years with a 63-5 record in the second half. Also, UNB as only lost 2 games after Christmas once over the past 5 years. UNB has also only lost two(2) season series since 11/12; 1-2-1 vs ACD in 14/15 and 1-3 vs PEI in 11/12 - in both cases UNB swept each team in the Playoffs. So, Acadia can not count on UNB faltering to reach a bye - they will have to play this well and hope SFX falters, but with only one head-2-head game ... might be too much to ask.

UNB's worst second half, in recent years, was back in 11/12 when they went 9-5, but they lost to 5 different teams (they still went on to win the AUS title).

 

[AUS Fan]

I'm hearing that Lepkowski got 9 games for the slash last week at SFX. Did Brace get anything for the Hit-to-the-head major in the UPEI game the same weekend? He didn't dress last night and I didn't see him around the rink.

 

[RED ARMY EAST]

SMU 5 UNB 4 shoot out.
SMU builds a 3-1 lead on some suspect goaltending from Dubeau.
Down 3-1, the V-Reds fight back to tie it at 3-3, before both teams trade goals to send it to overtime.
It's hard to believe that this game went to a shoot out, as overtime shots favoured the V-Reds 8-2.
Brassard was outstanding making several big saves in overtime.
Both goalies were sharp in the extended shoot out, before the Huskies got a very important 2 pts.
SMU was missing key forward Anthony Repaci.
The competition between the top 4 AUS teams paves the way for success at the National level.
Acadia has also been played the first half without two horses on the backend.
It will be interesting to see if anyone brings in talent at the break.
As for UNB, Clapperton's return gives the Reds more punch on the offensive side, but I can still see them bringing in another impact forward, if it's the right fit!
An impact forward could also be what the doctor ordered, for X,SMU and Acadia .

 

[RED ARMY EAST]

I'm hearing that Lepkowski got 9 games for the slash last week at SFX. Did Brace get anything for the Hit-to-the-head major in the UPEI game the same weekend? He didn't dress last night and I didn't see him around the rink.

I also noticed Brace missing, as Lewis was in the lineup.
Suspension from the UPEI game I suspect. Happened after the game, during the handshake.

 

[Prov1X]

I also noticed Brace missing, as Lewis was in the lineup.
Suspension from the UPEI game I suspect. Happened after the game, during the handshake.

Brace would have gotten at least a one game suspension for the 5 min major that was called hit to the head. That would have been served with the game in Moncton. Not sure if he has had more than one this year that would have led to a multiple game suspension. His incident wasn't during the handshakes, that was Thomas who got a 10 min at the end of that game.

 

[UNB Bruins Fan]

According to the boxscore tonight Brace is playing.

What happened with Lepkowski? I never saw the play, but must have been pretty bad to get 9 games. Wonder if his recent suspension for knocking out Clapperton also played a role in the length?

 

[Prov1X]

I'm hearing that Lepkowski got 9 games for the slash last week at SFX. Did Brace get anything for the Hit-to-the-head major in the UPEI game the same weekend? He didn't dress last night and I didn't see him around the rink.

Wow, 9 games? Who did he slash, Pierre Arsenault himself? Obviously the previous suspension must have played a part in it being that many games.