# 2018 U Sports University Cup

The 2018 U Sports Men's University Cup Hockey Tournament (56th Annual) was held March 15–18, 2018, in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, and played at the Aitken Centre on the University of New Brunswick's Fredericton campus. This event marked the second year of a successful two-year bid to host the 2017 and 2018 U Sports University Cup. This was the third time UNB hosted the University Cup – they first hosted a two-year bid in 2003 & 2004 and again in 2011 & 2012. UNB is the first program to host the event three times since the expanded format was introduced in 1998.
The Alberta Golden Bears won their 16th title over the St. Francis Xavier X-Men. Alberta last won the University Cup in 2015. St. F.X. was last in the final in 2016 when they lost to UNB Varsity Reds in the finals.
It was announced a month prior to the tournament, that the next two tournaments would be 'singles', first hosted by Lethbridge Pronghorns (2019/U Cup 57 – ENMAX Centre) followed by Acadia Axemen (2020/U Cup 58 – Scotiabank Centre). The tournament format would remain unchanged for both years.

## Road to the Cup
### AUS playoffs

| Quarter-finals (Best of 3) | Quarter-finals (Best of 3) | Quarter-finals (Best of 3) | Semi-finals (Best of 5) | Semi-finals (Best of 5) | Semi-finals (Best of 5) | AUS Championship (Best of 3) | AUS Championship (Best of 3) | AUS Championship (Best of 3) |
| | | | 1 | UNB Varsity Reds | 3 | | | |
| 4 | Saint Mary's Huskies | 2 | 4 | Saint Mary's Huskies | 0 | | | |
| 5 | UPEI Panthers | 1 | | | | 1 | UNB Varsity Reds | 2 |
| | | | | | | 2 | St. Francis Xavier X-Men | 0 |
| | | | 2 | St. Francis Xavier X-Men | 3 |
| 3 | Acadia Axemen | 2 | 3 | Acadia Axemen | 2 |
| 6 | Dalhousie University | 0 | | | | Third place | Third place | Third place |
| | | | | | | 3 | Acadia Axemen | 2 |
| | | | | | | 4 | Saint Mary's Huskies | 1 |

### OUA playoffs

| Division Quarter-finals (Best of 3) OUA Sweet 16 | Division Quarter-finals (Best of 3) OUA Sweet 16 | Division Quarter-finals (Best of 3) OUA Sweet 16 | Division Semi-finals (Best of 3) OUA Quarter-Finals | Division Semi-finals (Best of 3) OUA Quarter-Finals | Division Semi-finals (Best of 3) OUA Quarter-Finals | Division Finals (Best of 3) OUA Semi-Finals | Division Finals (Best of 3) OUA Semi-Finals | Division Finals (Best of 3) OUA Semi-Finals | | Queen's Cup (Single Game) OUA Championship | Queen's Cup (Single Game) OUA Championship | Queen's Cup (Single Game) OUA Championship |
| 1E | McGill Redmen | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8E | Laurentian Voyageurs | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8E | Laurentian Voyageurs | 0 | 1E | McGill Redmen | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 5E | Ottawa Gee Gees | 1 | | | | | | | |
| 4E | Carleton Ravens | 1 | 5E | Ottawa Gee Gees | 1 | | | | | | | |
| 5E | Ottawa Gee Gees | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5E | Ottawa Gee Gees | 2 | | | | 1E | McGill Redmen | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 3E | Concordia Stingers | 1 | | | | |
| 2E | Queen's Golden Gaels | 2 | | | | | | | 3E | Concordia Stingers | 1 | | | | |
| 7E | Nipissing Lakers | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7E | Nipissing Lakers | 0 | 2E | Queen's Golden Gaels | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 3E | Concordia Stingers | 2 | | | | | | | |
| 3E | Concordia Stingers | 2 | 3E | Concordia Stingers | 2 | | | | | | | |
| 6E | UOIT Ridgebacks | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6E | UOIT Ridgebacks | 0 | | | | | | | | 1E | McGill Redmen | 5 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 5W | Brock Badgers (Host) | 1 |
| 1W | Guelph Gryphons | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 5W | Brock Badgers (Host) | 1 |
| 8W | Windsor Lancers | 1 | | | | | | |
| 8W | Windsor Lancers | 1 | 1W | Guelph Gryphons | 0 | | | |
| | | | 5W | Brock Badgers | 2 | | | |
| 4W | Laurier Golden Hawks | 0 | 5W | Brock Badgers | 2 | | | |
| 5W | Brock Badgers | 2 | | | | | | |
| 5W | Brock Badgers | 2 | | | | 2W | York Lions | 1 |
| | | | | | | 5W | Brock Badgers | 2 |
| 2W | York Lions | 2 | | | | 5W | Brock Badgers | 2 | | Third place | Third place | Third place |
| 7W | Lakehead Thunderwolves | 1 | | | | | | |
| 7W | Lakehead Thunderwolves | 1 | 2W | York Lions | 2 | | | | | 3E | Concordia Stingers (H) | 3 |
| | | | 3W | Ryerson Rams | 0 | | | | | 2W | York Lions (V) | 2 |
| 3W | Ryerson Rams | 2 | 3W | Ryerson Rams | 0 | | | | | 2W | York Lions (V) | 2 |
| 6W | Western Mustangs | 1 | | | | | | |
Note 1: UQTR forfeit their first 13 games due to an ineligible player, resulting in the loss of eight(8) wins. Their record of 15–6–1, at the time of the January announcement, was correct to 7–14–1. They finished with a record of 8–19–1 (17 points for 10th).
Note 2: The Queen's Cup championship game must be held in Ontario (part of the arrangement when the RSEQ hockey league merged with the OUA). When a Quebec-based OUA-East representative is the higher seed and should 'host' the game – the game shall be hosted by the OUA-West team instead, but the OUA-East team shall be the 'home' team and have last change.

### Canada West playoffs

| Quarter-finals (Best of 3) | Quarter-finals (Best of 3) | Quarter-finals (Best of 3) | Semi-finals (Best of 3) | Semi-finals (Best of 3) | Semi-finals (Best of 3) | Canada West Championship (Best of 3) | Canada West Championship (Best of 3) | Canada West Championship (Best of 3) |
| | | | 1 | Alberta Golden Bears | 2 | | | |
| 3 | Manitoba Bison | 0 | 6 | Mount Royal Cougars | 0 | | | |
| 6 | Mount Royal Cougars | 2 | | | | 1 | Alberta Golden Bears | 2 |
| | | | | | | 2 | Saskatchewan Huskies | 0 |
| | | | 2 | Saskatchewan Huskies | 2 | | | |
| 4 | UBC Thunderbirds | 1 | 5 | Calgary Dinos | 1 | | | |
| 5 | Calgary Dinos | 2 | | | | | | |

## University Cup tournament

The eight teams to advance to the tournament are listed below. The three(3) conference champions must be seeded 1–3 based on the pre-tournament Top 10 Rankings followed by the OUA Runner-up (seed #4). The remaining four seeds are for the AUS Finalist, Canada West Finalist, OUA Third-place and host. Their seedings are based on the pre-tournament rankings.
Since UNB advancing as the AUS Champion, Acadia – as the AUS 3rd-place finisher (AUS Bronze), would take the place of the 'host'. To avoid a first round all-conference matchup between UNB and Acadia, Acadia #8 and Concordia #7 swapped seeds.
| Rank | Seed | Team | Qualified |
| 1 | 1 | UNB Varsity Reds | AUS Champion / Host |
| 2 | 2 | Alberta Golden Bears | Canada West Champion |
| 5 | 3 | McGill Redmen | OUA Champion |
| 6 | 4 | Brock Badgers | OUA Finalist |
| 3 | 5 | St. Francis Xavier X-Men | AUS Finalist |
| 4 | 6 | Saskatchewan Huskies | Canada West Finalist |
| 7 | 7 | Acadia Axemen | (AUS Bronze) |
| 8 | 8 | Concordia Stingers | OUA Bronze |

### Tournament format

The tournament is a traditional 8 team, single elimination ladder with bronze medal game between the two semi-final losers. Games that are tied after regulation play a 10-minute overtime period following the 3rd period. If there is no score after the first overtime, the ice is cleaned and they would play 20 minute periods (with ice cleaned between periods) until there is a winner.
The higher seed is the 'Home' team for each game (the home team must wear their 'white' jerseys and will get the last change during stoppages of play).
| Quarter-finals (Single Game) | Quarter-finals (Single Game) | Quarter-finals (Single Game) | Semi-finals (Single Game) | Semi-finals (Single Game) | Semi-finals (Single Game) | Championship final (Single Game) | Championship final (Single Game) | Championship final (Single Game) |
| 4 | Brock Badgers | 2 | | | | | | |
| 5 | St. Francis Xavier X-Men | 6 | | | | | | |
| 5 | St. Francis Xavier X-Men | 6 | 5 | St. Francis Xavier X-Men | 5 OT1 | | | |
| Thursday | Thursday | Thursday | 5 | St. Francis Xavier X-Men | 5 OT1 | | | |
| Thursday | Thursday | Thursday | 1 | UNB Varsity Reds | 4 | | | |
| 1 | UNB Varsity Reds | 8 | 1 | UNB Varsity Reds | 4 | | | |
| 8 | Concordia Stingers | 1 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Concordia Stingers | 1 | | | | 5 | St. Francis Xavier X-Men | 2 |
| | | | | | | 2 | Alberta Golden Bears | 4 |
| 2 | Alberta Golden Bears | 8 | | | | | | | 2 | Alberta Golden Bears | 4 |
| 7 | Acadia Axemen | 6 | | | |
| 7 | Acadia Axemen | 6 | 2 | Alberta Golden Bears | 3 OT1 | Bronze Medal (Single Game) | Bronze Medal (Single Game) | Bronze Medal (Single Game) |
| Friday | Friday | Friday | 2 | Alberta Golden Bears | 3 OT1 |
| Friday | Friday | Friday | 6 | Saskatchewan Huskies | 2 |
| 3 | McGill Redmen | 1 | 6 | Saskatchewan Huskies | 2 | 1 | UNB Varsity Reds | 5 OT1 |
| 6 | Saskatchewan Huskies | 4 | | | | 6 | Saskatchewan Huskies | 4 |

## Tournament All-Stars

Stephan Legault, from the Alberta Golden Bears, was selected as the Major W.J. 'Danny' McLeod Award for U Sports University Cup MVP. Stephan had two goals and five assists for seven points in three games.
Joining Legault on the tournament all-star team were: Forward: Mark Simpson (UNB Varsity Reds) Forward: Michael Clarke (St. Francis Xavier X-Men) Defenceman: Jagger Dirk (St. Francis Xavier X-Men) Defenceman: Kendall McFaull (Saskatchewan Huskies) Goalie: Zach Sawchenko (Alberta Golden Bears)