Last night we made the trip down to Portland, Maine. We have a pretty cool weekend coming up here. Today we play the Portland Pirates who are an American Hockey League and affiliate to the Phoenix Coyotes. On the weekend we play two NCAA teams. The first match on Saturday against Boston College, then on Sunday against the University of Maine before we make the trip back to Freddy for Thanksgiving!

These will be three big tests for us as all these teams play at a high level. They will all be perfect building blocks for us as we kick start the regular season next Friday against our campus rivals STU.

It should be a pretty fun few days down here in the USA. I’ll get back to you guys after the weekend for some stories and highlights, and of course our first “Beauty of the Week” will be named.

PS: Bryce Swan wants everyone to know he's a self proclaimed "huge beauty"....  we'll have to see about....

UNB @ Portland 4/10/12

UNB @ BC 6/10/12

UNB @ U of Maine 7/10/1

Fresh Meat

Hey guys! I’ll be blogging again for the UNB Varsity Reds Men’s Hockey Team. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Geordie Wudrick. I wear #18 for the V Reds and this is my second year on the squad, some of you may or may not know me as @DoubleCornDogs on twitter. Feel free to leave comments if you wish, or get at me on twitter if there is anything specific that you guys want to hear about.

This year is a big year for the boys. A year for redemption. A year for righting wrongs. A year for washing that sour feeling out of our mouths from they way last season ended. At UNB we pride ourselves on our winning tradition, and we plan to continue to protect that legacy, and build upon it as well, by writing our own story.

After graduating many players and losing some of our best players from the previous years to professional hockey all around the world, we needed to have a great off season and come back better and ready to fill the holes of those who had moved on. It was great to come back to camp and see some new faces around the room. We added some great new players to the mix. We added rookies Cam Braes, Cam Crithlow and Adrian Robertson. We also added two fifth year players who transferred to UNB this year as well: Colby Pridham and Bryce Swan. We also have Mike Thomas who is red shirting with the squad for a season after a year in pro hockey, before he is eligible to play for the VReds.

Cam Braes comes from out west. He grew up in Shawnigan Lake, BC, a city just outside of Victoria on Vancouver Island. He played five years in the WHL, four and a half of them with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and then finished the last part of his WHL career with the Moose Jaw Warriors. He finished off his last season with 41 goals and is looking like he is going to be a big weapon up front playing with Chris Culligan and Tyler Carroll. Braiser loves a good movie quote and an old school Markus Naslund wrist shot, and for any Harry Potter fans this guy bears a striking resemblance to Ron Weasley. You can find Cam rippin around the ice donning #10.

Cam Crithlow #23, comes to UNB after playing fives season in the QMJHL with Acadia, Lewiston and the Halifax Mooseheads where he served as team captain. Critch is somewhat of a local guy, who spent time in Freddy playing minor hockey as a kid and is now from Moncton. This guys also a friend of the show, and by that I mean he’s on a personal basis with TSN beauties Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole. Critch also scored 4 goals in one playoff game once.. pretty impressive.

Adrian Robertson, a Toronto native, comes to UNB after finishing off his OHL career with the Sarnia Sting. He also spent time with Peterborough and Windsor where he served as Captain. This big D-Man has a big shot from the point. A-Rob is looking like he might be a wizard in the classroom. It looks like he’s putting #24 to good use following Bretton Stamler who was a 4 time Academic All Canadian. This guy isn't going to chat your ear off, but you'll definitely come out the the conversation really liking this guy.

In addition to our three new rookies, we were able to add two great players from the AUS who were fifth year transfers, in Colby Pridham and Bryce Swan. Prids comes to us from St Mary’s University while Swanny joins us from St Francis Xavier. Both these guys bring a lot of leadership and a lot of skill up front for us. They’ll be looked upon to be a huge part of our team this year. These guys come to UNB looking to obtain their MBA’s and to win a National Championship. You can’t argue with that! You used to have to cheer against these guys but for one year you better embrace these guys with open arms!

Mike Thomas, a local legend around Fredericton, unfortunately has to sit out this year, aka known as red shirting a season, as he played pro hockey in the AHL and ECHL last season. Thommer played 5 years in the QMJHL all for the Saint John Sea Dogs. He highlighted that time in the Q by winning the Memorial Cup as team captain in 2011. He’ll be keeping his skills fresh playing up in Newfoundland during the year while working on his kinesiology degree here at UNB. We look forward to having him playing next season.

I have to say that this is one of the best groups of guys I have ever played with. A group of guys who is as close on the ice as they are off the ice. It’s always a good time to be with the boys and I look forward to our journey to winning a CIS National Championship in Saskatoon in March.

It’s going to be a long and eventful ride to Nationals and I look forward to giving you guys an inside eye and ear on everything the V-Reds are up to! 

CIS Nationals

It's that time... AUS playoffs are done.. the VREDS are champs again.. the Cavendish CIS Nationals start tonight.

Six teams from across the country starting tonight, will be vying for the right to call themselves CIS National Champions. From out west the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, the Western Mustangs from Ontario, representing Quebec are the McGill Redmen and the UQTR Patriotes, the Universite de Moncton Aigles Bleus and of course the host, our team the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds.

What a season its been so far. Everything over the past months have lead us to this moment, and what an exciting moment it will be.

Three wins is what we need, and the we kick start things tonight against the UQTR Patriotes!

Countdown to Nationals: 6.5 Hours until game#1 for for the VREDS

AUS Finals

After the 3 game sweep of U PEI in our first round courtesy of the Game 3 overtime winner by Jordan Clendenning its off to the AUS finals for he VREDS against Moncton. Shayne Wiebe and Chris Culligan are coming out of the first round real hot, we'll be looking for some more spicy hot performances out of those guys as the playoffs roll along.

An all New Brunswick final this year in the AUS, what an exciting series to get into with this big rivalry between the two cities and universities.

VS

Beauty of the Week: Has got to be Jordan Clendenning for his off side, top shelf, one timer, series winning, overtime goal. Follow him on twitter @Clendenning19. #beauty

Countdown to Nationals: 15 days

Playoffs

Nothing gets the blood pumping like a little playoff hockey!! Tonight we start our climb to Nationals in our AUS semi-final matchup against PEI.

Game's 1 and 2 of the best-of-5 series are here at the Aitken Centre.

Let's see everyone coming out, wearing red and cheering loud to help kick off our playoff run on a high note!

vs

Clinching First

Last week saw the boys in three games, a 2oth memorial game, a possibility to clinch first place, and a chance at the 20 win plateau.

Wednesday night was my first time as a VRed in the Mark Jeffrey Memorial Game. For the past 20 years the VReds have payed honor to Mr. Jeffrey who played and coached for UNB. The pre-game ceremony saw Mark's father Jim and Jim's grandsons Mark and Sam deliver the Mark Jeffrey Memorial Award to co-winners Luke Gallant and Jon Harty.

In a great game by the boys, and in honor of Mark Jeffrey, the Reds dominated the STU Thommies in a 41 shot 5-0 victory. Shayne Wiebe's laser beam of a breakaway goal hi-lighted the game, while Fully backstopped the boys with a 14 save shutout.

In preparation for a big test on Friday, we hit the bus a day early to Charlottetown for our game against the UPEI Panthers. Heading out a day early proved to pay off well, as the guys dominated the Panthers to a 4-1. Not without a few scares, Fully was there sharp as usual to turn away some of the Panthers great scoring opportunities. Nezzy and Carroll connected a couple nice passes to find Nick MacNeil all alone on a breakaway who put a nifty shot high to the left side and in to cap off the game.

While in PEI Jordan Clendenning and a few guys and I came across this little fellow in the parking lot of a gas station/ McDonald's in the city. Seemed like and odd spot for a fox to be, and he had a broken front leg as well. Hopefully he enjoyed the snacks the McDonald's workers were giving him!

Back home for the final game of the season against the Moncton Aigles Bleus with another loud section of elementary school kids screaming, we went on to cap off the regular season with a 4-1 win. Ty Carroll buried two goals to finish off a real hot weekend. A few awards were dished our before the game started as well. Clendenning, Stamler and Culligan all received the Ross 'Punch" Walker Memorial Merit Award while Ben Wright scooped up the Mike Cavanagh Memorial Merit Award.

With our 20th win of the season on Saturday night, we finish off the regular season in 1st place in the AUC and get rewarded with a well deserved week off here while the first round of playoffs start this coming up weekend.

Should be a nice week off for the guys here as we wait to see who we will face off against in our first round. A couple of days away from the rink is nice to replenish the tanks, then get back on the ice and in the gym in preparation for our playoff match up.

Countdown to CIS National Championships: 37 days

Coming up this week on the blog: a few of my beauty of the week selections, and some good twitter accounts to follow!

Pre and Post Haircut

PINK IN THE RINK PICTURES

Jon Harty Before the Haircut

And after the haircut......

2 BIG Wins

It was a huge weekend for the boys with two wins at home against Acadia on friday and Dalhousie on saturday. After a tough weekend the week before, we needed a big weekend to regain our spot as "Canada's Number One Team" a quote made famous by Benny Shutron himself.

Friday night the Aitken Centre welcomed the Acadia Axemen, the number one team in the AUS at the time. In a large 7-1 win for the V-Reds, led by a few huge performances by Chris Culligan (4 assists), Kyle Bailey (2 goals) and Mr. Nasty himself Thomas Nesbitt (1 goal 2 assists), the boys were able to reclaim first spot in the AUS. It was great to see Fully (Travis Fullerton) back in the pipes after missing the last few games due to injury, he looked phenomenal as always.

2750 fans battled some nasty weather conditions to be apart of the Pink in the Rink event to support and raise money for breast cancer, as part of the "Think Pink" weekend at UNB. After a big win it was nice to see Harty get that flow buzzed off at centre ice. Props to him for letting those ladies shave off a years worth of growth for a great cause.

Chris Culligan looking Pretty in Pink with 4 assists.

Saturday saw the Dalhousie Tigers roll into Freddy as one of the hottest teams since Christmas. As apposed to Friday, it took the boys a few extra minutes to get the 3-2 win. At 3:09 in the extra frame, Tyler Carroll buried his second goal of the game in a crazy rebound shot from below the goal line off the tigers goalie and in. The line of Culligan, Carroll and Wiebe led the way with all 3 goals with Wiebes opening the scoring for the V-Reds at 4:50 of the first period.

It was an electric building on saturday night with over 1000 kids watching the game as it was the "Northside Elementary School Night". It was great to have all the kids there with their posters and high pitched screaming! For a select group of kids it was an extra special night for them as they were able to come spend some time with the guys in our locker room and get some autographs and pictures as well.

Beauty of the Week: Trading in his famous black for pink was Jon Harty and his work with the Think Pink weekend in support of breast cancer, making him my beauty of the week.

Countdown to Nationals: 50 days

Think Pink

Pink in the Rink

Its "Think Pink" weekend here at UNB and tomorrow night at the Aitken Centre is the "Pink in the Rink" event, in support of breast cancer. Come watch us take on the Acadia Axemen and donate money to have the chance to shave #40 Jon Harty's luscious blonde locks.

Not only is this a great cause... but who wouldn't want to see this head shaved!!!

So come and fill the rink in all your pink gear and help raise some money!!

Heres some more information on the event:

http://varsityreds.ca/news/2012/1/25/GEN_0125123834.aspx

Week in Review

This week we had three games on the schedule with the rare Wednesday night game thrown our way.

As a western boy in his first time out east in the Maritimes, its exciting to see some new cities and check out some new barns (rinks), but on Wednesday’s it wasn’t a new city, it was my first taste of our big cross campus rivals with STU, in the Battle of the Hill. I must say it’s the shortest road trip I’ve ever had, to play an away game. Just a couple minute jaunt down the hill and boom you’re already at the old Lady Beaverbrook Rink. I was in shock, to say the least, when I saw that the end wall of the rink was… well a wall, full of ads to the top of where the glass normally would be. That was a treat for the eyes for sure.

It was a great game by the boys sending home 5 goals for the 5-1 win over our rivals. Bretton Stamler and our captain Kyle Bailey each with a pair of veteran goals to lead the way. Stams would have had the hat trick if he could get some mustard on that muffin. A few pretty sick goals out there to top things off. Shayne Wiebe with some outside speed and a nifty pass cross crease to Stamler for his first of the game, and then we had Bailey and Chris Culligan working the give and go for a hot tally to finish the game off. Great effort by the boys then we headed out for a little post game treat at one of our awesome sponsors, Boston Pizza.

On Friday we were on the buss out to Moncton where we had a tough 5-1 loss, and had a couple tough injuries to top things off. Bails and Jonathan Harty connected for our goal, which was another shorthanded goal for the boys. Harty might not be the prettiest looking guy on the ice, but he sure gets the job done and a lot more, get me fired up when I see him mixing it up out there and throwing the body around. Not sure what he was doing around their net on the penalty kill but we’ll take it.

Saturday nights game at the AUC was quite possibly one of the most bizzare games I’ve ever been a part of. Just a tough start to the game, we found the boys down 6-1 and looking like it was a lost cause from there, but I love the resilience, passion, and “hardcore” mentality in our room. With some outstanding performances and displays of heart we clawed our way back to tie things up at 7 goals a piece. In the midst of this huge comeback, it was great to the #44 Stefan Salituro out there. For a guy who hasn’t got to play much this year he stepped up in a big way, with his first goal and it was a beauty, a quick release in the slot, no chance for the tender there. Dion Campbell also had a beauty of a goal, turning the jets on to roast the dman wide and walking in for a nice breakaway goal. It was a big game for Dion in many reasons as he got to have the Special Olympics floor hockey team that he works with come out for a ceremonial puck drop before the game and come and hangout with us in the dressing room after the game. It was a pretty neat experience getting to meet those athletes and it brought a smile to our faces in the room. Good luck to those guys and girls when they head out west to Alberta looking for a gold medal in February. We ended up losing the game 8-7 in the final minutes of the game, but there were some huge things taken from the game and some things that will help us down the road as we host Nationals in march.

Beauty of the Week: The beauty of the week has to go to Dion Campbell for his work with the Special Olympics floor hockey team, and setting up the pretty awesome experience for them at our game and to come hang out with us in the dressing room. He also kinda looks like Tom Cruise, who you may have heard of, making Dion my beauty of the week.

CIS Nationals Countdown: 58 Days

Let Me Introduce Myself

Hey guys. My name is Geordie Wudrick, one of the newest member of the V-Reds Men’s Hockey Team. I’ll try to give and inside look on how the team’s doing on a weekly basis on our journey to the 2012 CIS National Championships. I’m going try and give a fun look on how things are going, give some game recaps of the week and try to let people meet some of the players from an inside perspective. I’ll try to keep things fairly loose and might have some common slang and nicknames thrown around, and I wont be scared to toss out some Twitter mentions along the way.

I grew up out west in a bunch of cities around Vancouver, but spent most of my time in a city called Abbotsford, and played most of my minor hockey there growing up. I’m definitely a city boy, growing up in Vancouver and am a big Canucks fan. Definitely a new experience for this guy being this far out east, and so far its been pretty good getting to see a new part of Canada and having a team full of beauties from all over the country.

I just recently joined the team at Christmas time after I left the team I was playing for in Germany, the Rosenheim Starbulls. Just a short three month stint at pro hockey over there before I decided the school route was best for me. I’ll hopefully try and continue playing pro hockey somewhere after I win a few championship rings and get my degree here at UNB. I’m a first year business student and just getting back into the swing of school since graduating four years ago. Before I was playing overseas, I played 5 years in the Western Hockey League. I finished my last two years with Kelowna Rockets after I started off with three years in small town Saskatchewan playing for the Swift Current Broncos, where I played with my buddy Bretton Stamler for part of a season before he came out here.

I’m a big social media guy, so follow me on Twitter @DoubleCornDogs. Would love to hear some feedback about the blog and would love to hear what guys you would like to be profiled each week.

Good luck to all the other teams and athletes who are playing this week!

Welcome to the UNB Varsity Reds Hockey Blog ... bloggin to begin soon.