Six Tigers Team Crack the CIS Top 10
With six teams currently ranked in the CIS Top 10, the Dalhousie Tigers look poised to do some damage in the AUS and CIS postseasons this year. As of Tuesday the following teams cracked the CIS Top 10:
· Men's basketball (#9)
· Women's swim (#4)
· Men's swim (#6)
· Women's track (#8)
· Men's track (#7)
· Women's volleyball (#T8)
Each team is the defending AUS champion in their respective sport and will look to repeat the success of 2015.
The men’s and women’s swimming teams will have the first crack at repeating their 2015 AUS championship February 12-14 at Dalhousie University. On the men’s side, they will look to go for a record 18th straight AUS swimming title while the women will be vying for their 14th straight title.
Head coach Lance Cansdale and his swimmers will be looking towards the 2016 CIS championship hosted by l’Université de Laval in Quebec City. Last season the men placed 10th at nationals while the women’s team placed fifth.
On the track, the men’s team had a bounce back season last year after ending their 12-year AUS championship streak to the StFX X-Men in 2014. The women’s AUS championship streak dates all the way back to 1990 as the ladies will look to preserve a 25-year old streak. The Université de Moncton will have the honour of hosting this year on February 28 and March 1.
Coach Plato and the men’s basketball team had a storybook run to the AUS championship last season as the Cinderella team. They will not have the underdog advantage this time around as they are a favourite to capture their second AUS championship in as many years.
It won’t be an easy road to the championship due to the parity in the league this season. Currently four teams are tied a top the AUS standings, all with legitimate championship aspirations.
The AUS championship will run from March 4-6 at the Scotiabank Centre.
If the standings stay as they are, the women’s volleyball team should earn a bye to the semifinal of the AUS championship at Acadia February 26-28. The ladies currently have a four-point cushion on second place Memorial.
The playoff future certainly looks bright for Tigers athletics!