2019-20 AUS winter sport schedules announced

(HALIFAX, N.S.) – Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2019-20 regular season sport schedules for basketball, hockey, volleyball and swimming, as well as the hosts for the 2019 AUS winter championships.

All AUS regular season and postseason games will be webcast at AUStv.ca powered by Bell Aliant and select games will be broadcast live on Bell Aliant's Fibe TV on the TV1 channel (channel 1).

• Link to full 2019-20 AUS women's basketball schedule here.
• Link to full 2019-20 AUS men's basketball schedule here.
• Link to full 2019-20 AUS women's hockey schedule here.
• Link to full 2019-20 AUS men's hockey schedule here.
• Link to full 2019-20 AUS women's volleyball schedule here.
• Link to full 2019-20 AUS swimming schedule here.

Women's and Men's Basketball

The 2019-20 AUS men's and women's basketball regular season is set to begin Friday, Nov. 1 with Saint Mary's visiting UPEI.

The two-time defending AUS champion Acadia Axewomen will open the season at home versus the Cape Breton Capers Saturday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m., with the men's game set to follow at 8 p.m.

The reigning AUS men's basketball champion Dalhousie Tigers will host the StFX X-Men in their home opener, Saturday, Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. The doubleheader will get underway at 6 p.m. with the women's game between the X-Women and the Tigers.

Fall semester play will wrap up Sunday, Nov. 24 with the Memorial Sea-Hawks teams visiting StFX. Regular season play resumes Saturday, Jan. 4 for the winter semester.

The regular season concludes Saturday, Feb. 22.

The 2020 Subway AUS Basketball Championships will once again be hosted by the AUS conference office at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, N.S.

This year's championships will take place Feb. 28 to March 1.

The AUS women's and men's champions will advance to the 2020 U SPORTS women's and men's Final 8 basketball championships. These two national championships are being hosted concurrently by Carleton University and the University of Ottawa March 5-8 between two venues—TD Place and the Ravens' Nest.

The Atlantic conference will have one berth apiece in the women's and men's national championships. These berths will be awarded to the AUS champions.

Men's Hockey

The 2019-20 men's hockey season is set to begin Wednesday, Sept. 25 with the Dalhousie Tigers playing host to the 2019 U SPORTS bronze medallist StFX X-Men.  

The remaining five teams open their seasons Friday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.

The reigning U SPORTS and AUS champion UNB Reds will open their season on the road in Halifax, N.S. versus the Huskies in the first AUS regular season game being held in Saint Mary's new arena—the Dauphinee Centre.

The Acadia Axemen will host the Moncton Aigles Bleus in their home opener, while the UPEI Panthers begin their season hosting the Dalhousie Tigers.

First semester play wraps up Saturday, Nov. 30 and the winter schedule kicks off Thursday, Jan. 2.

The final games of the regular season will be played Saturday, Feb. 8, making way for the quarter-final playoff round of the Subway AUS Men's Hockey Championship.

This year's AUS playoff format will once again feature a pair of best-of-three quarter-final series, followed by a best-of-five format in the semifinals and a best-of-three final round.

AUS is guaranteed three berths in the 2020 U SPORTS University Cup, which is being hosted by Acadia at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, N.S.

Should the Axemen advance to the 2020 AUS final round, a best-of-three consolation final series will be held to determine the third team from the Atlantic conference to compete in the national championship.

The 2020 U SPORTS University Cup will be held March 12-15.

Women's Hockey

The 2019-20 women's hockey season is set to begin Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. with the Dalhousie Tigers set to host the Saint Mary's Huskies in Halifax, N.S.

The remaining six teams will begin their seasons Friday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. The defending AUS champion St. Thomas Tommies will open their season on the road in Moncton versus the Aigles Bleues.

The Mount Allison Mounties will host the StFX X-Women in their home opener, while the UNB Reds play host to the UPEI Panthers.

The Reds look to build on last season's success after making it to the AUS semifinal playoffs round in their first season back in the AUS women's hockey conference.

Fall semester play concludes Sunday, Dec. 1 and resumes Wednesday, Jan. 8 following the holiday break.

The regular season wraps up Sunday, Feb. 9.

The top six teams in the standings will move on to post-season play. Three rounds of playoff series will be played with the top two seeds receiving byes into the semi-final round.

The quarterfinals will feature the third-place team taking on the sixth-place finisher, while the fourth-place team will face off against the fifth-place team.

The quarter-final, semi-final and final rounds will once again each be best-of-three affairs using a 'home-away-home' format where the higher seeded team will host the opening game of the series as well as the third and deciding game, if necessary.

The 2020 U SPORTS Women's Hockey Championship will be hosted by UPEI for the second consecutive year in Charlottetown, P.E.I., March 12-15. 

As hosts, the Panthers receive an automatic berth in the national championship. A second Atlantic conference berth will be awarded to the AUS champion. Should UPEI claim the conference title, the second berth will be awarded to the AUS runner up.

Women's Volleyball

The 2019-20 women's volleyball season is set to begin Friday, Oct. 25 the Moncton Aigles Bleues playing host to the UNB Reds in Moncton, N.B, and the Saint Mary's Huskies hosting the seven-time defending AUS champion Dalhousie Tigers in Halifax, N.S. at 7 p.m.

The Tigers will then host the Axewomen Sunday, Oct. 27 in their home opener set for 2 p.m.

Fall semester play concludes Sunday, Nov. 17 and resumes Friday, Jan. 10 following the holiday break.

The regular season wraps up Saturday, Feb. 15.

This season, the AUS women's volleyball conference will move to a playoff series model featuring the top four teams in the regular season standings.

The fourth-place team will face the first-place team, while the third-place team faces off against the second-place team in two best-of-three semi-final match series. All matches of these semifinals will be played at the home of the highest seed in the series Feb. 21-23.  

The winner of the two semi-final series will then face one another in a best-of-three championship final series to be played at the home of the top remaining seed. This series will take place from Feb. 28 to March 1.

The AUS champion will advance to this year's U SPORTS championship which will be hosted March 13-15 by the University of Calgary.

Women's and Men's Swimming

The 2019-20 AUS swimming season is set to open Oct. 19-20 with the Amby Legere Invitational being hosted by the UNB Reds.

Acadia will host the Jack Scholtz AUS Invitational Meet Nov. 2-3. The Dalhousie Tigers will host the Kemp-Fry Invitational Nov. 15-17.

The final invitational meet of the season will be hosted by Acadia Jan. 18-19.

The 2020 Subway AUS Championships will be hosted by Dalhousie Feb. 7-9 in Halifax, N.S.

Qualifying AUS student-athletes will advance to the 2020 U SPORTS Swimming Championships being hosted by the University of Victoria Feb. 20-22.

2019 Winter Championship Hosts and Schedules:

• Curling: Curling Canada will host the 2020 Subway AUS Curling Championships, Feb. 6-9 at the CFB Curling Halifax Curling Club in Halifax, N.S.
• Swimming: Dalhousie University will host the 2020 Subway AUS Swimming Championships, February 7-9 in Halifax, N.S.
• Track and Field: The University of New Brunswick will host the 2020 Subway AUS Track and Field Championships, February 21-22 in Saint John, N.B.

(This marks the first time the AUS track and field championships are being held elsewhere after being hosted by Université de Moncton for the last 39 years.)

• Basketball: Atlantic University Sport will host the 2020 Subway AUS Basketball Championships, Feb. 28 to March 1 in Halifax, N.S.
• Women's Volleyball, Women's Hockey, Men's Hockey: TBD (Series.)

Please visit http://www.atlanticuniversitysport.com/championships/index to view the complete 2019-20 AUS championship schedule.

-30-