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MONCTON - Wayne Mundey, who's in his 10th season as one of three pro scouts for the NHL's St. Louis Blues, was taking in his second straight University Cup tournament. He was looking for help for the Blues' American Hockey League affiliate in Peoria.

Mundey, a former NHL referee who watches between 125 and 150 games per season, says CIS hockey is a largely untapped market.

"Unfortunately, some feel there are a lot of retreads here who, shall we say, have had their opportunities, have played junior hockey and, age-wise, are probably out of the loop as far as making it to pro.''

He doesn't buy that.

"I really disagree,'' Mundey said. "I'm pleasantly surprised by the skill level. You're trying to find the Steve Rucchins and Mathieu Darches and Darryl Boyces. It's definitely worth the trip for me.''

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Mundey was impressed by the V-Reds start against Saskatchewan.

"With the tempo that they set early, they certainly bought into what the coach was trying to drive home,'' he said. "When you're playing on the edge like that, it makes it very difficult on the opposing defencemen to get the puck out properly. For me, today's game is speed and getting in on the forecheck hard, which UNB really showed.''

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After the public address announcer mistakenly announced the UNB 'Red Devils' would be playing in Sunday's final, Brock coach and former Red Devils captain Murray Nystrom quipped, "Should I suit up?''

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Saskatchewan Huskies head coach Dave Adolph described graduating forward Curtis Austring, the Dr. Randy Gregg Award winner, as "the classiest guy in the CIS and a heckuva gentleman'' and Brent Twordik "as the best captain we've had in my 15 years here. ''

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After UNB captain Dustin Friesen took an elbow with three minutes left in the Saskatchewan game, coach Gardiner MacDougall sent designated hitter Chris Hodgson over the boards. Hodgson drilled two Huskies to send a not-so-subtle message.

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Former OHS Blues defenceman Steve Pearce, whose twin brother Rob plays for UNB, finished up his four-year career with McGill. The assistant captain was reluctant to say goodbye.

"I just told every guy in there how much I love them,'' Pearce said. "You wouldn't find a better group of guys on any CIS team in the country. I came in as a small-town guy and I learned a lot from every one of those guys. I think I can hold my head high as I walk away from the program.''

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After the Ontario conference reps were outscored 17-5 in the first three games, McGill's 3-0 win over Moncton served to restore some respectability.

"Definitely,'' Pearce said. "I know the OUA is a little bit weaker league but it's still growing. There's a lot more money going into the programs in the AUS and out west, but the OUA is starting to catch up.''

Having the next two nationals at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont., should make the OUA more attractive for recruits.

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The host Universite de Moncton Aigles Bleus, who were eliminated from the AUS playoffs March 1, showed they belonged on the national stage.

"The biggest challenge for all guys is to show we can do something special as a group,'' UdeM graduating winger Sebastian Strozynski said. "Everybody has two legs, everybody has two arms. We're all the same. It's about desire and how much you're willing to pay the price to win. We tried, so we can be proud about that.''

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Eric Lafrance backstopped Moncton to its win over Alberta on Thursday, but he didn't sleep well that night, so UdeM head coach Bob Mongrain didn't hesitate to start Kevin Lachance, who also played well against McGill.

"Eric wasn't 100 per cent,'' Mongrain said, "but we rotated Eric and Kevin all season and their numbers are almost the same. The players have equal confidence in either one.''