By Thomas Becker, shared from GoPanthersGo.ca

February has been good for the UPEI Panthers. In fact you can say it’s been perfect for them. The women’s hockey team is peaking at the right time and has gained some much-needed confidence, as they get set for the playoffs and a quarter-final date with the St. Thomas Tommies.

The Island squad ended the regular season with a perfect 3-0 record this month, while outscoring their opponents 11-4, including a 2-1 shootout win over their first round foe.

“That’s what we’ve been striving for all year is to get a little bit of consistency in our play and get our confidence back,” said head coach Bruce Donaldson. “It sets a standard of what we’re trying to achieve moving forward, so it’s nice going in with three consecutive wins.”

Donaldson attributes the team’s recent success to better special teams play. In the last three games, UPEI’s power play unit scored three times and bumped their power play percentage to 18.3, which ranked third in the seven-team circuit. Meanwhile, their penalty-kill unit hasn’t allowed a goal in those games and scored shorthanded on two occasions.

“Our special teams stats have been much better, especially on the penalty-kill side,” Donaldson said. “Our goals against have dropped about a goal a game, so defensively we’ve tightened up.”

It’s been a sort-of role reversal for UPEI. Last season, the fourth-seeded Panthers limped into a quarter-final matchup against Moncton (who they played close with all season long) as the favourites, but got swept in two games. This year, the sixth-seeded Panthers come in as the underdogs riding a season-high three-game win streak looking to eliminate the Tommies, who they played competitively throughout the year.

“The entire year has been a polar opposite to last year,” Donaldson said. “But I keep saying it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. If you can grow with that in mind, hopefully good things will come.”

St. Thomas won the season series 3-1, but aside from an October 29 lopsided 6-0 loss, UPEI has played them very tough. Two of the last three games between the two squads went into overtime, while the Tommies took the other 3-1.

“Over my entire five years, St. Thomas has been the one team I’ve let get into my head,” said team captain Emma Martin. “But we’ve learned that we can’t let them knock us around. We’re just as strong, we’re faster and we know can compete with them.”

The Panthers (7-10-7) have shown all season long that they can contend with the best. And while their 1-7 overtime record is little to be desired, they’ve demonstrated in those games that they have what it takes to stand tall against the league’s cream of the crop. The key now is finding that killer instinct when it matters most. And Martin believes they’ve found it.

“We have to focus on the little things and to be confident,” Martin said. “That’s something we lacked in the beginning of the year. But I think we turned that around.”

St. Thomas (12-8-4) doesn’t give up much and allowed just 59 goals during the campaign, so the Panthers have to be patient in their approach and capitalize on the opportunities when they come.

To counteract the Tommies’ stifling defence, Donaldson has been tinkering with his lineup and may have found the winning formula, especially if their recent hot streak is any indication.

“We’re starting to get good distribution from all our lines, which is important to have against their sound defence,” he said.

While Donaldson will be leaning on a line that consists of Rachel Colle, who led the team with 16 points (12 goals and four assists) and rookie Leah Byrne (five goals and eight assists) to deliver a scoring punch, he believes his trio of sophomore forwards—Sydnee Baker, Maria Clinton and Faith Steeves (a combined 25 points)—could turn their seasons around in a big way and provide some heroics in the playoffs.

“They’re all very talented and will still get their opportunities,” Donaldson said. “They just need to stop putting so much pressure on the end result and just worry about the process of getting there. If they do that, they’re going to get rewarded.”

With a lot at stake now and in the near future, it’s time for the Panthers to show what they’re made of.

“We know we’re going to be hosting the national championship in 2019 and 2020 and we feel it’s time for us to put our best 60 minutes together.”

Dig out your green and white swag, both Panther hockey teams are heading to the AUS playoffs! The UPEI Women’s Hockey team began its quarter-final series Tuesday evening in Fredericton with a loss against Saint Thomas University. The men start Wednesday on the road in Halifax against Saint Mary’s University. Both teams come home to defend MacLauchlan Arena on Friday, February 16.

UPEI Women’s Hockey Playoff Information

AUS Quarter Final Schedule

Game 2
Friday, February 16, 7:30 pm
Saint Thomas Tommies @ UPEI Panthers
MacLauchlan Arena B

Game 3 (if necessary)
Sunday, February 18, 2:00 pm
UPEI Panthers @ Saint Thomas Tommies
Grant-Harvey Centre, Fredericton

Playoff tickets will be available at the MacLauchlan Arena Box Office during the following dates:

Wednesday, February 14, 2:00 pm–6:00 pm
Thursday, February 15, 2:00 pm–6:00 pm
Friday, February 16, 2:00 pm–6:00 pm

MacLauchlan Arena B ticket table will open at 6:30 pm Friday. Ticket prices are $7 for adults and $6 for seniors. Youth from Kindergarten to Grade 12 are admitted free. UPEI students get in free with their student ID. Ticket payments must be in cash.

UPEI Men’s Hockey Playoff Information

AUS Quarter Final Schedule

Game 1
Wednesday, February 14, 7:00 pm
UPEI Panthers @ Saint Mary’s Huskies
Halifax Forum

Game 2
Friday, February 16, 7:00 pm
Saint Mary’s Huskies @ UPEI Panthers
MacLauchlan Arena

Game 3 (if necessary)
Sunday, February 18, 7:00 pm
UPEI Panthers @ Saint Mary’s Huskies
Halifax Forum

Playoff tickets for UPEI Men’s Hockey are available for purchase at the Eastlink Centre and MacLauchlan Arena box offices. Reserved seats are available for purchase by season ticket holders at either location and will be held until Friday at noon, at which point they will be released for general sale.

Eastlink Centre Box Office hours are:

Tuesday, February 13, 11:00 am–5:00 pm
Wednesday, February 14, 11:00 am–5:00 pm
Thursday, February 15, 11:00 am–8:30 pm
Friday, February 16, 11:00 am–8:00 pm 

Visa, Mastercard, American Express, debit and cash tender are accepted. Tickets are also available during Box Office hours by phone at 902-629-6625 and online through the Eastlink Centre’s website.

UPEI Men’s Hockey playoff tickets are $15. Ticket payments at the Bell Aliant Centre are cash only.

Go Panthers Go!

By Thomas Becker, shared from GoPanthersGo.ca

A team meeting in December turned their season around. Now they’re one of the hottest teams heading into the playoffs.

The UPEI Panthers have won six of their last eight games—beating the likes of UNB, St. FX, Acadia, Dalhousie, and Moncton. The only team missing from that list is the Saint Mary’s Huskies (18-10-2), who they drew in a quarter-final matchup beginning on Wednesday.

“We had to deal with a couple in-house concerns,” said head coach Forbes MacPherson. “We needed to get guys believing and buying into a certain way we wanted to play.”

With nine rookies on the roster (four on the defensive side), it’s understandable why it took a while to find their stride. The Panthers (11-18-1) tried to protect their inexperienced blue line and played on their heels rather than the aggressive style UPEI hockey is known for.

“We want to be aggressive. We’re a big body team and when get our feet moving and we get pucks behind opposing team’s D, we’re a hard team to contain,” MacPherson said. “We got away from that a little bit, but once we focused on playing more aggressive, we started to see better results.

“There were certain individuals whose games quietly improved. And with each game that we played hard, our confidence just seemed to grow.”

It’s no secret, the fifth-seeded Panthers are in tough against the fourth-seeded Huskies, who rank second in scoring (118 goals) and third in goals against (86). Head-to-head, Saint Mary’s won all five games while outscoring UPEI 29-10.

“The matchup seems to favour them. We’ll have to make some adjustments in this series and see where it takes us, but you have to give them credit, they’re a good team.”

Despite what the crooked numbers might suggest, the postseason represents a new beginning for the Panthers and they’re embracing the road that awaits them.

“We’re a confident group going in. We know who they are and we just need to have a better effort against them.”

UPEI’s recent success has given them a confident swagger that has been missing for most of the year. And they’re not backing down from anyone.

“We’re not going there trying to coach to every move they make,” MacPherson said. “We have a plan in place and we’re going to try to execute that plan no matter what they do.”

The series will feature two of the league’s elite young talents. Rookie sniper Kameron Kielly finished second in scoring with 42 points (13 goals and 29 assists) for the Panthers, while the Huskies counter with reigning rookie of the year, Hunter Garlent, who finished third with 41 points (10 goals and 31 assists).

While Kielly may be the focal point on offence, UPEI’s secret weapon may lie in the depth they’ve developed at the forward positions and the different combinations they can deploy.

“Everybody in the playoffs is a little more alert, engaged, and aware. So when there are breakdowns, it’s usually when the top guys aren’t on the ice,” MacPherson said. “And, if your depth guys can capitalize on those opportunities, then they can make a difference in a series.”

The Panthers have their sights set on that elusive championship, now it’s time to take it.

“That’s what everybody plays for. This is what’s it’s all about. This is the event. You spend all year getting here and now it’s time to perform.”

The University of Prince Edward Island announced today that retired business leader and senator, and former PEI premier, the Honourable Catherine Callbeck of Central Bedeque, has been unanimously elected as the ninth Chancellor of the University for a four-year term. An installation ceremony will be held this spring (date yet to be determined).

The University Chancellor is a volunteer, titular role that presides over convocations and confers degrees, diplomas, and certificates.

“It is my privilege to officially announce the Honourable Catherine Callbeck as the University’s Chancellor-elect,” said UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz. Abd-El-Aziz, along with UPEI Board of Governors Chair Pat Sinnott, co-chaired the Chancellor Electoral Committee.

“UPEI will benefit greatly from Dr. Callbeck’s vision, passion, and extensive leadership experience. I congratulate her on this new role as Chancellor and thank her sincerely for her dedication to post-secondary education and commitment to UPEI.”

The Honourable Catherine Callbeck has a long and active involvement in business, politics, and charitable and public service groups at all levels, and is a woman of many firsts and honours.

She received her early education in Central Bedeque and Summerside, later receiving degrees from Mount Allison University and Dalhousie University. After a period of teaching, Callbeck returned to PEI where she became involved with the family business—Callbeck's Limited and Callbeck's Furniture.

She was the second woman ever elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island and, from 1974-78, served as the first female Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister Responsible for the Disabled, and Minister Responsible for Non-Status Indians. In 1988, she was the first woman elected as the Member of Parliament for Malpeque, making her the second woman ever to be elected to the House of Commons from PEI. She returned to provincial politics in 1993 when she was elected Leader of the Liberal Party of PEI, and soon after, became the first woman in Canada to be elected as Premier. In 1997, she was called to the Senate of Canada and retired in July 2014.

Callbeck was named a member of the Order of Canada in 2015 and Order of PEI in 2017 and holds honorary doctor of laws degrees from both Mount Allison University and the University of Prince Edward Island (2015).

“I am deeply honoured and humbled by this opportunity to become more involved in the University community,” said Callbeck. “The University of Prince Edward Island has become a global institution of higher learning that makes the student experience a priority. I hope to be excellent ambassador for UPEI as it continues to develop programs that inspire students to contribute solutions, whether it be at home or around the world, to better society.”

Callbeck will replace the University’s eighth chancellor Dr. Don McDougall, who was installed in 2014 and whose extended term concludes this year. She is the second woman to hold the post: Doris H. Anderson was UPEI’s first female University Chancellor from 1992–96.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

UPEI’s Chancellors and their installation dates

• The Honourable Thane A. Campbell, CC, MA, LLD – May 14, 1970
• Gustave Gingras, CC, MD, FRSA, LLD, FRCP(c) – May 12, 1974
• David Macdonald Stewart, OC, CStJ, KLJ, FRSA, FHS(c), LLD, DBA – October 1, 1982
• The Honourable Gordon L. Bennett, OC, BSc, MSc, LLD, DCL – March 9, 1985
• Doris H. Anderson, CC, BA, LLD – October 24, 1992
• Norman Webster (chancellor emeritus), CM, BA, MA, DCL – November 2, 1996
• William (Bill) Andrew, DipEng, BEng – March 6, 2005
• Donald (Don) McDougall, BA, MBA, LLD – March 30, 2014

Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, UPEI’s president and vice-chancellor, joined with leaders across the Atlantic region today to welcome news of the Ocean Supercluster, announced this week by the federal minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Hon. Navdeep Bains.

The Ocean Supercluster is one of five Innovation Superclusters. The Ocean Supercluster is an industry-led initiative, focused on building upon Canada's world-class ocean-related business activity, research capacity, and proven technology expertise. Research from UPEI and the Atlantic Veterinary College is already making an impact on Canada’s ocean economy, and this new initiative will only strengthen that impact.

“There isn’t an aspect of the Ocean Supercluster proposal that UPEI cannot strengthen with our research expertise in fish health, climate adaptation, and sustainable design engineering,” said Dr. Abd-El-Aziz. “The student experience at UPEI has been enhanced in recent years through our close relationships with industry. We are ready to build on these relationships and make significant and lasting contributions to this important economic initiative for our region.”

The Ocean Supercluster will harness emerging technologies to strengthen Canada's ocean industries—industries like marine renewable energy, fisheries, aquaculture, oil and gas, defence, shipbuilding, and transportation. This supercluster will ensure Canada's future prosperity as a source of jobs and solutions to global challenges, such as how to meet the energy demands of the 21st century.

Over the next ten years, the Ocean Supercluster is expected to create more than 3,000 jobs across the Atlantic region and have an economic impact of more than $14 billion.

Globally recognized for its research and service work in aquatic animal health and epidemiology, UPEI’s Atlantic Veterinary College plays a leading role in aquatic food animal health in Canada and beyond. Housed at AVC is an interconnected network of aquatic research centres and programs, involving internationally renowned researchers who collaborate with industry, government, and academic partners around the world to protect the health and productivity of wild and farmed fisheries. Facilities include state-of-the-art aquatic research laboratories, a 12,000-square-foot aquatic animal facility, and an ISO-17025 accredited diagnostic service.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes two student-athletes for their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Jenna Mae Ellsworth and Milorad Sedlarevic, the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week for February 12–18.

Jenna Mae Ellsworth is a second-year guard on the UPEI Women’s Basketball team and a Bachelor of Science student from Charlottetown. The Panthers split a pair of games over the weekend with the University of New Brunswick, winning Friday 82–58, and losing Saturday 77–66. She scored 14 points the first night, shooting 34 per cent from the field and 40 per cent from the foul line. The next night she scored 21 points, and improved her shooting to 43 per cent and 62.5 per cent from the line. She grabbed seven rebounds over the weekend, made five assists, and grabbed eight steals. “Jenna Mae continues to be a great two-way play for our team,” said coach Greg Gould.

Milorad Sedlarevic is a fourth-year forward on UPEI’s Men’s Basketball team and a Bachelor of Business Administration student from Jesenice, Slovenia. The Panthers dropped a pair of games over the weekend to the University of New Brunswick. “Milorad was the team scoring leader this past weekend with a combined total of 42 points over the two games,” said coach Darrell Glenn. “Milorad is competing hard and putting up consistent numbers for us.”

Go Panthers Go!

The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Canada’s minister of science and minister of sport and persons with disabilities, recently announced the appointment and renewal of several members of the governing council for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Among the list is Dr. Don Desserud, professor of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island.

SSHRC is the federal research funding agency that promotes and supports post-secondary-based research and research training in the humanities and social sciences. The agency plays an important role in Canada’s research and scientific landscape and is committed to fostering greater equity, diversity and inclusion in the sciences. SSHRC invests over $350 million annually, supporting more than 8,000 graduate students and nearly 14,000 researchers.

“The appointment of Dr. Desserud to the SSHRC governing council is a singular honour for one of UPEI’s most widely recognized experts in political science. In addition, the appointment provides UPEI with an opportunity to help guide the development of research focus areas and funding priorities for one of the university’s most important sources of extramural research support.” said Dr. Robert Gilmour, vice-president academic and research at UPEI.

Prior to coming to UPEI in 2011 as dean of arts, Dr. Desserud was an associate dean of graduate studies at UNBSJ. He is a professor of political science and organizer of the Palmer Conference in Public Sector Leadership. He is also a public representative on the PEI Law Council.

Originally from Bathurst, New Brunswick, Dr. Desserud earned his BA and MA from Dalhousie University and a PhD in political science from the University of Western Ontario. He also has an MA in English and creative writing from UNB. His research interests include parliaments and legislative assemblies, particularly the area of parliamentary and political law. He frequently comments on political issues on local and national media. He has represented UPEI as a SSHRC Leader since 2011.

Dr. Desserud is named to the governing council for a two-year term.

Congratulations!

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

Vagabond Productions newest show, Fresh Brewed: Tales from the Coffee Bar by Henry Meyerson, promises to add a bit of a caffeine jolt to your regular theatre experience. The show is made up of a series of seven short plays with just two things in common: they all take place in a coffee shop, and they are all hilarious.

Since it is important to vary up scenery from time to time, Vagabond is stepping out of its usual venue of UPEI’s Faculty Lounge and into Receiver Coffee Co., 128 Richmond Street in Charlottetown. The authentic setting will truly bring audiences into the world of the play. Each scene in Fresh Brewed is wildly different from the next, which means the only thing you can be sure about in this show is there will be laughs aplenty.

The play runs March 5 to 10. The doors open at 7 pm for a 7:30 pm start. Admission is pay-what-you-can. Seating is limited, with no presale tickets, so come early and enjoy a coffee before the show to guarantee yourself a seat. The play contains adult language and mature themes, so viewer discretion is advised. For more information, contact Vagabond Productions at gdoran@upei.ca or 902-566-6013.

Vagabond Productions, created in 2005 by Dr. Greg Doran, is the student theatre company for UPEI’s Theatre Studies program.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

The UPEI School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences is hosting a series of research presentations about artificial intelligence and machine learning. The presentations are open to the public and are presented with the support of the Office of the Vice-President Academic and Research.

Dr. Trung Ngo, an associate professor at UPEI, will present “Socially aware robot navigation with guarantee of human safety and comfort” on Monday, February 26 at 3:15 pm in the Cass Science Hall, room 101.

Dr. Kai Liu, an assistant professor at UPEI, will present “Predicting forage crop loss in the presence of systemic weather risk using remote sensing data: an insurance application” on Monday, March 12 at 3:15 pm in the Cass Science Hall, room 101.

On Monday, March 26 at 3:00 pm, Dr. Martin Mueller, professor and associate chair in computing science at the University of Alberta, will present “Computer Go: from the beginnings to AlphaGo Zero. Dr. Mueller is the grandfather of AlphaGo, in the sense that AlphaGo is created by Dr. David Silver (Lead Researcher on AlphaGo in DeepMind Inc.) and Dr. Mueller is his PhD supervisor.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

Dr. Don McKay has been called the Canadian poet laureate of ecological philosophy. A revered poet, esteemed naturalist, distinguished scholar and editor, celebrated teacher, and famously witty speaker, Dr. McKay will give the 2018 UPEI Don Mazer Arts & Science Lecture on Thursday, March 1 at 7:00 pm in room 246 of UPEI’s Don and Marion McDougall Hall. All are welcome.

Dr. McKay’s talk, “Dragon, or Tectonic Lithofacies Map of the Appalachian Orogen,” will be “an attempt to approach one of the most famous and important maps in geology from both sides of my brain, the scientific and aesthetic.”

The Appalachian orogenic belt is an ancient mountain range extending from Alabama to Newfoundland. Dr. McKay, who lives in St. John’s, will talk “poetically” about the tectonic theory of mountain building, and focus on Gros Morne in Newfoundland, with reference to New Brunswick and to PEI with its “detritus from worn-down mountains.”

Hank Williams will feature prominently in Dr. McKay’s talk: not the singer, but the legendary and colourful Newfoundland geologist. Williams advanced plate tectonics, as a unifying theory for continental drift and mountain belt evolution, inspired a new generation of geologists, and helped establish Memorial University as a leader in earth science research.

An expert mapmaker as well as visionary thinker, Williams produced the famous Appalachian Orogen map, a bestseller with 10,000 copies sold worldwide. The map also helped demonstrate relationships between our landforms and those across the Atlantic Ocean.

Dr. McKay will also give a poetry reading on Friday, March 2, at 7:30 pm in the Carriage House at Beaconsfield Historic House in Charlottetown. His reading is supported by the UPEI Department of English and Dean of Arts, with assistance from The Canada Council for the Arts.

The UPEI Don Mazer Arts & Science Lecture is sponsored by UPEI’s Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Science. The lecture series is named in honour of Dr. Don Mazer, an esteemed UPEI psychology professor, whose interests have bridged the arts and sciences. The public is invited and admission is free.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.