Sakatch's first BCIHL goal a big one as Spartans run win streak to 10

Trinity Western University forward Dylan Sakatch made his first goal as a Spartan count, as he tallied the game-winner to lead TWU to a 3-1 win over Simon Fraser University on Thursday evening at the Langley Events Centre.

Sakatch, who also added an assist for the first two-point night of his TWU career, scored shorthanded just 37 seconds into the third period. After TWU chipped the puck past a pinching SFU defenceman, the first-year forward corralled the puck, broke in alone and tucked a nifty backhand past Clan netminder Lyndon Stanwood. The goal made it 2-0 for the home side.

SFU cut the Spartans lead in half with 15 minutes still to play, but a pair of goals, including an empty-netter, sealed TWU’s 10th consecutive victory. The win also marks TWU’s third straight victory over the Clan.

Kade Vilio opened the scoring for TWU, while Tyler McMinn and Evan Last rounded out the goal scoring in the third period. Ian Mackey scored SFU’s lone goal.

TWU goalie Silas Matthys, who was the BCIHL’s ANYTHING BRANDED Player of the Week this past week, stopped 27 of the 28 shots he faced. Stanwood finished with 29 saves on the night.

"Silas had to make a few big saves early on, but I thought it was pretty close to a 60-minute effort from the guys," says TWU head coach Barret Kropf. "Coming off a big weekend-high road sweep last weekend (over Selkirk College), tonight could have almost been one of those trap games. But I really liked how the guys won some battles and were really responsible with the puck."

After a scoreless first period, Vilio broke the deadlock when he jumped on a rebound off a Dustin Deugau shot, knocking it past Stanwood from in tight for a power-play marker. Late in the second period, SFU’s Mak Barden got robbed twice from close range – first by the post and then by the right pad of Matthys from point blank in the slot.

After Sakatch put TWU ahead 2-0, the Clan responded at 4:55 of the final frame, with Mackey deflecting a long shot from Callegari past a helpless Matthys. McMinn restored the Spartans two-goal lead with a near-carbon copy of the Clan’s tally, deflecting a point shot from Kaleb Denham just under Stanwood. Sakatch earned the second assist on the play. Last sealed the win with an empty-netter.

"Guys like Karsten Seidel and Jacob Mills are a real shutdown pairing on the back end and I thought they were really effective tonight," says Kropf. "For Dylan, it was nice to see him score on that breakaway. He’s been playing well for us and deserved something like that."

The Spartans are just one win shy of equaling last year’s win total (16-6-0-2) and hold a 3-1 season series advantage over SFU. The Spartans lost their first game against the Clan but have won their last three meetings. The loss snapped SFU’s three-game winning streak.

The Spartans Florian Niedermaier remains tied with TWU alum Josh MacKnee for the school’s all-time career goals mark, at 30, after being held scoreless on Thursday.

The Spartans are back on the ice at the Langley Events Centre on Saturday afternoon when the University of Victoria visits at 1:00 PM.