Elijah Vilio's OT winner caps wild TWU win, sweeps series with Selkirk

Trinity Western University’s Elijah Vilio scored the overtime winner as the Spartans continued their record-setting start to the year with a 4-3 win over Selkirk College on Saturday at the Castlegar Recreation Centre. TWU has now earned a program best seven straight wins to start the season.

A wild final minute of the third period saw TWU’s Brandon Potomak put TWU ahead 3-2 with 39 seconds to play, only to have Selkirk tie the game just 28 seconds later when Blake Sidoni wired a shot home with 11 seconds on the clock.

In overtime, it was Vilio playing hero, as he jumped in on a rush and blasted a one-timer home for the game-winner.

The win sees the Spartans earn back-to-back wins in Castlegar, after TWU opened the weekend series with a 7-0 win Friday. Josh Bruce and Jarrett Fontaine also scored for the Spartans, while goalie Lucas Mills made 40 saves to earn his fifth win of the year.

“It’s unbelievable when you can get a playoff-type game in November," says TWU head coach Barret Kropf. "Shout-out to Selkirk because they really turned their ship around overnight and came out with a much better overall performance from there side. Our guys had to battle. It was a great playoff atmosphere. There was lots of intensity, great plays, big hits and nice goals. It was a real quality game and a pleasure to be able to be part of it"

Adam Rosen and Tayden Woods scored Selkirk’s other two goals.

Bruce finished the night with three points (1G, 2A), while Potomak was the only other Spartan with a multi-point night, as he had a goal and an assist.

Rosen opened the scoring at 6:11 of the first period and the home side held a lead until the final minute of the second period when Bruce tallied the tying marker. Woods put Selkirk ahead again at 5:43 of the final frame, but Fontaine, who was playing in just his second game of the year after suffering an injury in the preseason, scored his second goal in as many games to set the stage for a crazy finish.

“Anytime you get a four-point weekend in Selkirk, that’s a great weekend," says Kropf. "The boys are pretty happy about that and now we just need to get the boys healed up and continue to build on this momentum."

Evan Last, who leads TWU and is second in the BCIHL in points, with seven goals and nine assists in seven games, was held off the scoresheet for the first time this season. TWU has three players in the top five in league scoring, including Logan Casavant, with seven goals and seven assists, Bruce, with five goals and nine assists, and Last. This, despite TWU playing three fewer games than the two VIU players who are also within the top five.

League-leading TWU is already five points clear of second place Selkirk in the BCIHL standings. The Spartans have a +20 goal differential through seven games.

TWU is back on the ice Nov. 15 when the Spartans will host Victoria at the Langley Events Centre. Puck drop is at 7:00 PM.