Spartans set to host key weekend games as SFU, UVic visit Langley

Trinity Western University will have a chance to solidify its grasp on first place in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League this weekend as the Spartans host third place Simon Fraser University on Thursday and second place University of Victoria on Friday at the Langley Events Centre.

The Spartans enter the weekend with a 12-2-0-2 record this season and with a seven-point cushion on the Vikes (8-5-0-3) and a 10-point gap on both SFU (8-8-0-0) and Selkirk (7-7-0-2).

Thursday’s game will be rematch of last Thursday’s tilt that saw TWU beat SFU 6-2 on home ice, while Friday’s game will feature a battle between the league’s top two teams and will see the Spartans take on a Victoria side that is the only team who has beaten TWU in regulation this year. Both games are at 7:00 PM and will be broadcast live at www.bcihl.fasthockey.com.

The Spartans are riding a wave of success like never before in their program’s history. Since a loss to Victoria on Oct. 31, the Spartans have reeled off seven wins in their last eight games and their only loss came in overtime against SFU. Sitting atop the BCIHL standings and with a seven-point lead on the second place Vikes, TWU has a chance this weekend to all but lock up first place with a pair of wins.

Prior to this season, the Spartans had never finished higher than third in the BCIHL’s regular season standings. With a win on Thursday, TWU can clinch a playoff spot and, with two wins this weekend, the Spartans would put themselves on the verge of solidifying home ice advantage for the opening round of the postseason.

Since coming under the Spartans umbrella in 2010, TWU has never won more than 10 games in a season. With eight games remaining, every win will set a new Spartans record for wins and points in a season.

Last year, JP Villeneuve was the Spartans offence. Beyond Villeneuve and his 33 points, the Spartans next best offensive contributor was Mattias Schmitt, who had 13 points. This year, it’s a different story. The Spartans already have five players currently on their roster in double digits for points – four of which have tallied 16 or more.

Even with the departure of Villeneuve over the Christmas break, TWU’s offence has continued to roll along, scoring 12 goals in its last three games.

Through eight home games this year, the Spartans are 7-1-0-0 at the Langley Events Centre. On home ice, TWU has out-scored its opposition 35-21 and has allowed just four goals against in its last three outings. The Spartans power play has also been particularly sharp at home as it’s worked at a league-leading 33.3 per cent.

SFU returns to Langley looking for a little redemption after losing to the Spartans 6-2 last Thursday at the LEC. Despite outshooting the Spartans 37-26, SFU came out on the short end of the stick and will no doubt be aiming to turn the tables on TWU this time around.

The Clan is one of just two teams to beat the Spartans this year and, in four games, they have already done it twice. On both occasions SFU knocked off TWU by a 5-4 count – once in overtime and once in a shootout.

With the teams playing each other a total of seven times this year, if the Clan are to make a late season climb up the standings, they’ll need to continue to put together successful nights against the high-flying Spartans.

The Clan have used something of a platoon system in the crease as both Jordan Liem and Andrew Parent have shared the goaltending duties. Last week against TWU, both goalies saw action as Liem started but was pulled midway through the first period for Parent before eventually going back in early in the second period.

The two goalies have nearly identical numbers this year as they both have 3.23 goals against averages, while Parent has a .891 save percentage in 10 games and Liem has a .875 save percentage in eight games.

Meanwhile, Victoria enters the weekend seven points behind the first place Spartans, the Vikes still technically control their own destiny in terms of earning the BCIHL regular season crown. With four games left against TWU, the schedule maker has given Victoria a shot at making a late-season run at the top spot.

However, if the Vikes are to catch the Spartans, it’s likely they’ll have to run the table in their head-to-head games. That quest begins Friday.

Similar to the Spartans, Victoria has had an impressive turnaround season as the Vikes have gone from the bottom of the BCIHL standings last year to battling for home ice advantage in the playoffs this season.

Last year, Victoria earned just six wins and missed the playoffs altogether. This year, the Vikes already have eight wins and have put themselves in a position to host a playoff game for the first time in their program’s history.

The Vikes special teams don’t play favourites. At home, Victoria’s power play works at 22.5 per cent while on the road it works at 22.6 per cent. At home, the Vikes penalty kill works at 82.6 per cent and on the road it works at 82.4 per cent.

When compared to the rest of the BCIHL, their home numbers are just a few ticks above average but their road numbers are notable and are second only to TWU.