Spartans complete 2016 recruiting class with addition of four players

Trinity Western University head coach Barret Kropf has put the final touches on his roster for the 2016/17 B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League season with the addition of four more recruits to the 2016 class.

The final four incoming athletes includes forwards Evan Last and Joseph Sylvain as well as defensemen Dustin Deugau and Kenny Batke. The group of four join already committed defenseman Stefan Gonzales and forwards Jarrett Fontaine and Taylor Allan to round out this year’s class.

“With these four we are getting a few pieces that really solidify our roster,” Kropf said. “Having a turnover of eight players from last year meant we were going to have an opportunity to set the table for our next generation of Spartan players to come through the program and make a long-term impact."

“Our number one priority was making sure guys had the right motivation to be here. Our program offers a lot for the student-athlete and we want guys to be equipped and prepared for this level of competition, but we were also looking for intangibles. We want guys who want to be great student-athletes and who have a desire to put in the work to be excellent students while also striving to improve every day as players."

"I'm really excited for this crop of recruits. They walk into one of the most mature locker rooms I have ever coached and I know the season ahead is going to be a special one for this group of young men.”

Evan Last (Surrey, B.C.)

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound forward comes to the Spartans after a Junior A career that saw him play a combined 183 games in the British Columbia Hockey League and Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

After a three-game stint with the Penticton Vees, the now 21-year-old Last moved to Manitoba, where he spent the next three years of his junior career. He played his first two years with the Winkler Flyers, tallying 21 goals and 41 assists in 111 games, before he was shipped to Swan Valley following the 2014-15 season. He played out his junior career with the Stampeders, putting up eight goals and 20 assists in 42 games over the 2015-16 campaign. Prior to his move to Winkler, Last spent one season with the Junior B Osoyoos Coyotes, where he scored 25 goals and added 30 assists in 49 games.

“Evan will give us a spark of energy up front,” Kropf said. “We now have five solid centres to work with and their speed will definitely be a factor in games this year.”

Dustin Deugau (Calgary)

Deugau arrives at TWU after a two-year Junior A career in Ontario in which he played with both the Cochrane Crunch (Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League) and the Fort Frances Lakers (Superior International Junior Hockey League).

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound blueliner is coming off a championship season with the Lakers that saw his team capture the SIJHL’s Bill Salonen Cup. Deugau, 20, tallied six goals and 15 assists in 50 games last year. In the playoffs, he added one goal and one assist in 10 games.

“Dustin will give us the depth on the back end that we needed to address after some of the graduates we lost from last year,” Kropf said. “He can play special teams as well, which will help as we try to get our power play back into high returns this season.”

Kenny Batke (Vernon, B.C.)

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound defenceman is coming off a four-year Junior B career with the Revelstoke Grizzlies (Kootenay International Junior Hockey League). Playing his entire junior career with one team, Batke, 21, suited up in 158 games for the Grizzlies, registering 10 goals, 29 assists and 205 penalty minutes.

“Kenny was a leader on his team and became a mainstay on the Grizzlies blue line,” Kropf said. “He will get a great opportunity to develop and grow with our program and we are excited to see how he will improve in the coming years. We have seen Junior B players like Karsten Seidel and Jacob Mills become anchors on our blue line and I can see Kenny doing the same thing.”

Joseph Sylvain (Girouxville, Alta.)

Sylvain joins the Spartans following a junior B career that saw him help the North Peace Navigators (North West Junior Hockey League) to back-to-back league championships.

This past season was especially impressive for Sylvain’s Navigators as they put together their most successful campaign in franchise history. Not only did North Peace capture its third consecutive NWJHL title, but the Navigators went on to win the Alberta Jr. B Provincial Championship to earn a spot in the Western Canadian Jr. B Championship – Keystone Cup, where they won a bronze medal.

Along the way, Sylvain was an offensive leader for North Peace, scoring 18 goals and adding 26 assists in 36 regular season games before contributing seven goals and three assists in 13 NWJHL playoffs games.

“Joseph will bring depth to our forward unit and has shown he can put the puck in the back of the net,” Kropf said. “We envision that he will be a key piece for us moving forward as he has the tools to develop into a strong offensive leader.”