Potomak nets five points as Spartans cruise to home ice rout over UVic

Trinity Western University rookie Brandon Potomak scored the first two goals of his B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League career and added three assists to lead the Spartans to an 11-1 win over the University of Victoria on Friday at the Langley Events Centre.

Seven different Spartans scored goals and 15 different players earned at least a point, as the Spartans ran away from the Vikes in a rematch of last year’s BCIHL championship series.

Stefan Gonzales and Elijah Vilio each had four-point nights, with Gonzales putting up three goals and one assist while Vilio tallied four helpers. Evan Last had a three-point night, earning two goals and an assist, while Kade Vilio scored twice.

Luke Simon, Joseph Sylvain, Jarrett Fontaine, and Florian Niedermaier also scored for TWU. The goals for Simon and Sylvain were each their first markers in the BCIHL.

Brandon Volpe scored Victoria’s lone goal.

“Coming off a loss when we couldn’t score goals last week (a 2-1 loss to VIU), it was good to get that reward for the hard work we’ve put in," says Spartans head coach Barret Kropf. "I think we did a lot of little things well tonight and that snowballed into an avalanche of goals."

TWU (3-1) outshot the Vikes (0-2) 57-14. Lucas Mills was forced to make just 13 saves for the win.

Fontaine and Last each scored early in the first period to put TWU up 2-0 before Volpe closed the gap and sent the teams into the intermission with the Vikes only down by one goal.

However, TWU scored four goals in the second period to blow the game wide open, while outshooting Victoria 25-3.

The third period became more of the same, with the Spartans burying five more goals.

"We played inside the dots as opposed to perimeter play and the guys were rewarded for their efforts," says Kropf. "Then we gained confidence and we fed off each other and eventually you wear a team out."

"I think on paper UVIC matches up with us, but it was just the dam finally breaking for our guys. I’m looking forward to next weekend to see if we can keep this confidence rolling."

NOTABLE:

· TWU was coming off a 2-1 loss against VIU last Saturday in which the Spartans outshot the Mariners 43-26.

· Friday’s game was the first time TWU and Victoria had met at the LEC since the Vikes won the BCIHL championship last year on the Spartans home ice.

· TWU now has four players – Dirk de Waal, Potomak, Last and Niedermaier – in the top six in league scoring.

· Victoria has played just two games this year, losing both against TWU while being outscored 17-4.

NEXT UP:

The Spartans are back on the ice Oct. 26 when they host Simon Fraser at 7 p.m. at the LEC.