Weekend Preview: VIU eager to keep hot streak going on Mainland road swing

They may not be flying quite as high as their expansion cousins in Las Vegas, but Vancouver Island University is proving to be no pushover in their inaugural B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League season.

The Mariners pushed themselves to the brink of .500 last weekend with a two-game series sweep over the University of Victoria, and their lead over the Vikes for fourth spot in the league standings sits at five points.

That's one point less than their deficit to catch Simon Fraser, who sit four ahead on 12 points with both teams through nine games.

They'll have a chance to further close that gap this weekend when they travel to the Lower Mainland for a pair of road games, Friday against SFU in Burnaby and Saturday against Trinity Western at the Langley Events Centre.

Their match-up with the Clan marks their first appearance at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre, though only because an October 14th game fell victim to cancellation. The teams did meet in Nanaimo on November 11th and SFU skated to a decisive 8-1 victory.

The Mariner's rookie-laden lineup features reigning BCIHL Player of the Week Gage Colpron, who chipped in six point in the sweep of UVic. He, along with fellow forwards Garrett Dunlop and Josh Cook, have led a potent attack that's averaging a solid 3.44 goals scored per game.

The Clan, meanwhile, will be looking to continue their climb towards second spot following an overtime win over Selkirk on Saturday night. SFU has won five of their last six and seem to have regained the defensive form that made them so tough in 2016/17. Lyndon Stanwood and Co. have allowed just seven goals in four November games.

On Saturday, VIU will run up against the league's hottest team in Langley, as Trinity Western is coming off back-to-back regulation wins over the Clan and Saints. The Spartans are five point back of first place Selkirk but hold a game in hand.

Brayden Brown has been a breakout star for TWU and further solidified some strong Rookie of the Year credentials last weekend with three points against SFU and two versus Selkirk. He was named the game's first star on both occasions.

Friday's game at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre is set for a 7:00 PM faceoff, as is Saturday's at the LEC. Both games are available to be viewed live on Hockey TV.