Spartans weather early storm, come back to sweep UVic & advance to Finals

Trinity Western University punched their ticket to the 2018 B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League championship series on Saturday night, defeating the University of Victoria by a 4-3 score at the George Preston Recreation Centre in Langley.

The Vikes took control of the game early as Landen Matechuk scored 4:57 into regulation and again with 9:34 remaining in the frame to give the visitors a two-goal lead. But Evan Last replied for the Spartans minutes later and sent TWU into intermission down a goal.

Victoria refused to go away early in the second, with Thierry Martine scoring his second goal in as many nights to out the Vikes back up by two. It was all Spartans from that point forward, however, as the hosts outshot UVic by a 20-4 margin in the period and scored three times to go ahead for good.

Dustin Deugau knotted the game at 2-2 with 7:07 to play in the frame and Brandon Potomak put the Spartans ahead for the first time in the game just 46 seconds later. Brayden Brown tacked on another goal before the end of the period, with Elijah Vilio picking up his second primary assist of the evening.

TWU poured 15 more shots on Vikes starter Zack Wear during a scoreless third period and withstood a brief UVic 6-on-5 with the goaltender pulled late in the game.

Silas Matthys stopped 20 shots in picking up his ninth BCIHL playoff victory, while Wear was named third star after facing 51 shots. Both power plays were quiet on the night as they Vikes went 0/3 and the Spartans finished 0/4.

With Selkirk College having swept their first round series against VIU early Saturday, the Spartans will now meet the Saints in a rematch of the 2016 and 2014 league championships. The schedule for the series, which TWU will host in Langley, will be released Monday.