BCIHL Finals begin Thursday as Selkirk looks to spoil dream finish for TWU

In many ways, the 2017/18 campaign has played out like a dream season for Trinity Western University. They set a new mark for wins by a Spartans team in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League and in the process finished in first place while setting a league record with 43 points.

They proceeded to cruise through the first round of playoffs, sweeping a UVic squad that left them heartbroken after a dramatic finish to last season's championship series. And on Tuesday, TWU effectively dominated the league awards, picking up five of six individual honours while placing four players on BCIHL all-star teams.

With the league finals beginning Thursday at the George Preston Recreation Complex in Langley, one final challenge stands in the way of the Spartans writing an ideal final chapter to their season. And the team standing in their way is an old nemesis.

Selkirk College won four consecutive BCIHL titles from 2013 to 2016, and on two occasions -- 2014 and 2016 -- they celebrated with the league championship trophy as the Spartans watched on. Now they have an opportunity to win a BCIHL-record fifth championship and spoil TWU's party a third time.

The venue has changed from the previous two finals meetings between the teams, which were both contested in Castlegar. Instead, the Saints will have to find success on the Spartans' home ice for the first time this season.

TWU got the better of the five-game season series between the teams, dropping a 5-2 result on the road in November before rolling off four consecutive victories. The Spartans outscored Selkirk by a margin of 18-16 in what proved primarily to be tight, hard-fought games.

To upset the regular season champs, the Saints will need to solve two primary challenges. First, they'll need to slow down a TWU offence that led the BCIHL with 117 goals during the regular season and features a deep cast of impact forwards.

All-stars Evan Last and Brayden Brown lead the way, but point-a-gamers Brandon Potomak, Kade Vilio and Dirk de Waal are potent weapons as well. From the blueline, the Spartans can count on 24-point man Dustin Deugau as well as former Saints standout Stefan Gonzales. Add in the trio of Elijah Vilio, Kaleb Denham and Jacob Mills and TWU has five defenders who combined to score 86 points.

Second, Selkirk will need to solve Silas Matthys and a TWU defence that conceded a league-best 55 goals. Matthys has been a thorn in the side of the Saints in recent seasons, including a first round series sweep in March 2017.

But there are a number of reasons to like Selkirk's chances despite the deep, talented team that stands in their path. One is the presence of Dallas Calvin, whose reputation as the league's most prolific scorer has been well-earned over three remarkable seasons. Calvin highights a group of forwards that includes impact rookies Brandon Sookro, Derek McPhail, Parker Sharp and Grant Iles. Veterans Dane Feeney and Jack Mills complete a potent top-6.

Opposing Matthys will be rookie netminder and Castlegar native Patrick Zubick, who had an outstanding season after signing on from the SIJHL's Dryden Ice Dogs. Zubick's 2.37 goals-against average and .921 save-percentage were both close behind the TWU starter.

The Saints will also rely on the previous championship experience of players like Calvin, Feeney, Derek Georgopoulos, Nelson Hurry and Jonas Horvath, who were all around as rookies when Selkirk swept the Spartans in the 2016 league finals.

The best-of-three series begins Thursday at 7:30 PM and continues Friday and Saturday (if necessary) at 7:00 PM. All games will be broadcast live on Hockey TV.