Weekend Preview: TWU returns home from NCAA trip to face Selkirk College

Trinity Western University will look to continue their unbeaten run to start the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League season on Friday when they host the third-place Selkirk College Saints at the Langley Events Centre in the Spartans lone game this weekend.

This will be the first time the Spartans have met Selkirk since last season’s BCIHL Championships, in which the Spartans took home the championship banner with a series sweep that included wins by 5-1 and 4-1 margins. Last season the Spartans bettered the Saints in six out of the seven games they played, including playoff games, giving them a record of 6-1 over Selkirk. The lone game in which Selkirk took the win was in their first meeting of the season on November 10.

TWU is looking to remain undefeated this season, with a record of 3-0 coming off a bye weekend from league play. The Spartans filled that time by traveling to Minnesota to play NCAA Div. III Hamline University (2-1 OT win) and NCAA Div. I University of Minnesota (7-1 L).

Selkirk on the other hand, is looking to pick up its second win of the season, the last one coming over Simon Fraser University in the first game of the season. Since then they have lost three straight, making the 1-2-1 on the season.

Through three games, forward Evan Last (2G, 3A) and defenceman Dustin Deugau (5A) are tied for the Spartans team lead in points. . Meanwhile, TWU’s Lucas Mills sits first in the BCIHL with a 1.51 goals against average and .926 save percentage.

On Saturday, the Saints will continue their Lower Mainland road swing when they visiit Simon Fraser University for the third meeting between the teams so far this season. Selkirk began regular season play with a pair of home games against the Clan, picking up a 7-1 victory on opening night before dropping a 5-4 overtime decision in the rematch.

The Kootenays squad has been led offensively by a pair of former junior rivals in Edward Lindsey and Dylan Heppler. The pair did battle many times during three seasons in the KIJHL with the Castlegar Rebels and Beaver Valley Nitehawks respectively, but have now joined forces to lead Selkirk with 11 points combined.

Former BCHL blueliner Cole Arcuri has been contributing from the back-end with two goals and four points through four games, putting him in third place amongst BCIHL defencemen in scoring. In goal, duties have been split between Patrick Zubick and Tallon Kramer, who has picked up the team's only win.

Friday's game in Langley and Saturday's matchup at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre are both slated for 7:00 PM puck drops and can be viewed live on Hockey TV.