Season Preview: VIU looks to take next step on heels of 1st BCIHL Finals

Vancouver Island University is ready to take the next step in their quest for a championship when their third season in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League begins later this month.

The Mariners wasted little time establishing themselves as a competitive squad in their expansion season, winning 17 games and finishing third in the regular season standings. And they took another big step last year, toppling Selkirk College in the first round of the playoffs before bowing out to Trinity Western in the Finals.

KEY RETURNERS

Leading scorer and BCIHL Rookie of the Year Brett Witala is back with the team following a 32-point season, and he's joined by newly-minted team captain Gage Colpron (12 goals, 23 points) and Garrett Dunlop (8 goals, 21 points) to form a strong offensive group up front.

On the blueline, fourth year assistant captain Garrett Murray returns on the heels of a 15-point campaign, while fellow former Selkirk College defender Seth Schmidt will play his first full campaign with the team after joining the team in January 2019.

Brett Clark and Matt Huber are both back in the crease after splitting duties last season. Clark led the Mariners with eight wins in 13 appearances but gave way to Huber in the postseason, with the 22-year old starting all four of VIU's playoff games.

NEW TO THE TEAM

The Mariners have welcomed 11 new faces for the 2019/20 season, including seven forwards, three defencemen and a goaltender.

Forward Connor Mowatt played 128 Junior A games split between Alberta and Ontario and is "a good sized forward who plays hard" according to Mariners head coach Steve Paul. He's joined up front by Cowichan Valley Capitals alum Brendan Cherwalk ("A great all-around pick-up and good with our group") and a pair of Manitoba Junior Hockey League grads in Tanner Garnham ("A shifty forward who works really well with his teammates") and Tanner McKechnie ("A tough, hard worker who's a real spark plug").

On the back-end, Quinlan Moore brings over 150 games of VIJHL experience to the group and is described by Steve Paul as "a smart, mobile defender with a great shot" while Red Lake Miner (SIJHL) alum Jackson Stephens is a "quiet, skilled player who has fit right in with the team." VIU has also added a third goaltender in Jeremy Balyk, who impressed Paul and his staff at the BCIHL Exposure Camp in April.

GETTING STARTED

The Mariners make a pair of trips to play their island rivals in Victoria on September 27th and October 4th before hosting Selkirk College in their home opener at the Nanaimo Ice Centre on October 6th.