Spartans get back on winning track with home victory over Selkirk College

An early shorthanded goal from Joe Sylvain and third period game-winner from Josh Sylvain lifted Trinity Western University to a 5-4 victory over Selkirk College on Friday at the Langley Events Centre.

Brandon Potomak collected a goal and two assists for TWU (13-1-0-1), with Dylan Cusmano and Spencer Gerth also scoring for the first-place Spartans. Saints first-year forward Jaiden LaPorte picked up two goals and two assists for Selkirk (5-9-0-3), as Edward Lindsey and Dylan Heppler added singles.

"Tonight was a much needed win for the morale of the guys," says TWU head coach Barret Kropf. "Potomak gave us a great start scoring early on, but after some penalties on either side it was hard to find some flow. At five-on-five we really carried the play and our speed was also really evident. Getting scoring from our third and fourth line was also important for us and our teams’ confidence."

Potomak got TWU on the board early, streaking down the left wing and firing a sharp angle shot past Jared Breitkreuz to give the Spartans an early lead. Nine minutes later Selkirk tied the game up, when Lindsey scored off a LaPorte pass on a two-on-one to tie the game up at 1-1.

Just 20 seconds after TWU took a too many men on the ice penalty, Joe Sylvain then scored a shorthanded goal off a wrist shot to regain the Spartans lead at 2-1. Into the second period the Saints once again tied the game up, with a rebound from a Lindsey shot coming out to Heppler who scored at 4:28 of the second to make it 2-2. Five minutes later Spartans forward Cusmano took a Potomak feed to once again give TWU the one goal lead.

The Spartans then added another with 4:57 remaining in the second frame, as Gerth scored on the powerplay for his second goal of the season, beating Breitkreuz from in the crease to make it 4-2.

The third period saw TWU then push their lead to three, with Josh Sylvain deflecting a pass from his brother Joe into the net on a two-on-one to make it 5-2 in favour of the home side. Just 21 seconds later the Saints got back on the board, however, as LaPorte scored on a breakway and beat Mills five-hole to make it 5-3. LaPorte added another with just 2:24 remaining, but TWU would hold on for the win on home ice.

"Something we need to do is learn to not turn the puck over so much. In last Saturday’s game against Simon Fraser we turned the puck over just three or four times, but we turned it over more than that in the first five minutes tonight. That’s something we need to turn our focus on again and improve moving forward, trusting our speed and letting our guys carry the puck up."

Saints goaltender Breitkreuz stopped 42 of the Spartans 47 shots in the game, while Lucas Mills turned aside 19 shots to pick up his ninth win of the season (9-1-0).

"Those guys have been great all year – they’ve been strong mentally and physically, and have worked hard in practice to earn opportunities," Kropf says of the Sylvain brothers. "The team was really excited to see both of them get on the board tonight. Their ability to work hard in practice carried over into the game today and they were able to make use of that. Joe and Josh have continually shown us that as long as you stay mentally strong and continue to do what’s gotten them to this point they’ll continue to get opportunities – and that’s an infectious attitude on the rest of the team that simply makes us a better team."

TWU has not lost to Selkirk since a 3-2 loss at home Jan. 31, 2019. The Spartans were coming off their first two losses of the season in a home-and-home series against Simon Fraser, which snapped their season opening win-streak of 12 games.

TWU finished the game 1 for 10 on the powerplay, while the Saints converted on 20% of their opportunities (1 for 5).

TWU is back in action next weekend, heading to the Island to take on the University of Victoria on Friday and Vancouver Island University on Saturday.