Friedrich's Favourites: November 12th Edition

Well, it’s week 4 of the BCIHL season and there has been no shortage of excitement so far.

From the addition of the Okanagan Lakers to the new and rekindled rivalries, the 2021/22 season has been one to watch. 

This week, I’m excited to present our new weekly prediction piece to help our viewers know a bit of what to expect when it comes to BCIHL action!

Every week, myself and BCIHL broadcast teams from around the league will be submitting our predictions for the upcoming weekend’s BCIHL games, and we’ll be asking you, the fans, to vote on who you think will win!

So, without further adieu, let’s jump into the picks: 

Nov. 12th | VIC vs. VIU
7:00pm at the Ian Stewart Complex, Victoria, BC

Justin McCartney’s (OKL) Prediction: VIU def. VIC 4-1

“UVic is due, but it won't come this weekend. VIU takes this one and keeps the Vikes on the schneid.”

Nick Toren’s (SFU) Prediction: VIU def. VIC 4-1

My Prediction: VIC def. VIU 3-2

Why: VIU heads to Victoria after dropping their first two games to SFU in Burnaby last weekend. The team looked behind for most of the games, and the scores confirm that. Goaltender Derek Krall was solid, and the defencemen blocking countless shots kept the club in the game, but the .863 and .800 performances weren’t enough to dig the Mariners out of the scoring deficits. 

The UVic Vikes are 0-2-0 after dropping their first two games to the Okanagan Lakers and the VIU Mariners, and had last week off after that second loss to their island rivals. The Vikes have had success against one team in their eight exhibition plus regular season games: the VIU Mariners. Out of those eight games, VIC is 0-2-0 against SFU and OKL, And 1-2-1 against VIU, and with a week off, the Vikes are going to hit the ground (or ice) running.

Nov. 13th | OKL vs. SFU
8:45 at the Capital News Centre, Kelowna

Justin McCartney’s (OKL) Prediction: OKL def. SFU 3-2 in OT or S/O

“The Lakers have been playing close games against SFU. This weekend they finally break through, and win this one in OT or a shootout.”

Nick Toren’s (SFU) Prediction: SFU def. OKL 3-1

My Prediction: SFU def. OKL 5-3

Why: SFU is coming off a 4 game win streak dating back to the pre-season, with their overall exhibition plus regular season record sitting at a league best 7-3-1. Their regular season roster is reduced too, with the team only being able to dress 3 full lines and 2 defensive pairs. The 3-0-0 regular season record has been more than earned by this reduced roster, and the combination of solid goaltending and special teams success has greatly contributed. 

The expansion Okanagan Lakers club has a single win, coming at the beginning of the season in their first regular season against the UVic Vikes. OKL has faced SFU four times this year already, dropping two games in regulation and the other two in the shootout. This Okanagan club has been excellent in the third period against SFU, taking both their shootout games to extra time by scoring late in the third, but without captain and former ECHL defenceman Adrian Van de Mosselaer, the task of keeping up with the high-speed and highly skilled SFU squad may be too much for them to handle. 

You can catch both games live on HockeyTV, and follow our teams on Twitter for in-game updates!

VIC: @UVicHockey
VIU: @VIUHockey
OKL: @OkanaganLakers
SFU: @SFUHockey