First and second in BCIHL standings meet on weekend as SFU visits WolfPack

It’s the weekend that the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack hockey team has had marked on their calendar for weeks: A rematch with Simon Fraser University in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League. They host SFU Saturday at 8:45 pm and Sunday at noon at Memorial Arena.

The WolfPack have wanted another shot at SFU ever since November 20th, when the team from Burnaby Mountain downed them 9-3. It was the second meeting of the season between the two teams and the second time SFU had came away with a victory.

“I’m not sure if I would characterise SFU as our main rival at this point,” said WolfPack head coach Chris Hans, who spent the week having his crew work on the common themes of hard work, physical play and sacrifice (blocking shots, taking hits to make plays) for the team.

“We’ll be up for these games. That last loss was difficult for us to deal with. But I have a tremendous amount of faith in our teams ability to rebound from sub par outings.”

Hans points to the team’s two victories over UVic in their last two games (Jan23-24) following what he called sub-par outings the previous two outings against UVic. The WolfPack are giving SFU, who boast three of the top eight scorers in the BCIHL a lot of respect.

“They ice a strong, explosive team that is full value for their first place status,” he adds.

SFU is on top of the league with 15 wins, 2 losses and two ties for 32 points. The ‘Pack enter weekend play SFU is led by forward Jackson Friesen (2nd year, South Delta, BC) who is third in scoring with 11 goals and 22 assists in 15 games. Jaime Laprise (3rd year, forward, Coquitlam, BC) is fifth with 19 goals and 10 assists in 19 games. Team Captain Andrew Graham (3rd year, defence, Coquitlam, BC) is eighth in scoring with six goals and 22 assists in 19 outings.

The WolfPack have three players in the top 15 of the scoring race. Jassi Sangha (1st year, forward, Kamloops, BC) stands 10th with 12 goals and 13 assists in 15 games. Joel Leonard (3rd year, forward, Kamloops, BC) has six goals and 18 assists in 16 games. First year forward Jose Reyes (Kamloops, BC) has 13 goals and nine assists in 22 games.

The WolfPack enter the weekend unbeaten on home ice while SFU is 7 and 3 on the road. Hans is confident his team has returned to the foundation which has made it an overnight success in their first year in the BCIHL .

“That has been discipline, combined with a hard work ethic,” he says. “When we have those factors working in our favour, we usually have a good result on the scoreboard.”

Specialty teams could be a factor on the weekend. SFU has the top power play working at a 31.93 success rate (38 goals on 119 chances). TRU stands third at 26.67 (24 goals on 90 chances). At home, the WolfPack have the second best power play in the BCIHL (15 for 43 and a success rate of 34.88). That matches up well with SFU who have the second best special teams on the road (24.24 success rate with 16 goals in 66 chances).

The WolfPack will again go with Brock Fraser (1st year, Kamloops, BC) and Blake Tancock (1st year, Chilliwack, BC) in the nets. Fraser is 8 th in the BCIHL with a record of six and two in nine games. He has one shutout and a goals against average of 4.13. Tancock is 13th with a 3 and 3 record and an average of 5.45. SFU starter Justin Mulholland (first year, Coquitlam, BC) has 13 wins and 2 losses with two shutouts and a goals against average of 2.40. The former BCHL Surrey Eagle sports the third best goals against average overall and best among goalies who have played in ten games or more.

ICE CHIPS: The WolfPack are expecting a big crowd on Saturday. They have the BC Hydro Powersmart promotion going along with TRU Recreation and honouring the Collegiate Hockey Alumni.