Spartans drop third straight as Kulhanek leads SFU to victory

The Trinity Western University Spartans dropped their third BCIHL game in a row on Friday night, coming out on the wrong end of a 5-1 score to Simon Fraser University at the Langley Events Centre.

The defending BCIHL champion Clan came into the Spartans' barn and took control right from the opening puck drop as they held the shot advantage – by the final horn it was 35-24 – the possession advantage and, in what matters, the scoreboard advantage.

“We took the hits and made most of the plays but we let them get under our skin and we can’t, as a team and as a unit, we can’t start running around,” said Spartans coach Dwayne Lowdermilk. “Out of the 24 shots we had, we had some good shots but you still can’t win games when you get outshot 35-24.”

The loss drops TWU’s record to 1-3-0 while SFU improves to 2-2-0. Simon Fraser got off to a quick start as Ben Van Lare got his team-leading fourth goal of the year when he capitalized on a Spartans turnover a minute and a half into the first period and snapped a quick shot past TWU goalie Sean Langrieger, who started his first BCIHL game this year.

The Clan continued to carry the play in the first period and was rewarded in the latter stages when Kyle Leung sent a cross-crease pass to a wide open Jaime Laprise, who banged the puck into a gaping net.

Trinity Western responded less than two minutes later on the power play when Trevor Edwards slammed home his first goal of the year after Matt Chaput dished him the puck from behind the net and SFU’s lead was cut in half going into the dressing room.

But the small goal margin didn’t last long as SFU scored just 51 seconds into the middle frame to restore the two-goal lead. Simon Fraser’s Colby Kulhanek sniped his first of the season upstairs and off the water bottle, past the glove of goalie John-Paul Chapman, who had entered the game to start the second period.

The Spartans best chance of the second period came midway through the frame when Brandon Long rifled a wrister that beat SFU goalie Justin Mulholland but not the inside of the cross bar. Late in the second, and with the Clan pressing hard, SFU put the game away with their fourth goal of the game, which was scored by Kyle Leung after a mad scramble in the crease.

The third period got a little feisty, and because of it, the Spartans were given several power play opportunities but were never really able to set up a sustained attack and, when they did get chances, couldn’t beat Mulholland. The best extra-man chance for the Spartans to get back in the game came when SFU’s Kyle Boyko was assessed a five-minute fighting major for attacking TWU’s Jeff Barberis, a two-minute aggressor penalty and a game misconduct. The play resulted in a seven-minute power play for TWU, but they were unable to capitalize.

“When we had that seven-minute power play, confusion set in and that’s when we should have been able to take advantage,” Lowdermilk said. “We had a bit of a mental breakdown. We never executed once the power play we had set up and organized. We went over it Thursday with each line and not once did it get executed. Little stuff. It’s mental.”

Simon Fraser iced the game late with their fifth goal scored by Kulhanek.

Notable mention should be given to TWU goalie Chapman as he made 26 saves, including some of the remarkable variety, in his 40 minutes of play to keep the game close until the end.

GAME NOTES – In the third period, SFU was assessed 33 minutes in penalties to TWU’s 16…overall penalty minutes were 39-24 for SFU.