Thompson Rivers University captures regular season title with win at UVic

It came down to the last game of the regular season but the TRU WolfPack Men’s Hockey team claimed the 2010/11 B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League regular season title with a 3-2 win Saturday over the University of Victoria Vikings.

In a tightly played contest the ‘Pack took early penalties that allowed the Vikings to jump to a 2-0 first period lead on goals from Mark Prest and Mark Callahan.

The WolfPack replied with a pair of power-play goals of their own Andrew Fisher at 5:43 from Tyler Halliday and Zac Rasmussen and Cody Rose at 1:02 from Tyler Halliday and Joel Leonard to tie the score at 2-2 after one period. UVIC held a 14-7 edge in shots in the 1st. 

The WolfPack controlled the contest in the 2nd period outshooting UVIC 12-3 and got the game winning goal at the 11:43 mark of the 2nd period from Joel Leonard assisted by Tyler Halliday and Andrew Fisher.

In a hard fought 3rd period the Pack played a solid defensive period allowing only 3 UVIC shots on TRU netminder Anthony Manfredi. TRU outshot UVIC on the game 21-20.

WolfPack Head Coach Lorne Cumming was pleased with the outcome and clinching 1st place in the regular season.

“Our guys put together a gutsy performance to take two wins on the road. We were pretty banged up coming into this weekend and the guys gave it everything they had. Our leaders were our leaders at an important time. Its good for the guys to take first place after the work they put in throughout the season.”

Notes: By clinching first place the ‘Pack earned a first round bye in the BCIHL Championship Tournament March 23-27, 2011 hosted by Simon Fraser University.