Dustin Taylor scores OT winner, UVic captures 2012 BCIHL Championships

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On Sunday afternoon, a cinderella story came true. University of Victoria Hockey Club knocked off the heavily favoured Simon Fraser University Clan in the 2012 BC Intercollegiate Hockey League Final to be crowned provincial champions. This year's gold medal is the third title UVic Hockey has taken home in the six year history of the BCIHL. En route to earning the banner on Sunday, UVic posted a decisive victory over Eastern Washington University followed by two consecutive shoot-out wins over SFU and Okanagan College during tournament play.

The tournament finale took place at the historic Kamloops Memorial Arena at 3:00PM Sunday afternoon. UVic gave the nod in net to Jason Margolus as they had all tournament while SFU countered with Graeme Gordon.

The game began as many would have expected as SFU opened the scoring just 3:35 into the first period. UVic would push back but scoring opportunities were few and far between as SFU dominated the play. With just over four minutes remaining in the period, SFU scored again to extend the Clan's lead to two. Despite allowing a pair of goals, UVic goaltender Jason Margolus was spectacular early, stopping three SFU breakaway attempts. After the first period, UVIC 0 SFU 2.

As the second period began, SFU stumbled early and found themselves on the receiving end of two penalties. At the 1:16 mark, Dustin Taylor corralled a loose puck in the slot and punched it past the SFU goaltender. The power play goal was assisted by Brett Orser and Dennis Pavlina, decreasing UVic's deficit to one goal. UVic would fore check well in the middle frame, hemming SFU in their own end multiple times. It was SFU, however, that struck next. The third SFU goal came at the 9:49 mark of the second and again left UVic two goals down. Just when it looked like UVic would have a two-goal hill to climb in the final period, the club's all-time leading scorer Brent Sutherland buried a shot with 26 seconds remaining before the break. Doug Evans was credited with the assist and UVic headed to the dressing room down a goal after forty minutes. After two, UVIC 2 SFU 3.

With one period remaining in the period and down to four defencemen and ten forwards due to injuries, UVic was looking to hang on and capitalize on their chances in the third. Despite being undermanned, UVic kept pace with the frustrated Clan. Then, at the 4:54 mark, defenceman Doug Evans took a pass from Dustin Taylor at the UVic blue line. Evans executed a spin-o-rama that beat a would-be checker, flew into the SFU zone, and wired a wrist shot to the top corner past the glove of Graeme Gordon. With the game tied, there were still fifteen minutes remaining and an exhausted UVic side struggled to thwart the Clan's attack. Evans and defence partner Mark Callaghan would go on to play nearly every other shift for Victoria while Jason Margolus answered the bell when called upon. Scoring chances were afforded to both teams in the dying minutes, but no victor was found when the clock showed zeros. After regulation, UVIC 3 SFU 3.

At the outset of overtime, both teams held lengthy discussions with tournament officials, pleading for an ice clean before the first ten minute overtime session began. As per BC Hockey regulations, no ice clean was awarded and the two battle-weary teams took to the ice for sudden death play. SFU would win the face-off and enter the UVic zone before failing to get a shot. UVic cleared the puck, which soon found the stick of Dustin Taylor on the right wing just two feet inside the SFU blue line. Taylor dragged the puck through the feet of the charging Clan defenceman and broke for the net. With another defender closing in, Taylor fired a snapshot from the bottom of the right face-off circle that beat the SFU goaltender high and to the short side. An exuberant University of Victoria team flooded onto the ice as the understaffed underdogs were crowned the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League Champions. Final score, UVIC 4 SFU 3 (OT).

With two goals, including the overtime winner, and one assist, Dustin Taylor was named the game's first star while Jason Margolus' play earned him a third star selection. With a regular season record of 10-11-3, the University of Victoria Hockey Club beat Simon Fraser University, who held a regular season record of 17-2-5, twice in the tournament en route to the title and ended the Clan's quest for a third consecutive championship. UVic will return to the Island early Monday morning with the trophy in hand.

 UVic went 1/4=25.0% on the power play while SFU was 0/3=0.0%. UVic also out-shot the Clan by a margin of 29-17.

The UVIC Hockey Club, a Vikes Sport Clubs program, is a student-led organization that competes competitively in the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League.