Selkirk and Eastern Washington set for crucial home-and-home series

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Selkirk College will get a good look at a potential first-round playoff opponent this weekend when they face off against Eastern Washington University in a home-and-home series that begins in Castlegar on Saturday night. Faceoff at the Rec Complex is set for 7:30 PM.

For the Saints, a weekend sweep of Eastern Washington would move the team within a single point of clinching their first-ever B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League regular season title while securing home-ice advantage for the duration of the 2013 playoffs.

The Eagles, meanwhile, are in a pitched battle with the University of Victoria for the league's fourth and final postseason berth. The teams are dead even in the BCIHL standings with 15 points and sport identical 7-12-1 records. Whichever team wins out would face Selkirk in the first round of the playoffs should the Saints succeed in taking five or more points from their final six regular season games.

"Eastern has given us a couple of tough games this season and obviously they're approaching these games as must-wins," says Selkirk head coach Jeff Dubois. "It's going to be a good test for us, and going back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday should give us a taste of what a playoff series is going to feel like."

The Saints have won their previous two meetings against Eastern Washington this season, both by 5-3 scores. The first came on home ice on November 24th; the second in Cheney, WA on January 20th.

With the end of the regular season in sight, a trio of Saints will look to bolster their positions atop the BCIHL scoring charts. Team captain Jordan Wood leads all skaters with 19 goals and 38 points, while linemate Logan Proulx sits second in assists and points with 22 and 32 respectively. Defenceman Kam Crawford leads all BCIHL blueliners in assists with 17 and points with 20.

Eastern Washington is led offensively by a formidable top line that includes centre Jake Flynn and wingers Ryan Pajimola and Uriah Machuga. The three have combined for 66 points in 57 combined games.

Tickets for Saturday's game will be available at the door for $8 (Adults) and $5 (Selkirk students & staff, seniors, children 6 & older). The teams will wrap the weekend series on Sunday at Eastern Washington, with faceoff set for 3:00 PM in Cheney, WA.