After a pair of first round playoffs series that featured lopsided results, it's safe to expect a tight battle when Selkirk College and Simon Fraser University meet to decide the 2012/13 British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League champion this weekend.
Selkirk swept the regular season series between the teams with four wins in as many tries, but that doesn't tell the whole story when it comes to two clubs that appear evenly matched for the best-of-three series that begins Friday.
The Saints set regular season records with 21 wins and 42 points during a campaign that included a 13-game winning streak. Their offence is powered by the dynamic duo of Jordan Wood and Logan Proulx, both speedy forwards who combined to score 81 points and occupy the top-two spots in the BCIHL scoring race. But it's also deep, as evidenced by another league record: during the 2012/13 season, a total of 10 Saints eclipsed the 20-point mark.
Selkirk's defence and goaltending were also solid, having combined to allow a league-low 62 goals in 24 games. Alex Sirard appears to be the first choice amongst the team's three netminders, as the 21-year old led all BCIHL goaltenders with 13 wins and a 2.55 goals-against average.
But Simon Fraser is unlikely to take too much notice of the regular season statistics as the finals approach. The Clan were themselves the prohibitive favourites entering last year's postseason before falling to a less heralded University of Victoria squad in the championship game. SFU has 15 returnees from last year's team who know how little regular season results count come mid-March.
SFU also boasts a high-powered offence whose only weakness during the regular season came in the form of ongoing injury troubles. 2012 BCIHL MVP Ben Van Lare missed a third of the team's 24 games but still picked up 33 points to finish fifth in league scoring. Two points back were veteran forwards Jono Ceci and Chris Hoe and NCAA Division 1 transfer Nick Sandor, who led the team with 16 goals. Midseason addition Brendan Silvester was an impact signing who scored 14 times in 14 games after his January arrival.
In goal, SFU will count on steady play from Graeme Gordon and Evan Kurylo, who combined for 14 regular season wins.
Ultimately, the key to victory for the Clan is likely to involve breaking down a Selkirk defence that has yet to allow more than three goals in a game on home ice this season. The Saints have yielded just 22 goals against in 14 home games to date for an eye-popping average of just 1.57 per contest. But that number will be tested by a Clan squad that scored 11 times in sweeping TRU in their first round series over the weekend.
Selkirk, meanwhile, will look to stick with a gameplan that led to a 4-0 record during the regular season including 16 goals for and just 9 allowed.
The best-of-three finals begins Friday in the West Kootenays, with Game 2 scheduled for Saturday and Game 3, if necessary, set for Sunday.
All games will be broadcast live and can be viewed live at bcihl.fasthockey.com.
VICTORIA
SIMON FRASER
OKANAGAN
LOGAN LAKE
VANCOUVER ISLAN.
