Spartans look to snap losing streak with upcoming games against SFU and TRU

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Following Trinity Western University’s 11-day post-Christmas trip to the Baltics, the Spartans return to BCIHL action this week when it hosts Simon Fraser University on Thursday at 7:00 PM at the Langley Events Centre.

The game will be streamed live at http://bcihl.fasthockey.com/.

The Spartans haven’t played a regular season contest since Nov. 28 when they lost to the Clan 7-1. Simon Fraser, meanwhile, is coming off a 3-1 loss against Thompson Rivers on Jan. 11.

Following Thursday’s game, TWU will travel to Kamloops, B.C. to play Thompson Rivers Saturday at 8:00 PM.

The Spartans entered the Christmas break on a seven-game losing streak and hadn’t won a game since a 4-3 shootout victory over Eastern Washington on Nov. 1.

However, a trip to the Baltics proved to be a welcome opportunity to build momentum for the second half of the season. TWU won all three games they played against local professional clubs in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and will be looking to continue to roll that energy into this Thursday’s tilt with SFU.

In the Spartans three games against Simon Fraser this year, including one exhibition tilt, TWU has lost all three and has been outscored 18-2 along the way. The Spartans fell to the Clan 4-0 in a preseason game and then lost 7-1 in back-to-back games to end the first semester. The last time TWU beat SFU at home was Feb. 15, 2013 in a thrilling 6-5 shootout win.

Despite the Spartans seven-game skid, TWU still opens the second half of the year sitting in a playoff position. With Selkirk, SFU and Thompson Rivers all set to jockey for the top three playoff spots, the battle for the fourth and final position begins in earnest Thursday.

The Spartans have a one-point edge on fifth-place Eastern Washington and are five points clear of sixth place Victoria.

Simon Fraser enters Thursday’s game in a three-way tie for first place in the BCIHL along with Selkirk and Thompson Rivers.

The Clan and the Saints have identical 10-3 records while TRU sits at 10-5. In all likelihood, the battle for first place will come down to the final few games and, with SFU having lost last week to TRU, the Clan will be looking to right the ship this Thursday.

The Clan are coming off an impressive performance at the 2014 Great Northwest Showcase exhibition tournament that featured NCAA Division 1 teams Princeton University and the University of North Dakota as well as UBC (CIS) and SFU.

After stumbling in an 8-1 loss to Princeton, the Clan put together a remarkable effort in a 4-3 loss to a North Dakota team that featured 15 NHL draft picks, including Rocco Grimaldi.

While the Clan’s special teams numbers are middling on home ice, on the road, both their power play and penalty kill have been exceptional. SFU’s power play is working at 33.3 per cent on the road while its penalty kill is working at 92.6 per cent away from home.