With three games remaining in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League regular season, Selkirk College holds the fate of home ice advantage for the post season in their own hands.
Coming off a pair of playoff-like contests against rival Simon Fraser University this past weekend at the Castlegar & District Recreation Centre, each team captured a victory which means the Saints can finish first overall in the league by closing out the season on a winning streak.
“It’s now up to us,” says Saints head coach Brent Heaven. “We have the opportunity to clinch home ice throughout the playoffs and give ourselves the best opportunity to succeed.”
Simon Fraser came into the weekend as the BCIHL’s top team and after a back-and-forth opening period on Friday night, the game stayed level at zeroes.
Early in the second period, Saints’ forward Alex Milligan scored on the powerplay to give the home side the lead, but four minutes later Simon Fraser’s Michael Sandor tied the game. A mere 11 seconds after that, rookie Marcel Fuchs restored the Selkirk College lead and by the midway point of the middle period, Tylor Branzen and Ryon Sookro would make the advantage 4-1.
Simon Fraser added to a wild second period with a goal by Mathew Berry-Lamontagna to close the gap and Jono Ceci made it close midway through the third period, but Selkirk College held on for the 4-3 victory.
“It was an extremely exciting game and it was good to see some guys get rewarded for hard work,” says Heaven. “Overall it was a good, solid playoff atmosphere. Those are the games you are going to expect to have to play and it’s a battle.”
On Saturday night, it was the Saints who came out strong in the first period with defenceman Arie Postmus scoring his first goal of the season and Branzen adding a powerplay marker for a 2- 0 first period lead.
The Clan scored with two minutes left in the second period to narrow the gap and with 37 second remaining on the clock in third, Berry-Lamontagna scored to send the game into overtime.
Though the Saints dominated the overtime period, Simon Fraser goaltender Jordan Liem kept the puck out of the net. The game went to shootout where the visitors came out on top to steal the victory.
Despite the loss, Heaven says the outstanding play of veteran goaltender James Prigione over the entire weekend came at the perfect time.
“James was fantastic for us last year in playoffs, he was one of the big reasons why we were able to succeed,” Heaven says of the team’s third straight league title last March. “He has had the opportunity to carry most of the weight this season and we’re extremely happy with what he has been able to do. Hopefully he can sustain that because goaltending will be important when the playoffs begin.”
After the dust settled on weekend action, Simon Fraser University continues to hold a one-point advantage in the standings but the Saints have a game-in-hand.
The Saints and SFU will complete their third game in a row on Friday night in Burnaby where the stakes will be even higher. They then travel to Trinity Western University on Saturday night to take on the formidable Spartans.
The regular season wraps up at home on Saturday, March 5 when the Eastern Washington University Eagles visit Castlegar.
“Compared to other buildings in our league, the atmosphere we have in our own rink is huge,” Heaven says of the desire to clinch top spot. “We get 1,000 people to the games for playoffs and it’s huge to play in a loud building where there is support from fellow students and the great hockey fans in our communities. When we are in a situation to succeed, the fans really get behind us and give us that extra spark we need.”
The Saints have clinched a playoff spot. The first best-of-three round will take place on the March 11-13 weekend and the league championship series is set for March 18-20
VICTORIA
SIMON FRASER
VANCOUVER ISLAN.
LOGAN LAKE
OKANAGAN
