Hockey
Spartans Get Revenge
The Trinity Western Spartans opened the new season of 2014-15 with a narrow win 5-4 over the defending BCIHL champions in a rematch of last years final.
The Spartans came out on the checking game and created several scoring chances holding a huge edge in play and shots against the Saints from Selkirk College of 11-3.
The midway mark of the game Mike Vlanich had to be sharp keeping his team in the game with at least 6 game saving saves.
Trinity Western finally opened the scoring on the PP with under 14 minutes remaining that saw Ryan Bakken beat Vlanich giving the home team a one goal lead.
Shots were 17-6 for the Spartans in the first period alone as Saints goalkeeper Vlanich made 16 quality saves in the opening period alone.
The Spartans extended the lead to 2-0 scoring 59 seconds into the second as PJ Buys notched one, but the Saints got one back as Taylor Branszen got one three minutes later cutting the lead to 2-1.
Cody Fidgett, former Delta Ice Hawk got his first of two goals a minute later extending the lead to 3-1, but not before Selkirk got on the PP as Stefan Virtanen beat Silas Matthys late cutting the lead to 3-2.
As the teams headed into the final period the visitors held a 13-6 edge in shots in the period.
Fidgett notched his second of the game on the PP four minutes into the third extending their lead to 4-2, but not before the defending Champs saw Logan Proulx slide one past Matthys, cutting the lead to 4-3.
PJ Buys scored his second of the game for the TWU with under 8 minutes after taking a pass from Fidgett restoring the two goal game.
The defending Champs had no quit and after pulling their goalkeeper for a extra attacker Logan Proulx scored his second of the night making it 5-4, with only 20 seconds remaining.
The Saints won the faceoff in the Spartans zone, but Matthys came up huge making a game save stop of Virtanen at the buzzer to preserve the victory.
Shots in the game were 37-36 for Selkirk as Matthys was credited with 33 saves in the game and Vlanich for the Saints 32.
Next action for the Spartans has them in a home and home series with the Simon Fraser University Clan as the first part of the series is played at Bill Copeland Sports Centre Friday at 7pm followed by a visit by SFU to the Langley Event Centre Saturday night also a 7pm puck drop.
TWU Mens Volleyball the defeated Thompson Rivers University in straight sets 25-23, 25-22 and 25-20.