The Selkirk College Saints had a 10-game winning streak come to a sudden end in Langley after the Trinity Western University Spartans handed the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League’s (BCIHL) top team its first loss of the season on Friday night.
The Saints travelled west for a weekend road trip that started at the Langley Events Centre, home of the second-place Spartans.
The Spartans scored the game’s first goal midway through the first period when Brayden Brown beat Saints starter, Brett Huber. Selkirk College captain Dallas Calvin tied the score with just under three minutes left in the opening period, but 40 seconds later Evan Last helped Trinity Western regain the lead.
Florian Niedermaier scored shorthanded early in the middle frame to build a 3-1 Spartans lead in a second period that saw the home side out-shoot the Saints 15-8. Saints first-year forward Grant Iles tallied with nine minutes left in the third period to cut the lead, but Trinity Western all-star goaltender Silas Matthys shut the door on any comeback hopes.
Huber faced 44 shots from the high-flying Spartans offence in taking his first loss of the season.
The scene shifted to Burnaby on Saturday night where the Saints took on the Simon Fraser University Clan.
BCIHL leading goalscorer Derek McPhail registered the game’s first marker with 30 seconds left in the first period to spot the Saints a 1-0 lead. After a scoreless back-and-forth second period, Simon Fraser tied the score two minutes into the third period on the powerplay when Mac Colasimone scored on Saints starter Patrick Zubick. Ian Mackey scored another powerplay goal two minutes later to give the home team a 2-1 lead.
Veteran Saints forward Dane Feeney tied the game at twos with just over three minutes left in regulation. In overtime, Mathew Berry-Lamontagna registered the game-winner with 31 seconds left in the extra frame.
Despite the pair of losses, the Saints remain five points up on second place Trinity Western. The Saints will now take a weekend off before jumping on the bus for a weekend road trip to Vancouver Island where they will play the University of Victoria Vikes (December 1) and Vancouver Island University Mariners (Dec. 2). The Saints will return to the Castlegar & District Recreation Complex on Jan. 12 and 13 when they will host Trinity Western.
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