CASTLEGAR, B.C. --It may still be early in the season, but the Selkirk College Men's Hockey program enters weekend action facing a something of a must-win situation when they host Simon Fraser University in a 2013 B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League championships rematch at the Castlegar Recreation Complex on Saturday.
The game, which is presented by Mallards Source for Sports, is set for a 7:30 PM faceoff and can be streamed live on Fast Hockey for fans that can't make it out to the rink.
Simon Fraser is the BCIHL's only remaining unbeaten team with a 5-0 record, including a 5-3 victory over Selkirk on October 26th in Burnaby. Meanwhile, the Saints are holding down first place with seven wins and two losses, but have played four more games than SFU.
"One of our goals heading into the regular season was a first place finish, and picking up a third loss at this point in the year would make that a real uphill climb," says Saints head coach Jeff Dubois. "SFU has a highly skilled team and we can't count on them dropping points to other teams, so it's important that we step up and get the job done on Saturday. It's a challenge for our group and one I think we're ready for."
Selkirk is coming off a trio of wins over Trinity Western University, including 6-1 and 8-2 victories on the road last weekend in Langley.
"We've made some very good strides since our last game against SFU, particularly with our backcheck and in the defensive zone," says Dubois. "The last time we played them, we gave up a handful of goals that just boiled down to poor defensive execution. You're not going to beat a team of that quality if you don't make them work for their offence."
October’s loss to the Clan was the first in seven games for Selkirk, having beat SFU in all four of their regular season encounters last season and twice more during a BCIHL Finals sweep in Nelson. The Saints haven’t lost to SFU on home ice since January 2012.
Simon Fraser is led offensively by the duo of Jono Ceci and Nick Sandor, who have combined to score 26 points in just five regular season games. Sandor, a former Trail Smoke Eaters winger who spent two seasons playing NCAA Division 1 hockey, leads all Clan goal scorers with nine.
The Saints, meanwhile, currently have six skaters amongst the top 11 in BCIHL scoring. Team captain Logan Proulx and assistant captain Connor McLaughlin are out front with 16 points each, while Cody Fidgett sits one point back and Darnell Dyck (13 points), Jackson Garrett (12) and Thomas Hardy (12) are close behind.
McLaughlin and Fidgett are tied for the BCIHL goals lead with 11 each.
"We've been getting offensive contributions from all four forward lines and a number of defenceman the past three weeks, and we're going to remain successful if we can keep rolling with that kind of balance," says Dubois. "Logan, Connor and Cody have been outstanding all season and Jackson and Thomas really started heating up against TWU."
Tickets for Saturday's game will be available at the door for $8 (Adults) and $5 (Selkirk students & staff, seniors, children 6 & older) at the door on game night.