Saints march into BCIHL Final by posting sweep of UVIC
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The Selkirk Saints have once again commenced their march to the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League Championship.
Mason Spear and Jamie Vlanich each had two points to lead the Selkirk Saints to a 4-1 victory over the University of Victoria Vikes Saturday at the Castlegar Arena.
The win gives the-two-time defending BCIHL champs a sweep of the best-of-three series.
The Saints took the opening game of the series Friday with a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory. Ryan Edwards scored the winner for Selkirk.
Selkirk now hosts Simon Fraser University in a best-of-three BCIHL Final beginning Friday in Castlegar.
Second period goals by Matt Martin and Vlanich proved to be the difference as the markers snapped a 1-1 tie and gave the host Saints a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes.
Spear scored a power play goal in the third to secure the win.
Selkirk’s Logan Proulx gave the Saints a 1-0 lead after one period.
Cameron Rowat, with an assist going to former Nelson Leaf Carsen Willans, evening the score midway through the second period.
James Priglone stopped 20 of 21 shots to register the win in goal for Selkirk.
The Saints took the opening game of the series when Edwards scored four minutes into overtime.
UVic led 1-0 after one period on a goal by Rowat.
Edwards scored this first of two in the game to tie the contest in the second period on the power play.
Darnel Dyck and Thomas Hardy, with a power play maker, scored for Selkirk in a wild third period.
Willans and Shawn Mueller replied for the Vikes.
PLAYOFF NOTES: SFU advanced to the final after posting an upset over regular season champion Trinity Western. SFU won the opening game of the series 3-2 before putting TWU away with a 6-4 win in Game two. Adam Callegari scored three times in the series to lead SFU. Trent Murdoch scored twice in the series-clinching win. . . . Nelson Minor Hockey grad Carsen Willans finished the series with three points for UVIC while his minor hockey teammate, Linden Horswill had two points Friday. . . . Saturday’s game attracted 624 fans while 543 attended Friday’s playoff opener. . . . The BCIHL Final is a rematch of the 2013 series when Selkirk won its first crown. . . . The Saints are looking to become the first three-consecutive winning school in BCIHL history.
