Slow-starting Saints set to raise second BCIHL banner
By Bob Hall
For the second time in as many years, the Selkirk College Saints men’s hockey team will proudly raise the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) championship banner to the rafters of the Castlegar Community Complex on Friday night.
“Winning back-to-back titles is something very unique and rewarding,” says Kim Verigin, Selkirk College’s Athletics and Recreation Coordinator.
“Many people involved in competitive sport go a lifetime without winning anything significant, so for us to win two championships in a row is simply amazing. We are very grateful for the support we have received from the college and community.”
The Saints captured the 2013-14 title at home last March before a packed house at their home rink in Castlegar.
After powering their way through the BCIHL regular season, the Saints disposed of the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack in the semi-finals and then crushed the Trinity Western University Spartans in the league final in two straight games.
Tough Start to New Campaign
The Saints hope a large crowd and pre-game celebration on Friday night will fuel a team that has struggled out of the gates.
Selkirk finds itself in an unfamiliar position at the bottom of the five-team league, having gone winless in their first three games.
“After playing our first three contests on the road, we are all excited to come back and play in front of the best fans in the league,” says Saints’ Head Coach Alex Evin.
“The support we have received the past few seasons has been incredible and we hope we can share our championship banner with our fans on Friday night as well as pick up our first victory of the season.”
The Saints will face off against the much improved Eastern Washington University Eagles who have already made significant impressions in the BCIHL.
The Eagles currently sit atop the standings boasting a 3-2 record with two of their wins coming against top ranked SFU and Selkirk in the season opener two weeks ago in Cheney, Washington.
The Saints are recently coming off a tough road trip where they dropped a pair of games, 6-2 to Simon Fraser and 5-4 to Trinity Western.
Both contests saw an injury depleted Selkirk lineup struggle with consistency. Goals for the Saints came from Logan Proulx (2), Stefan Gonzales, Darnell Dyck, Stefan Virtanen and Steven Pantazopoulos.
The banner raising ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. at the Castlegar Complex. A special autograph session with all Saints players will take place immediately following the game.
SAINTS NOTES:Friday’s game is the only game of the weekend for the Saints who will return home on October 25 for a rematch with Eastern Washington at the Complex… In the past two regular seasons the Saints have only registered a total of six losses. They posted a 20-3-0-1 record in 2013-14 and a 21-3-0-0 record in 2012-13.
