The Simon Fraser University Men’s Hockey team had one goal in mind as they took to the ice this past weekend at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre, to head into the Christmas break as the best team in the BCIHL. The Clan made that goal a reality, winning back-to-back games against Eastern Washington University, and are now set to face off against two powerhouse NCAA Division 1 programs traveling to Burnaby in the New Year.
After dropping a 5-0 deficit to the University of Victoria Vikes two weeks ago, the team knew they had to get their game back on track before closing out the first half of the season. Powered by a dominating performance from offensive catalyst Nick Sandor, SFU rebounded with two back-to-back decisive wins over EWU, propelling them to overtake Selkirk College as the top team in the BCIHL.
“The goal at the beginning of the year was to be going into the break in first place. We still have things to work on, but we are very happy with where we are at,†said SFU coach Mark Coletta.
The Clan took down the Eagles 5-2 on Friday night, then skated to a dominant 7-0 win on Saturday, out-shooting their opponent 55-19.
Saturday’s game also marked the annual Teddy Bear Toss, in support of the Burnaby and Surrey Christmas Bureaus. Hundreds of teddy bears showered the ice at the 4:33 of the first period when SFU forward Aaron Enns potted his eighth of the year putting the Clan up 1-0. The Bureaus also raised over $400 in donations at the game.
The back-to-back games closed out the first half of the season for both teams as the Clan will head into the break with a 10-2-0 record. With the two losses this past weekend, the Eagles fall to 4-9-1 on the season. Nick Sandor complied a whopping eight points over the two games for SFU, earning him the praise of coach Mark Coletta.
“He has played very well. He has come in with a new attitude and has great leadership qualities. He has terrific skill and he showed it this weekend.â€
With the eight points he recorded this weekend, Sandor now becomes the top scorer in the BCIHL with 30 points in 12 games. After registering five points this weekend, his linemate Jono Ceci now has 28 points on the season, good for third overall in the league. Sandor and Ceci led the charge both nights, but that isn’t to say the Clan didn’t get any scoring from their other offensive talents.
While Nick Sandor registered four points and Jono Ceci collected a goal and an assist in the first game on Friday, the Clan also got two point performances from Aaron Enns and Josh McKissock. Jesse Williamson also potted his first ever career BCIHL goal in the 5-2 victory.
Andrew Parent started in goal Friday for the Clan, turning away all but two of the 34 shots he faced. Derick Moser got the call in goal for the Eagles in Friday’s game, surrendering five goals on 30 shots.
Eagles’ defenseman Zack Maxwell registered a goal and an assist for the Eagles while Jake Flynn also collected a goal and added a helper. The team’s leading scorer Uriah Machuga was held to only one assist on Friday and actually left Saturday’s game after taking a tough body-check from SFU defenseman Colton Shock.
Both team’s power plays struggled in the first game. The Clan went one for seven while EWU was one for 11 on the night. Both teams’ swapped goalies for Saturday’s game. Graeme Gordon made the start for the Clan while BJ Leach made only his second start of the season for the Eagles.
Nick Sandor put up another four point night on Saturday (1 G 3A) while Jono Ceci scored twice and added an assist. Aaron Enns also helped lead the charge offensively, potting a goal and adding two assists in Saturday’s win. With his five points this weekend, Enns now sits eighth in league scoring with 20 points in his first year with SFU. The Clan also got goals from Graham Smerek, Pavlo Zerebecky, and Jesse Mysiorek. Defensemen Mike Ball and Jared Eng each had two assists in Saturday’s win.
Graeme Gordon stopped all 19 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season, while BJ Leach made 48 saves on 55 shots for the Eagles.
With the two games this past weekend, the first half of the BCIHL season has officially come to a close. The Clan’s next regular season game is Saturday January 11th against Thompson River’s University.
First, however, SFU will face off against NCAA Division 1 powerhouse teams University of North Dakota, and Princeton University for the second annual Great Northwest Showcase. The teams travel to Burnaby on January 3rd and 4th to face off against SFU and UBC at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre.
UND, with alumni such as Jonathan Toews, Ed Belfour, Zach Parise, and Travis Zajac, boast a current roster with 15 players currently drafted in the NHL. Princeton, home of legendary college hockey great Hobey Baker, will represent the Ivy League in Burnaby for the first time.
Tickets for the Great Northwest Showcase are on sale now at
www.greatnorthwestshowcase.com, and fans are encouraged to purchase tickets now as they are selling quickly. Priced from $10-$20, these tickets could make that great stocking stuffer!
