By: Dylan Webb
On Friday night at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre, SFU hockey inched closer to first place in the BCIHL standings with a dominating win over the Vancouver Island University Mariners. The Clan overcame a weak first period that saw them down 3–1, and managed to secure a huge win that will set the tone for tonight’s second game of the weekend series. The Clan, now 4–2 on the season, sits only one point behind the Mariners for top spot. If the Clan can win again tonight, they’ll overtake the Mariners for the league lead.
In the first period, the Mariners got off to a hot start and quickly potted three goals to take a commanding lead. However, it was all downhill from there for the Mariners. Cracks began to show in the first, as they allowed the Clan back into the game on a defensive breakdown late in the frame. The Clan soon covered the score sheet with ink during the remaining two periods, scoring eight unanswered goals across the final two frames to secure a blowout win in game one of the weekend double-header. SFU forwards Mitch Ledyard, Cole Plotnikoff, and Jordan Funk all put home their first career BCIHL goals as part of the offensive outburst.
Forwards Nicholas Holowko, Brendan Lamont, and Jordan Funk all tallied multi-point nights as the Clan benefitted from offensive input up and down the line-up. The second period saw 11 Clan skaters tally a point, as the team found their legs and throttled the opposition in what was most likely the Mariners’ most embarrassing two periods of hockey this season.
In the third, with their feet already firmly planted on the necks of their Vancouver Island opponents, the Clan would add two insurance markers for good measure on Plotnikoff’s first career BCIHL goal and Funk’s second of the game. Overall, the Clan promptly overcame their weak first period with an offensive outburst that made for the story of the night.
In goal, Michael Lenko secured his second win of the season with a solid performance that earned him first-star honours despite the offensive outburst up front. Lenko, expected to start Saturday evening as well, looks to get on a roll in his first season with the Clan as the team moves closer to first place in the league standings.
“When we are on and playing to our potential, there is no team in this league that can come close to playing with us,” said assistant coach Matt Grassi after the game, emphasizing the team’s performance over the final two periods.
Backup goaltender Ryan Sandrin echoed these sentiments. “If the team can find a way to consistently reproduce the effort that allowed us to score eight unanswered goals in two periods, the sky’s the limit for us,” Sandrin said.
The excitement in the room after the game was palpable as, throughout the roster, players new and old alike are realizing the enormous potential the team has to fight for a BCIHL league title in the coming months.
Simon Fraser now prepares for a rematch tonight at Bill Copeland, as the Mariners complete their two-game weekend visit to Burnaby. After the second game of the double header on Saturday, the Clan will look ahead to a key match-up with their rivals, the Trinity Western University Spartans. The Clan looks to start the year by breaking TWU’s perfect 4–0 record.
