By: Dylan Webb, Sports Editor
An offensive outburst by the SFU Hockey team on the final weekend of the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League’s (BCIHL) regular season allowed the Clan to secure second place in the league standings. While playoffs are postponed due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, they have technically secured home ice advantage should they ever hit the ice.
After embarrassing the last place University of Victoria Vikes in a resounding 7–2 victory, the Clan travelled to Nanaimo for a showdown with the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners. With the right to host at least two playoff games at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre on the line, the Clan came out with their most dominant performance of the season and thumped the Mariners 9–1 in both teams’ final regular season game.
Arriving in Victoria knowing that the result of their weekend’s first game was of little consequence to their aspirations for home ice advantage in the playoffs, the Clan were able to maintain focus to sweep their six-game season series with the Vikes. Led by a three-point night from forward Jacob Lacasse, the Clan built momentum for their season’s most important game the following night.
In stark contrast to the relative insignificance of the match-up with the Vikes the night before, the Clan arrived in Nanaimo for a showdown with their first round playoff opponent. It was important for the Clan to come out with a strong performance against a team they had struggled to beat all season. Thanks to another three-point night from Lacasse, the Clan secured a dominating win over the Mariners.
While the Clan’s offensive outburst was central in the lopsided win, another important achievement for SFU was the fact that the team only took a single minor penalty in the entire game. With a torrid offense, impeccable goaltending, and a team-wide commitment to discipline, the Clan primed themselves for the playoffs as thoroughly as possible.
Should the BCHIL 2019–2020 playoffs ever be played, the Clan will have home ice advantage. Check out the league website for the most recent updates.
