Saints start Alberta test with weekend sweep of Keyano College Huskies
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The Selkirk College Men’s Hockey program began a five-game preseason schedule against Alberta college league opponents on a winning note this weekend, sweeping a two-game series with Fort McMurray-based Keyano College.
Dylan Smith scored in overtime to spark the Saints to a thrilling 7-6 victory over the Keyano College Huskies at the NDCC Arena in Nelson.
Saturday afternoon Selkirk held the Huskies to a single goal en route to a 3-1 win at the Castlegar Arena Complex.
Selkirk completes the Alberta series with three games beginning Friday in Edmonton.
“Keyano College came as advertised,” said Saints head coach Jeff Dubois.
“They were big, physical and worked very hard right through the line-up.”
Friday, in the arena where the Saints clinched its 2013 B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League title, Smith capped a wild night by scoring the overtime winner.
Selkirk never trailed in the game and twice held two-goal leads, but the Huskies fought back and tied the game with 12 seconds in regulation to force the extra frame.
Cody Fidgett and Stefan Gonzales each scored twice in the game, while Darnell Dyck and Scott Swiston added singles.
Former Major Junior product Scott Sandercock led the way offensively for Keyano College with a goal and four assists.
The series then wrapped up on Saturday in Castlegar, where the Saints took a 3-1 lead through two periods and held on through a scoreless third for their second win in as many days.
Fidgett and linemate Thomas Hardy once again paced the Selkirk scoring, with Fidgett scoring the team’s second and third goals off Hardy set-ups.
Jackson Garrett opened the scoring for the hosts with a first period marker.
James Prigione picked up the win in net for the Saints on Friday, while Aaron Oakley was stellar in his college debut on Saturday.
Oakley stopped 31 shots in the 3-1 victory and made a number of tough stops to keep his team ahead by a pair when they ran into penalty trouble in the third period.
“We let things get away from us defensively on Friday night and were very pleased with how the guys responded on Saturday,” Dubois explained.
“We never trailed in either game and the work ethic and energy were both at a high level, so overall we’re very pleased with the results.”
The Saints will hope to carry over their strong play on home ice into a three-game road set next weekend in Edmonton that will see the team match-up against Concordia University, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and Grant McEwan University.
The trip will see Selkirk’s returning players face off against a pair of ex-teammates, as 2012/13 captain Jordan Wood and two-year blueliner Justin Sotkowy now play for NAIT and McEwan respectively.
The Saints will then return home for their final preseason games against Trinity Western University on Friday, September 27 (7:30 p.m. at the NDCC Arena) and Saturday, September 28th (7:30 p.m. in Castlegar).
General admission tickets for both games will be available at the door for $5.
SAINTS NOTES: Saints assistant coach Alex Evin, a former BCHL and NCAA goaltender, has accepted a position as the goaltending coach for the Junior ‘A’ Alberni Valley Bulldogs. He will continue in his current duties with Selkirk College while travelling to Port Alberni on an ongoing basis during the season. . . .Local hockey fans got to see former Nelson Minor Hockey grad Ryon Sookro in action as the South Slocan star was in the lineup for Keyano College. Sookro played his Junior B career for Beaver Valley Nitehawks.
