They needed a shootout, but the Simon Fraser University hockey team eked out a 7-6 victory over visiting UVic last week at Burnaby’s Bill Copeland Centre.
Taking away a rough second period, where the Clan surrendered four goals, the overall take-away from the game was more than just two points, SFU head coach Mark Coletta said.
“I think the guys showed a lot of character in there,” said Coletta. “We’re a fast team, and in the third period we showed that.”
The powerplay put SFU in the driver’s seat early, as they counted three extra-man markers. Jaret Babych opened the scoring with the first powerplay tally, while Jono Ceci counted another just 45 seconds into the team’s second chance.
Tyler Basham would give the Clan a 3-2 lead just 19 seconds into the second period and Babych would net his second powerplay goal of the day, but UVic tallied four times and headed into the third up 6-4.
Determined to take back the game, SFU applied plenty of pressure over the third. Graham Smerek notched his first goal of the year, and with 7:07 left, Darnell St. Pierre would add his second career B.C. Interuniversity Hockey League goal to tie the game.
The scoring dried up right through overtime, so the game went to a shootout. Ceci and Basham, who has scored in each of SFU’s three games, tallied for SFU. Carsen Willans, who scored a goal and three assists, was UVic’s shooter to beat Lyndon Stanwood, earning the Clan the win.
The shootout capped a great game for Ceci, who in addition to scoring in the shootout netted a goal and three assists. With the four points, Ceci — who has 153 BCIHL points — is now only four points back of the BCIHL all-time scoring record set by Robert Vos, who played for University of the Fraser Valley and Trinity Western.
The Clan head out on a two-game road trip this weekend to play Eastern Washington and Selkirk College in Castlegar.
