The SFU Clan finished the 2012-13 season on a winning note Saturday, quieting the TRU Wolfpack 6-4 in a preview of next week’s first-round playoff matchup.
Graduating players had a big impact for the Clan: goaltender Evan Kurylo stopped 32 of 36 shots, and forward Ben Van Lare had a pair of assists in the win. Kurylo stopped every shot he should have in this one; the four goals all came on ridiculous defensive breakdowns, including a 2-on-0 break for the Wolfpack when SFU was up 3-0 early in the second period. For his part, Van Lare was probably robbed of a goal in his last game for the Clan, as we in the broadcast booth saw him tip the Mike Ball point shot past Wolfpack goalie Adrien Hervillard with 29 seconds remaining in the second period. The official scoring on the play was changed after the fact, however, to give Ball the goal, and Van Lare the assist instead.
More after the break.
Ex-Seattle Thunderbird Brenden Silvester was a threat all night long, earning first star honours with two goals and a helper for the Clan. Going the other way, Alessio Tomassetti was opportunistic for TRU, scoring twice on lapses by the SFU back end. The diminutive forward was awarded the second star of the game for his efforts. Third star went to SFU forward Nick Sandor, who was rewarded for his characteristically gritty play with a power play goal and a helper on the night. Also scoring for SFU was speedster Joey Pavone, who used his speed to get behind the Wolfpack defenders for a shorthanded marker early in the second period.
The visitors played a listless first period, mostly chipping the puck into the neutral zone and letting SFU come at them in waves. The result was a period dominated by the Clan, and they were unlucky to only lead by two goals after one period. A highlight of the night was Christopher Hoe’s tally at 12:40 of the first, when Van Lare powered down the left wing, turned a Wolfpack defender around, and slid a perfect cross-ice pass to Hoe for a tap-in from six feet out. It was Van Lare’s first point since a lengthy injury kept him out for a number of weeks prior to last week’s loss to the Selkirk Saints.
The second was a more evenly-matched frame, with each team scoring twice. SFU still held the edge in play, but sloppy mistakes allowed the Wolfpack to make a game of it. Anthony Delong’s wrister with 1:20 remaining in the period was a thing of beauty, and really woke up the Castlegar native. He played with much more zest the rest of the way, getting into Kurylo’s head somewhat during the third period.
SFU lined up for the traditional post-game handshakes, but TRU skated straight off the ice. Clan forward Tony Oak and Wolfpack defenseman Cody Rose exchanged taunts, and were separated by linesman before anything untoward could develop after the final buzzer. It all adds up to some interesting chemistry leading up to next week’s round one matchup. For more information about game times and tickets, visit www.sfuhockey.com.
********
In other hockey action, the Vancouver Giants had their three-game win streak snapped on the road in Kamloops, dropping a 4-2 decision to the Blazers. Brett Kulak scored an elusive road power play goal for the Giants, and Cain Franson scored his team-leading 27th of the year at even strength in the loss. Goaltender Jared Rathjen allowed four goals on 22 shots in the loss.
Things keep rolling for the UBC Lady Thunderbirds, who won a double overtime thriller to send their Canada West final matchup against the U of Calgary Dinos to a third and deciding game. Freshman Stephanie Schaupmeyer scored the game winner, and goaltender Danielle Dube stopped 35 of 39 shots against the powerhouse Dinos. Not sure they deserve the term ‘powerhouse’? Well, that roster for U of C features some chick named Hayley Wickenheiser. Boom. For a full game writeup, visit the UBC Women’s Hockey website. Game three goes Sunday at 3pm PST. Both teams qualify for the CIS National Championships in Toronto beginning March 7.
The Vancouver Canucks killed a raft of penalties in the first 30 minutes of the game, then dominated at the other end of the ice the rest of the way as they handed the defending Cup champion Los Angeles Kings a 5-2 loss at Rogers Arena. Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen each had a goal and an assist in the win. Henrik Sedin earned two assists in his strongest performance since he eviscerated the San Jose Sharks in the playoffs two seasons ago.
Down the road in Abbotsford, the Heat lost their eighth game in nine outings, 5-1 to the Houston Aeros. Barry Brust — who famously beat Johnny Bower’s AHL record for consecutive shutout minutes earlier in the season — just hasn’t looked the same since the Calgary Flames elected to promote both Leland Irving and Danny Taylor to the big club, AND to trade for veteran backup Joey Macdonald, without giving him a sniff. To be fair, Abbotsford has struggled to score since training camp, and a combination of injuries and a weak roster in Calgary have meant a revolving door on the Heat blueline. But let’s face facts: Brust wasn’t giving up five goals on 26 shots in the first eight weeks of the season. Barry needs to find his swagger again, or the Heat are in for a long summer.