Day one of the 2014 Great Northwest Showcase saw the UBC Thunderbirds earn a dramatic come-from-behind win over the seven-time NCAA Division 1 champions from the U of North Datoka. The Team Formerly Known as the Fighting Sioux, which features a dozen NHL draft picks, including World Junior Gold Medalist Rocco Grimaldi, is the first NCAA varsity team to play in BC since 1999*.
Zane Gothberg made 22 saves for the University of North Dakota, but it wasn’t enough. The UBC Thunderbirds tied the game with 52 seconds left in regulation, then salted it away in overtime at Bill Copeland Arena. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
The game offered up solid goaltending at both ends of the ice. Sophomore Zane Gothberg, a 2010 draft pick of the Boston Bruins, made 22 saves on 25 shots for UND, while keepers Matt Hewitt and Steven Stanford teamed up to make 26 saves for UBC.
You’re just a few shopping days away from the big Noël, and you’ve still got a few unchecked boxes on the naughty and nice list. Maybe one or two of those stockings belong to sports fans. Here’s just one idea for how to fill that bit of footwear that hangs on the mantle.
Great Northwest Showcase
January 3–4 at Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby SFU, UBC, U of North Dakota, Princeton
Tickets start at $10
The 2014 Great Northwest Showcase takes place January 3–4 at Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby. The SFU Clan host the UBC Thunderbirds, UND (Fighting Sioux) and Princeton Tigers in four high-level collegiate hockey games. Tickets start at just ten bucks a seat.
The SFU hockey program has made some serious steps forward over the past few seasons. One of the biggest strides was the two-day Great Northwest Showcase, which brought NCAA teams — specifically, the Oklahoma Sooners and Arizona State Sun Devils — to Burnaby. This year, January 3–4 will see teams from the University of North Dakota and Princeton University ice teams at Bill Copeland against SFU and the UBC Thunderbirds. That’s right, frickin’ Princeton. Ivy League, baby.
For the uninitiated, UND (formerly called the Fighting Sioux) is only a seven-time NCAA Div 1 champion. This year, no fewer than twelve roster spots are filled by NHL draftees, including Adam Tambellini (son of ex-Canuck Steve, and a member of last year’s Surrey Eagles team that went to the national Junior A championships). Alumni include NHLers like Jonathan “Captain Serious” Toews, Ed “I’ll Pay You a Billion Dollars” Belfour, Zach “Like Sunday Pa-Mornin'” Parise and Mike “Good Gravy I’m a Hairy, Hairy Man” Commodore. The tournament’s finale features another alumnusin the puck drop ceremony: Garry “Ex-Canuck Turned Analyst” Valk.
More, including bobbleheads and video links, after the jump.
The bad news for Trinity Western sports fans: the SFU Clan converted a touchdown Saturday night against the visiting Spartans. The worse news: it was in hockey.
Depending upon which stats sheet you read, Mike Ball either got two or three points Saturday night in the SFU Clan 7–1 win over the TWU Spartans. There’s no denying this was a goal, however. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
The Clan dominated the puck possession battle, and scored seven goals on 32 shots en route to a 7–1 spanking of the visitors from Langley. Nick Sandor was named first star of the game for his three-assist effort, while Jono Ceci garnered second star status on the strength of two goals and an assist. Goaltender Andrew Parent stopped 19 of 20 shots for third star honours.
Andrew Parent looks around a screen to make one of his 19 saves on the night. His SFU Clan cruised to a 7–1 victory over the TWU Spartans. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
SFU’s next game comes Thursday, November 28 in Langley at these very same TWU Spartans. Their next home game is just two days later, as they host the UVic Vikes at Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby. The puck drops for both games at 7pm.
On January 3–4, SFU will host the second Great Northwest Showcase, featuring exhibition hockey between the Clan, the UBC Thunderbirds, and two NCAA Division 1 teams: the Princeton University Tigers and the seven-time national champions from the University of North Dakota (athletes formerly known as the Fighting Sioux). UND alumni include Vancouver Canuck nemeses Jonathan Toews and TJ Oshie, to name two. Oh, and let’s not forget Mike Commodore, who was immortalized in this bobblehead last season. A full fifteen of their current roster members have been drafted by NHL clubs. Fifteen.
* I’m not kidding here. Syl Apps Jr went to both Princeton and Queen’s Universities before embarking on an NHL career of his own — albeit not quite as stellar as his dad’s, Jr acquitted himself quite well. Syl Apps III followed dear ol’ dad to Princeton, doing well enough to get some pro contracts as a bottom-six forward in the AHL and ECHL. Syl III’s sister Gillian ain’t too shabby with a puck, either. She won Olympic gold with Team Canada in 2006 in Turin and again at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
Pucked in the Head is happy to welcome SFU correspondent Jenessa Gladstone to the fold, as she files her first story here on the website. She’s worked extensively up on the Hill, both in her studies and with the Athletics Department, and now here she is a fully-fledged member of the PITH clan.
The SFU Clan women’s basketball bench cheers a three-pointer during GNAC conference final action last weekend. Photo from the SFU Athletics website.
The Simon Fraser Clan women’s basketball team are making the most of their inaugural season in the NCAA. They finished with a 23-5 overall record, including a 12-0 perfect record on home court, good for second place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and a berth in the 64-team Division II NCAA tournament. Check out the interactive bracket here.
In their first taste of big tournament action, SFU defeated the number seven seeded Northwest Nazarene Crusaders (20-5) by a score of 68-57. They move on to face the number six Grand Canyon ‘Lopes, who upset the number three seed UC San Diego in their opening round matchup. Tipoff goes at noon Pacific time on Monday, March 18.
SFU became the NCAA’s only full-member international school on September 1, 2012 after spending the 2011-2012 at the provisional membership status. The Clan placed second in the GNAC conference tournament at St. Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington.
Abbotsford Heat forward Dustin Sylvester scored twice, including once in the final minute of regulation, to help beat the Lake Erie Monsters 4-3 in a shootout on February 9, 2013. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Hockey Day in Canada brought good things to Vancouver-area teams this year, as the Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Giants, Abbotsford Heat, Simon Fraser University Clan and UBC Lady Thunderbirds all posted wins on Saturday, February 9. Acting as the exception to the rule, the UBC men’s team suffered a 5-2 loss to the visiting University of Alberta Golden Bears.
More, including post-game reaction from the bowels of the AESC, after the jump.
Pucked in the Head is taking part in the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer. You can help us reach our fundraising goal by throwing a few bucks at our campaign, at http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/jasonkurylo2013.
Amazingly, Vancouver-born Freshman Arizona State forward did not score on this play. He hit the post after a solid deke around third-year SFU Clan goaltender Graeme Gordon. His Sun Devils did win the game 5-3 however. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
I didn’t get a chance to post pictures from the final game of the Great Northwest Showcase, a 5-3 win for the Arizona State Sun Devils over the host SFU Clan. The Sun Devils found their legs between the previous day’s misadventures against the UBC Thunderbirds — and chatter by players during pre-game stretches suggested the Americans aren’t used to the aggressive forechecks thrown at them by the T-birds on Friday.
More after the jump.
Pucked in the Head is taking part in the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer. You can help us reach our fundraising goal by throwing a few bucks at our campaign, at http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/jasonkurylo2013.
Sophomore Oklahoma Sooners defenseman Kevin Zehnder pins UBC Thunderbirds forward Wyatt Hamilton during Great Western Showcase action at Bill Copeland Arena on December 29, 2012. The Thunderbirds won the game 4-3 in overtime. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Okay, I already feel bad about the title. Sure, the visiting teams in the inaugural Great Northwest Showcase are American. And yes, there are national politics and cultural question marks that make them the Darths and Emperors of the world next to our farmboy-cum-Jedi status up here. But goldang it if each and every one of the team members and staff that I met this weekend weren’t incredibly nice, wonderfully passionate people who revolve their lives around the great game of hockey. (I’m lookin’ at you, Oklahoma University men’s hockey Assistant GM Chris Kelly… Not naming any names…)
But hey, the title is what the title is. In the immortal words of Billy Crystal, “It’s already out there.” And after day one of this exhibition tournament, which saw the Canadian teams trounce their American visitors by a combined score of 12-2, the empire really did strike back. They had to, just to make the plane ride back to the south bearable.
More after the jump.
Pucked in the Head is taking part in the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer. You can help us reach our fundraising goal by throwing a few bucks at our campaign, at http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/jasonkurylo2013.
