The Selkirk College Saints have to be confident heading into the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League season as it closed out its undefeated preseason with a win over Eastern Washington University (EWU) Eagles Sunday.
The Saints exploded for 53 shots and a half-dozen goals in a 6-1 victory over EWU in an afternoon tilt at the Castlegar Recreation Complex.
The Saints dominated possession and established a 21-6 advantage in shots on goal, but only second-year forward Nick Cecconi managed to put the puck past Eagles netminder Cash Ulrich during the opening period.
Selkirk extended its lead in the second period with a pair of shorthanded goals, as Trail native Logan Proulx and Dylan Smith each took advantage of neutral zone breakdowns and converted on breakaway opportunities.
Uriah Machuga put Eastern Washington on the board with 2:49 remaining in the frame, but Wood quickly restored his team’s three-goal advantage just 12 seconds later. Linemates Thomas Hardy and Cole Thomson rounded out the scoring for the Saints in the third period, as the home side finished the game with a 53-26 advantage in shots.
“Getting pucks and traffic to the net has been a focus over the past two weeks, and we followed through with a good performance in the offensive zone,” says Saints head coach Jeff Dubois. “Certain parts of our game are still a work in progress, but we’ve experienced some success in our exhibition games and we’re focused on carrying that momentum forward into the start of the regular season next weekend.”
Alex Sirard and Stephen Wolff split duties in the Saints’ net on Sunday, with Sirard earning the win in his first preseason appearance. He stopped all 14 shots he faced in 30 minutes of action before Wolff allowed one goal on 12 shots over the game’s second half.
Selkirk now travels to Vancouver Island to open its regular season with two games against the University of Victoria next Friday and Saturday. The Saints’ home opener is set for Oct. 12 against Trinity Western University from Langley.
