Trail’s Dallas Calvin started off his rookie season with the Selkirk College Saints of the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League in epic fashion.
The former Trail Smoke Eater was named the BCIHL player of the week Monday for his performances in leading Selkirk College to an opening-season split with Trinity Western University Spartans in Castlegar this weekend.
Calvin netted a hat trick in Friday’s 6-3 victory and scored his fourth of the season and added an assist in a 5-3 setback on Saturday.
“It was a good start to the season,” says Saints head coach Brent Heaven of the first match. “We came out a little bit slow in the first period, but by the second period we really took control of the game. The last 40 minutes of that game were fantastic and really showed the potential that this team has.”
Spartans forward Matthew Vela gave TWU the early lead, as he banged a rebound past Saints starting goaltender James Prigione 16 seconds in. Andrew Wheeler extended the Spartans lead to two goals with 2:05 to play in the opening frame, but Calvin replied 14 seconds later, finishing a pretty passing play with Ryan Edwards to make it 2-1, as the Spartans outshot the Saints 10-9 in the period.
Calvin notched his second of the night, just 17 seconds into the middle frame to even it at 2-2, and just over a minute later, Dane Feeney beat TWU starter Silas Matthys to give the Saints the lead. Calvin then completed his hat trick, and scored the winning goal with the assist to Edwards, as the Saints outshot the Spartans 15-1 in the period.
TRU cut the lead midway through the final period, but Nelson native Ryon Sookro and Marcel Fuchs added insurance to secure the opening night victory. The Saints outshot TWU 43-21.
“We played a great first period but not so much afterwards,” said Spartans coach Barret Kropf. “I think maybe we thought, system-wise, we were a little further down the road. Having a bit longer break between our last game and this one probably softened us up a bit and we weren’t able to compete for the full 60.”
In Saturday’s match up, the Spartans took a commanding 3-0 lead early in the second period on goals from P. J. Buys, Brett Wur, and Mattias Schmitt.
The Saints mounted a spirited comeback, scoring three straight power play goals by Nathan Browne, Sookro, and Calvin to tie it, but the Spartans’ Buys tallied the winner at 14:23 of the third, and iced it with an empty net goal to make it 5-3 with 58 seconds remaining.
The Saints hit the road for a two-game tilt with the Vikings at the University of Victoria this coming weekend.
With files from the BCIHL website.