Greater Trail players did the heavy lifting for Selkirk College Saints on Saturday launching the team to a 9-2 thumping of the Eastern Washington University Eagles in BC International Hockey League action at the Castlegar Community Complex.
Trail natives Dallas Calvin, Ryan Edwards, and cousins Danny and Jamie Vlanich combined for 14 points in the 9-2 rout over EWU, with Calvin leading the way with four goals and an assist.
“We had good puck movement tonight with the linemates and the defence getting the puck up to the forwards,” Calvin told Selkirk College media rep Bob Hall. “There’s lots of room to make plays happen on a night like that.”
With five minutes left in the opening frame, Calvin netted his first goal of the night and what proved to be the winning tally when he converted a nice pass from Jamie Vlanich on a 2-on-1 to put the Saints up 3-0.
“It feels like every game it’s getting better,” said the rookie Calvin, who also won a KIJHL championship with Ryan Edwards in 2013 with the Beaver Valley Nitehawks. “It started a little slow in the exhibition games, but we are starting to figure it out.”
The Saints struck early and often with Tylor Branzsen opening the scoring 93 seconds into the game. Ten minutes later, Saints forward Jamie Vlanich dug the puck out of the corner and feathered a pass to defenceman Danny Vlanich whose low drive beat Eagles goalie Tyler O’Donnell.
Calvin netted his second of the night to make it 4-0 on a set up from both Vlaniches with 1:08 remaining in the first, and Dane Feeney put the Saints up 5-0 with nine seconds left. But the Eagles’ Brayden Hanson finally got EWU on the board, beating Saints goalie Brett Huber to make it 5-1 with no time left on the clock.
Edwards and Danny Vlanich gave the Saints a 7-1 lead in the second period, and Calvin put the finishing touches on an epic night in the third. He one-timed a centering pass from linemate Edwards for his hat trick. Then with just over three minutes left in the game, Calvin stripped the Eagles defenceman and walked in all alone, beating O’Donnell with just over three minutes to play in the final frame for his league-leading ninth goal of the season and 13th point in five games.
Brett Huber got the win in net for the Saints stopping 29 of 31 shots, while Selkirk fired 28 at the EWU net.
In addition to Calvin’s four-point night, Edwards had a goal and two assists, Danny Vlanich two goals and an assist, while Jamie added three helpers for the Saints. The three stars of the game were Calvin, Huber and Danny Vlanich.
The Saints improve their record to 3-2 for a share of the BCIHL lead with Trinity Western University. Selkirk College’s next game goes on Halloween Saturday at 7 p.m. versus Simon Fraser University.