In a pair of nail-biters, the Selkirk College Saints hockey team eked out two overtime wins over the University of Victoria Vikings on the weekend to rise from fourth to second place in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL).
The Saints skated to a dramatic 5-4 shootout win on Saturday followed by an equally riveting 3-2 overtime victory over the Vikes on Sunday, and, as a result, Selkirk College forward Alex Milligan was named the BCIHL’s Player of the Week on Monday for his role in the two victories.
On Saturday, the 21-year-old rookie winger kick started the Selkirk comeback. Down 4-1 in the second period, Milligan assisted on a second period marker by Stefan Gonzales before scoring himself at 2:20 to draw Selkirk within a goal.
Former Trail Smoke Eater Darnell Dyck tied the game with 3:03 remaining in the third but overtime solved nothing. After the first three shooters were stymied by both goalies, Milligan took centre stage once again and fired home the shootout winner past Vikes netminder Scott Legault, while Saints goalie James Prigione stopped all four UVic shooters, in addition to 31 saves in regulation.
On Sunday, defenceman Lucas Hildebrand picked a good time to score his first of the season when he finished a nice play from Ryan Edwards and Mason Spear and beat goalie Nick Babich at 2:06 of the overtime period to give the Saints the 3-2 victory.
The Vikes got on the board first just as a Selkirk penalty expired. Dylan Hykawy would gather the puck at the blueline and wire it top corner on Steven Glass with 2:13 to play in the middle frame. However, the Saints’ Jackson Garrett replied before the period was out on a nice set up from Trail native Logan Proulx and Fruitvale’s Arie Postmus to make it 1-1 heading into the third.
Hykawy would give Uvic the lead at 13:27 of the third, but the speedy Milligan made a crucial play, setting up Dyck for a game-tying goal with just 50 seconds remaining in regulation, setting up Hilderbrand’s OT winner.
Trinity Western leads the pack with 18 points, lying three points ahead of both the Saints and the Vikes.
Selkirk Saints will travel to Alberta this weekend for exhibition games against the University of Lethbridge.