CASTLEGAR, B.C. – A pair of first period goals from Spartans forward Joseph Sylvain (Girouxville, Alta.) saw Trinity Western's men's hockey team take the early lead and never look back, defeating Selkirk 6-3 Saturday at the Castlegar Recreation Centre. 
 
The undefeated first place Spartans (10-0-0-0) extended their franchise record winning streak to 10 games to open the season, while the loss dropped Selkirk to 4-6-0-3.
 
The Spartans win streak is the longest to open the season in the BCIHL since Selkirk won 13 consecutive in 2012-13.
 
Evan Last (Surrey, B.C.), Travis Verveda (Alix, Alta.), Hayden Guilderson (Chilliwack, B.C.), and Elijah Vilio (Aldergrove, B.C.) also scored for the Spartans, while TWU goaltender Lucas Mills (Burnaby, B.C.) stopped 25 of 28 shots for his league leading seventh win of the season.
 
Nolan Percival, Everett Hicks, and Edward Lindsey all scored for the Saints, with Selkirk goaltender Tallon Kramer making 22 saves to see his record fall to 4-8-0-0.
 
Joseph Sylvain scored his second goal of the season just 3:41 into the game to give TWU an early 1-0 lead in the first period.
 
After Saints defenceman Sebastian Powsey committed a slashing penalty, the Spartans doubled their lead to 2-0 courtesy of Last's ninth goal of the season. Just over three minutes later, Sylvain scored his second of the period and stretched the Spartans lead to 3-0, beating Kramer with TWU's fourth shot of the game.
 
The first five minutes of the second period saw TWU extend its lead to five courtesy of goals from defenceman Verveda and forward Guilderson, respectively.
 
Nolan Percival and Elijah Vilio traded goals midway through the second, before a late goal from Saints first-year forward Everett Hicks made it 6-2 in TWU's favour heading into the final frame. 
 
Just 54 seconds into the third period Selkirk forward Edward Lindsey scored his fourth of the season to cut the Spartans lead to 6-3. That would be it however, as TWU would close out the game for its 10^th consecutive victory. 
 
QUOTABLE
Spartans Head Coach Barret Kropf
 
"It was one of those games that looked like both teams had been off for a few weeks. But we capitalized when we needed to and got a couple power play goals and a couple quick ones early, which are the things you need to do to win hockey games. We battled through some penalty trouble. The guys did a great job in the third period locking it down, blocking shots and doing the tough things that it takes to win. Overall, it was a good job and we're looking forward to coming back at it again tomorrow."
 
NOTABLE

• The win improves the Spartans record against Selkirk to 3-0 this season, which comes after back-to-back road wins earlier this year (7-0 W (Nov.8), 4-3 OTW (Nov. 9)).
• Spartans third-year defenceman Bennet Vida (St. Albert, Alta.) made his TWU debut Saturday after transferring from Lake Superior State University, finishing the game with six penalty minutes. 
• With a goal and assist, Evan Last moved to second place in BCIHL scoring with 21 points (9G, 12A). He sits two points back of Garrett Dunlop (11G, 12A) in three fewer games played. 
• Selkirk's 2012-13 win streak of 13 consecutive games was snapped on Jan. 18, 2013 after a 2-1 Spartans win in Castlegar.
• The longest regular season winning streak in BCIHL history sits at 14 games, after Simon Fraser closed out the 2008-09 season with eight consecutive wins before opening 2009-10 with six consecutive. 

NEXT UP
The Spartans are set for a rematch against Selkirk Saturday (4 p.m. PT) at the Castlegar Recreation Centre.
 
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 11 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes in the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) in men's hockey and as an independent team in men's rugby. The men's and women's hockey programs will begin playing in Canada West and U SPORTS in 2020-21. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 12 U SPORTS team championships and 27 Canada West team championships and two BCIHL championships.
 
-TW-