EDMONTON, Alberta – Trinity Western third-year forward Mikhailo Simchuk (Kyiv, Ukraine) got the second hat-trick in Spartans history, but it wasn't enough as the Spartans fell 6-3 to the MacEwan Griffins Saturday afternoon at the Downtown Community Arena in Edmonton, Alta. The loss drops the Spartans to 3-16-1-0 in Canada West conference play, while the win improves the Griffins to 9-8-1-2.
 
Scoring for the Griffins were Kadyn Chabot with his 14th and 15th of the season, Caden Cabana with his second of the season, Myles Gauld with his fifth and sixth of the season, and Vincent Scott with his sixth of the season.
 
Trinity Western fourth-year goalie Raphael Audet (Rimouski, QC) made 36 saves on 40 shots in the Spartans' loss. MacEwan's Eric Ward made 17 saves in the Griffins' win.
 
UP NEXT
The Spartans will now head home to host the Manitoba Bisons on January 16-17. Friday's game has a 7:15 p.m. (PT) puck drop at the George Preston Recreation Center, with Saturday's at 7 p.m. (PT) at the Langley Events Centre. Both games are available to watch live on Canada West TV.
 
AS IT HAPPENED
The Griffins' Chabot got the lone goal of the opening period with his first of the night at 6:19. MacEwan outshot TWU 9-5 in the period to lead 1-0 after 20 minutes.
Chabot got his second at 1:14 of the second to give MacEwan the 2-0 lead. TWU's Simchuk got his first at 5:26 to cut the lead in half, 2-1. But MacEwan finished the period strong with Gabana scoring at 7:06 and Gauld at 17:03 to give the Griffins a 4-1 lead heading into the final period.
Simchuk got his second and third at 1:40 and 12:28 to make it a one-goal game with TWU trailing 4-3. Scott got the insurance goal at 16:28, with Gauld getting an empty net goal at 19:30 to make the final 6-3 for the Griffins.

NOTABLE

• The Griffins outshot the Spartans 42-20.
• TWU and MacEwan both finished 0-4 on the power play.
• The Spartans are currently 2-12 lifetime against the MacEwan Griffins. This season, TWU is 0-3 against MacEwan in conference play.
• TWU lost 7-4 to MacEwan Friday night at the Downtown Community Arena in Edmonton.
• The Spartans' second-year forward Artem Hrabovetskyi (Kyiv, Ukraine) has the only other hat-trick in TWU history. Hrabovetskyi got his three in TWU's 7-3 win over the Alberta Golden Bears on November 28, 2025.

 
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, hockey and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as in the NAIA in track and field and cross country and as an independent team in men's rugby and women's and men's disc golf. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 14 U SPORTS team championships and 33 Canada West team championships.

About Trinity Western University
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and wins national championships in U SPORTS. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.  
 
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