REGINA, Saskatchewan – Trinity Western Spartans third-year forward
Mikhailo Simchuk (Kyiv, Ukraine) scored twice on the power play, but the Spartans were unable to overcome an early three-goal deficit, falling 5-3 to the Regina Cougars Saturday afternoon at The Co-operators Centre in Regina, Sask. Trinity Western fell 0-2 in Canada West men's hockey, while Regina improved to 2-0.
Simchuk scored at 15:05 in the second period and 17:07 in the third, while fifth-year defenceman
Zack Whittaker (Victoria, B.C.) added a goal at 2:49 in the final frame. First-year defenceman
Riley Joslin (Langley, B.C.) and fourth-year forward
Christian Lowe (Port Moody, B.C.) each collected two assists for the Spartans.
Regina's Cole Wirun led the Cougars with two goals and two assists, while Jye Zawatsky finished with a goal and two assists. Kade Runke scored the game-winner on the power play at 12:40 in the third period, and Jordan Borysiuk added an empty-net goal with two seconds remaining.
TWU third-year goaltender
Cole Savage (Abbotsford, B.C.) made 27 saves, and Ross Hawryluk also stopped 27 shots to earn Regina the win.
UP NEXT
The Spartans will open their Canada West home schedule Friday, October 16 against the UBC Thunderbirds at The ARENAS at Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. (PT). Trinity Western will then visit UBC Saturday, October 17 at Father David Bauer Arena in Vancouver at 3 p.m. (PT). Both games will be available live on Canada West TV.
QUOTABLE
Ben Walter, TWU Head Coach
"I think that we showed at times tonight what kind of team we will be this season, but we need to make it happen for a full 60 minutes. Our special teams units did a good job, and I really liked our push in the third period, but it wasn't quite enough.
Riley Joslin did a great job in his first game; I was really happy with his performance."
AS IT HAPPENED
Regina opened the scoring just 1:03 into the first period when Wirun scored off assists from Brady Smith and Zawatsky. The Cougars doubled their lead at 7:36 when Zawatsky scored, with Wirun and Riley Fequet getting the assists. The Spartans couldn't capitalize on their lone power-play opportunity in the opening frame, as Hawryluk stopped all six shots he faced. Regina led 8-6 on the shot clock and held a 2-0 lead at the first intermission.
Wirun scored his second goal of the afternoon at 14:31 of the second period, assisted by Zawatsky and Fequet, to give Regina a 3-0 lead. Trinity Western answered just 34 seconds later. With Smith serving a roughing penalty, Simchuk scored on the power play at 15:05 on a pass from second-year forward
Aiden Knutson (Red Deer, Alta.) and Lowe, cutting the deficit to 3-1. Savage made 13 saves in the middle frame as Regina outshot Trinity Western 14-10, with the Spartans entering the second intermission trailing by two.
Trinity Western drew within one early in the third period when Whittaker scored at 2:49, assisted by first-year forward
Carter Schmidt (Kelowna, B.C.) and Joslin, making it 3-2. However, Regina restored its two-goal advantage at 12:40. With TWU's
Ricards Landmanis serving a roughing penalty, Runke scored on the power play off assists from Wirun and Boston Harkness to put the Cougars ahead 4-2. The Spartans responded with another power-play goal at 17:07 following a Regina penalty for too many players. Simchuk scored his second of the game, with Joslin and Lowe drawing assists, to bring Trinity Western within one with 2:53 remaining. TWU outshot Regina 14-10 in the final period and used an extra attacker in search of the equalizer, but Borysiuk scored into the empty net at 19:58 off an assist from Carson Whyte to secure the Cougars' 5-3 victory.
NOTABLES
- Regina outshot Trinity Western 32-30. The Spartans went 2-for-6 on the power play, while the Cougars finished 1-for-4.
- The Spartans are now 3-11 all-time against the Cougars.
- Simchuk scored his first two goals of the season, both on the power play. He finished the weekend with three points, including an assist Friday.
- Joslin and Lowe each recorded two assists Saturday, setting up both of TWU's third-period goals and both of Simchuk's goals, respectively.
- Whittaker scored his first goal of the season and finished the weekend with a goal and an assist.
- Knutson recorded three points over the weekend, collecting a goal and an assist Friday before adding an assist Saturday. Schmidt finished the series with a goal and an assist.
- Joslin and second-year forward Danylo Korzhyletskyi (Kyiv, Ukraine) shared the Spartans' lead with five shots on goal apiece.
- Savage stopped 27 of the 31 shots he faced. Regina's final goal was scored into an empty net.
- Wirun finished the weekend with five points (three goals, two assists), while Zawatsky recorded six points (two goals, four assists).
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes 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 15 U SPORTS team championships and 35 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 CIS 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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