LANGLEY, British Columbia – First-year defenceman
Riley Joslin (Langley, B.C.) and third-year defenceman
Samuel May (Richmond, B.C.) scored 64 seconds apart in the third period, but the Trinity Western Spartans fell 5-2 to the Regina Cougars Saturday afternoon at the ARENAS at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C.
Trailing 4-0, the Spartans cut the deficit in half with less than five minutes remaining before Regina added an empty-net goal to secure a split of the weekend series. TWU won Friday's opener 5-1.
The loss drops the Spartans to 1-10-1 in Canada West and 7-10-1 overall, including exhibition games. TWU remains fifth in the West Division with three points. Regina improves to 5-3-2 in conference play and 6-8-2 overall, holding third in the division with 12 points.
Third-year forward
Mikhailo Simchuk (Kyiv, Ukraine) assisted on Joslin's power-play goal to reach 50 career Canada West regular-season points. He becomes the third Spartan to reach the milestone, joining
Christian Lowe and Daine DuBois.
Joslin scored his second goal of the season, while May recorded his first. Fifth-year goaltender
Raphael Audet (Rimouski, Que.) made 16 saves on 20 shots, with Regina's final goal coming into an empty net.
First-year forward Otto Hanson (Calgary, Alta.) led the Cougars with two goals and an assist. Second-year forward Landen Gulutzan (Calgary, Alta.), fourth-year forward Carson Whyte (Regina, Sask.) and first-year forward Ben Roulette (Rivers, Man.) also scored. Second-year goaltender Dylan Ernst (Weyburn, Sask.) stopped 27 shots for the win.
UP NEXT
The Spartans host the Mount Royal Cougars Friday, November 20, at 7 p.m. (PT) and Saturday, November 21, at 3 p.m. (PT) at the ARENAS at the Langley Events Centre. Both games will be available live on Canada West TV.
QUOTABLE
Ben Walter, TWU Head Coach
"We didn't bring the same energy today as we did last night which was disappointing. Credit Regina for working hard and winning a lot of puck battles and finishing their opportunities. We had a great turnout from our Alumni today which is amazing. We really appreciate their support and are thankful to have them behind us."
AS IT HAPPENED
Gulutzan opened the scoring at 7:13 of the first period, with Cole Wirun drawing the assist. Whyte doubled Regina's lead with a shorthanded goal at 17:58, assisted by Kade Runke. TWU outshot the Cougars 9-6 in the opening period but trailed 2-0.
Roulette extended Regina's lead to 3-0 with a power-play goal at 3:03 of the second period, assisted by Hanson and Rylan Pearce. Audet stopped seven of eight shots in the period, while Ernst turned aside all six TWU attempts.
Hanson scored an unassisted goal at 3:01 of the third to put the Cougars ahead 4-0. The Spartans responded at 14:14 when Joslin scored on the power play, assisted by Simchuk and second-year forward
Danylo Korzhyletskyi (Kyiv, Ukraine).
May followed at 15:18, with second-year forward
Artem Hrabovetskyi (Kyiv, Ukraine) collecting the assist, to bring TWU within two. Hanson ended the comeback bid with an empty-net goal at 19:02, assisted by Brett Calhoon and Eric Hoiness. TWU outshot Regina 14-7 in the final period.
NOTABLE
- TWU outshot Regina 29-21, with period totals of 9-6, 6-8 and 14-7.
- The Spartans finished 1-for-5 on the power play, while the Cougars went 1-for-2 and scored once shorthanded. TWU took three penalties for six minutes; Regina took six for 12 minutes.
- The Spartans are now 4-12 against Regina both overall and in Canada West regular-season play, including 3-5 at home. Saturday's loss ended TWU's three-game home winning streak against the Cougars.
- Regina leads this season's series 3-1. The teams conclude their six-game season series February 12-13 in Regina.
- Simchuk has 27 goals and 23 assists for 50 career conference points, one behind DuBois for second in TWU history. Lowe holds the program record with 69 points. Simchuk remains TWU's career Canada West goals leader.
- Simchuk leads TWU with 14 points this season on nine goals and five assists. Korzhyletskyi's assist brought him to 11 points, including four goals and seven assists.
- Korzhyletskyi led the Spartans with five shots. Joslin and Hrabovetskyi each recorded three.
- Audet finished the weekend with 48 saves on 53 shots after stopping 32 of 33 in Friday's victory.
ABOUT SPARTAN ATHLETICS
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in nine sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball and hockey, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes in NAIA within the Cascade Collegiate Conference in men's and women's track and field and cross country, as well 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, 35 Canada West team championships and one Cascade Collegiate Conference championship.
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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