Aldergrove’s Elijah Vilio scored the overtime winner, as the Spartans continued their record-setting start to the year with a 4-3 win over Selkirk Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Castlegar Recreation Centre.
TWU has now earned a program best seven straight wins to start the season.
TWU Head Coach Barret Kropf called it a ”real quality game”
“It’s unbelievable when you can get a playoff-type game in November. Shout-out to Selkirk because they really turned their ship around overnight and came out with a much better overall performance from there side. Our guys had to battle. It was a great playoff atmosphere. There was lots of intensity, great plays, big hits and nice goals.
A wild final minute of the third period saw Aldergrove’s Brandon Potomak put TWU ahead 3-2 with 39 seconds to play, only to have Selkirk tie the game just 28 seconds later when Blake Sidoni wired a shot home with 11 seconds on the clock.
In overtime, it was Vilio playing hero, as he jumped in on a rush and blasted a one-timer home for the game-winner.
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The win sees the Spartans earn back-to-back wins in Castlegar, after TWU opened the weekend series with a 7-0 win Friday.
Josh Bruce and Jarrett Fontaine also scored for the Spartans, while goalie Lucas Mills made 40 saves to earn his fifth win of the year.
Adam Rosen and Tayden Woods scored Selkirk’s other two goals.
Bruce finished the night with three points (1G, 2A), while Potomak was the only other Spartan with a multi-point night, as he had a goal and an assist.
Rosen opened the scoring at 6:11 of the first period and the home side held a lead until the final minute of the second period when Bruce tallied the tying marker.
Woods put Selkirk ahead again at 5:43 of the final frame, but Fontaine, who was playing in just his second game of the year after suffering an injury in the preseason, scored his second goal in as many games to set the stage for a crazy finish.
TWU is back on the ice Nov. 15 when the Spartans will host Victoria at the Langley Events Centre. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.