The Royals, Grizzlies and a few assorted VIJHL playoff teams aren鈥檛 the only Island hockey clubs playing meaningful games in March.
The University of Victoria Vikes, maybe the Island鈥檚 best-kept secret on ice, are into the sa国际传媒 Intercollegiate Hockey League championship final this weekend.
Integral to the Vikes鈥� run to the championship series have been former NHLer Patrick Holland and former Victoria Royals forward Jack Palmer.
The championship series begins Friday at 7:30 p.m. at UVic鈥檚 Ian Stewart Complex against the Trinity Western Spartans. The second game Saturday, and if needed, third game Sunday will be on the Lower Mainland.
The Vikes knocked off the regular-season champion Simon Fraser University Clan 2-0 in the best-of-three opening playoff round. The Clan were 18-4-2 in the regular season and the fourth-place Vikes merely 9-14-1.
UVic鈥檚 upset sweep of SFU was led by Palmer and computer-science major Holland, a 2010 Calgary Flames draft pick out of the Tri-City Americans of the WHL, who played pro in the AHL, ECHL, Europe and in five NHL games with the Montreal Canadiens.
When one looks to key indicators for playoff success, search no further than goaltending and special teams. UVic got both last weekend in the 5-3 victory in Game 2 against SFU at Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby. Goaltender Zack Wear was outstanding in making 45 saves and the Vikes power play went 3-for-4 while the short-handed unit also scored. Holland had four assists and Palmer two goals and two assists as UVic made the most of its 17 shots on goal. The Vikes won the first game of the series 6-3 at Ian Stewart.
UVic coach Harry Schamhart pointed to his entire roster.
鈥淚t was a solid team effort,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he players supported each other and played for each other.鈥�
The Vikes will dip into that well of emotion once again this weekend against a Spartans team (16-6-2) that is described as very deliberate and composed and which swept four-time defending champion Selkirk College 2-0 in their best-of-three semifinal playoff series.
鈥淭rinity Western is a very systematic team,鈥� said Schamhart.
The Vikes are looking to add to championships the club won in 2007, 2009 and 2012 in its 11-season history in the sa国际传媒 Intercollegiate League.
The UVic hockey team is not varsity but operates on a club basis within the sa国际传媒 Intercollegiate, a league from which teams play pre-season exhibitions against NCAA Div. 1 teams such as the Wisconsin Badgers.
UVic has had a long and colourful, if sometimes checkered, history of hockey. That includes both in varsity, against the likes of Clare Drake鈥檚 Alberta Golden Bears, and at the club level in the old Esquimalt Friday Night League at Archie Browning. Notable UVic hockey alumni include Bob Nicholson and Tom Renney.
ICE CHIPS: Bring on the Island derby. The Vancouver Island Mariners will join UVic, SFU, TWU, Selkirk and Eastern Washington in the sa国际传媒 Intercollegiate Hockey League next season. Steve Paul will be GM and head coach of the Mariners.
