The Simon Fraser University men’s hockey team met its match in Zack Wear.
The University of Victoria netminder stood on his head and led UVic past the Clan in the best-of-three B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League semifinal, ending SFU’s season Saturday in a 5-3 loss.
It was a major playoff upset, as SFU won the regular season crown with a 18-4-2 record, while UVic placed fourth, at 9-14-1.
Wear stopped 44 shots Saturday to complete the sweep, as the visiting Vikes erased a 2-0 lead with a pair of special team markers in the middle period. Former Grandview Steelers forward
Brandon Volpe scored short-handed, and Jack Palmer added a powerplay goal.
Brendan Lamont, Jesse Mysiorek and Adam Callegari scored for the Clan.
Wear turned back all 16 shots SFU fired his way in the second period, then stopped 17 in the third to punch UVic’s ticket to the league final against Trinity Western.
The series opened a day earlier when a 3-1 SFU lead evaporated under a five-goal outburst from the Vikes in a 6-3 loss. Patrick Holland and Shawn Mueller each tallied twice for UVic, while Brandon Tidy, with two, and Callegari counted markers for SFU.
While the season is over, a few members of SFU garnered hardware with the announcement of the BCIHL league award winners.
Goalie Lyndon Stanwood carted off the most hardware as MVP, league’s top goalie and a first-team all star. Stanwood at one point registered 10 straight wins and never surrendered more than three goals in any regular season game.
He finished with a 1.74 goals against average and .934 save percentage, both league records.
Joining Stanwood on the first all-star team was defenceman Mathew Berry-Lamontagna, while Lamont was selected to the second all-star team.
Picking up the coach of the year honours was SFU’s Mark Coletta. In his ninth season behind the Burnaby Mountain bench, Coletta piloted the squad to a fourth league title.
