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Langley’s TWU will challenge for local hockey supremacy

Three Lower Mainland universities will face off for a new cup.
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Three universities, including Langley’s Trinity Western, will compete for the first ever Captain’s Cup this September.

The round robin format will see TWU face off against Simon Fraser University and UBC over two weeks.

On Sept. 15 the SFU Clan and the UBC Thunderbirds will face off at UBC. The TWU Spartans will face SFU on Sept. 16. Then TWU will take on UBC on Sept. 30 on the Thunderbirds’ campus.

The team securing the most victories over its two games will earn the cup.

The goal of the event is to promote university hockey in the Lower Mainland, while also raising awareness for the WHL’s scholarship program, which is available for players entering into post-secondary hockey.

“The WHL is the leading supplier of scholarships in Western Canada, and offers the most comprehensive scholarship in North America,” said Dale Saip, vice president, business development with the Vancouver Giants. “The Vancouver Giants are pleased to support this exhibition series profiling our student-athlete alumni who are furthering their education while still competing at a very high level of hockey.”

Between the three teams, the 28 players on their collective rosters have experience playing in the WHL. This includes 22 players with UBC, four with TWU and two with SFU. Amongst Giants alumni, the T-Birds have four players who spent time in the WHL with Vancouver.

“Post-secondary hockey in B.C. has grown tremendously over the past decade, and this preseason showcase will highlight the level of play for Lower Mainland hockey fans,” said TWU coach Barret Kropf. “All of our rosters are filled with graduated WHL and Junior A players who have been fan favourites in the area for years, and now they are elite student-athletes at our schools.”

UBC enters the competition with a combined record of 9-1 against SFU and TWU. The Thunderbirds only loss against their BCIHL brethren was Jan. 6, 2012 when the Clan earned a 3-1 win. TWU and UBC played each other last year in an exhibition game for the first time ever, with the T-Birds winning 3-2.

Captains Cup Schedule

• September 15th – SFU @ UBC – 7 p.m. (Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre)

• September 16th – TWU @ SFU – 7 p.m. (Surrey Sport & Leisure Centre)

• September 30th – TWU @ UBC – 2 p.m. (Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre)



Matthew Claxton

About the Author: Matthew Claxton

Raised in Langley, as a journalist today I focus on local politics, crime and homelessness.
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