Off To Championships They Go!

Written by Grace Penner

It’s official, VIU Mariners are moving on to the Championship match to reclaim their title from two years prior, after a 3-2 win against the UVIC Vikes.

The Mariners and Vikes, island rivals, battle it out on the ice for the quarterfinal match to determine who would advance to the finals, and who would be left behind.

The Vikes won the BCIHL Championships last year, 2024-2025, with the Mariners trailing behind them winning it the previous year, 2023-2024. The Mariners approach this game sitting first in the league with the Vikes second, a highly anticipated close match. Out of the Mariners three losses this season, two of them have been the Vikes. There is no doubt that this will be a nail biting game.

In the first period, both Mariner’s goalie Connor Stojan, and Vike’s goalies Ronin Geraghty, feel the pressure. Stojan, voted this year’s BCIHL Top Goalie, is pulling out his best game, with his defenseman holding the line.

The first goal of the night goes to Davis Sato off the rebound, with an assist by Cage Newans and Hunter Burgeson. After a hooking penalty from Burgeson, Vikes Forward Cole Fournier scores with an assist from Ryan Strange and Eric Stinson. Both teams see that they’re equally in this match together, 1-1, and fight to get the upper hand.

Mathieu Catellier scores with a minute and a half left in the period, with an assist by Jackson Gudz and Owen Weihs. Nolan Wickham, eager to keep the goal advantage, scores with 56 seconds left in the first, with an assist by Aiden Corbett. The period ends 3-1 with Mariner’s leading shots on goal 19-5.

“VIU is just so dangerous,” says the BCIHL commentator.

The second period is filled with Vike’s penalties for high-sticking, roughing, and slashing. Despite the powerplays, the Mariners struggle to land a puck past Geraghty. Vikes Kade Leskosky scores, the last goal they get past Stojan for the rest of the game. The two teams continue to battle it back and forth until the period ends. Mariners lead shots on goal 31-13 with the score holding at 3-2.

Heading into the third period, the Mariners are needing to keep their one goal lead, and the Vikes are desperately trying to even up the score. Besides a couple of penalties from both sides, it is a scoreless period, a testament to both goalies, Stojan and Geraghty. The Mariners are determined to advance to the finals, and they did just that.

The three stars of the game are Nolan Wickham, Ronin Geraghty, and Davis Sato. The CUPE 401 Player of the Game is Davis Sato.

Come join us in cheering our favourite team on, whether at the rink or through the livestream, on Sunday, March 8th, at 3pm PST.