The Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners defeated the University of Victoria (UVic) Vikes to win the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League title last weekend in Logan Lake, B.C.

Why does that matter to those of you reading this? Because both teams had some local skin in the game.

In the end, it was Austin Daniels who ended up smiling in the end with his teammates from VIU. The downside? Both Ethan Anstey and Sam Schofield were on the losing end.

The Mariners were victorious in the title game, 6-2, capping off a season which saw them finish first in the regular season before closing it out in the league playoff tournament.

It鈥檚 a case of finally coming good for the Mariners, who fell in last year鈥檚 final to Simon Fraser University; Daniels was a part of that squad which fell one year ago as was Brady Daniels, his older brother who has since graduated.

鈥淲e had a really good core group of guys and we brought in a lot of new guys, but we felt really good about our chances,鈥� said Austin Daniels. 鈥淲e felt this was our year and we had the team to do it.鈥�

The playoff tournament was held in a Page playoff format, which is familiar to those who watch curling. All five teams in the league made it in with the fourth and fifth-placed teams doing battle to get into the final four. VIU and UVic were first and second respectively during the season and that meant they occupied the top two spots. That was key because under the Page format, the top two seeds get two chances to make it to the final.

Both teams would meet in the quarter-final phase and VIU would win that contest, 4-3, giving VIU a straight bye to the final where they would await the winner of the semifinal between UVic and the Okanagan Lakers. UVic would win that by a score of 4-0 to set up the rematch.

Going into the final, Anstey said he knew it would be an even contest.

鈥淚f you look at our games against them this season, you鈥檒l see why,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was pretty much a one-goal game each time, except for the final. We had the confidence and we knew we would have to beat VIU to win it.鈥�

UVic started off the better of the two teams in the final and it was Anstey who opened the scoring in the first period on the power-play.

And of course the penalized player just happened to be Austin Daniels.

鈥淵eah, I was in the box for that one,鈥� said Daniels.

VIU would equalize late in the second period and would go out in front near the end of the frame with a power-play marker of their own to take a 2-1 lead into the third period.

鈥淲e got the first one, they tied it up and then take the lead and we could feel the momentum begin to shift a bit,鈥� said Anstey. We needed to stay up and stay positive because we鈥檙e only down by one at that point.鈥�

VIU extended their lead five minutes into the third, but UVic got one back a couple of minutes later on the power play to cut the deficit to 3-2. VIU would restore the two-goal spread exactly 14 seconds after UVic鈥檚 second goal, but the dagger came with less than five minutes to play as VIU scored another one with the man advantage to make it 5-2. One more with less than 30 seconds to go put the cherry on top for VIU.

鈥淭hat fifth goal was the big one for us,鈥� said Daniels. 鈥淲e killed off a 5-on-3 and then we go out and get that one. It made us breathe easier, for sure.鈥�

VIU went into the game the fresher of the two teams in terms of games played. They didn鈥檛 have to play one extra as UVic had to and Daniels figures that may have been a big reason as to why they were able to pull off the win.

鈥淚 think they were a bit tired,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 tough to have to play three games back-to-back-to-back and the rest day for us was huge. We wanted to go all out in that first game, make a point and get to the final quickly.鈥�

On the flipside, Anstey said the fifth goal was definitely the backbreaker.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 a big reason why it got away from us,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ne game dictates it all and it鈥檚 tough because you can鈥檛 make any mistakes.鈥�

With the season now over, all three of Yellowknife鈥檚 finest can relax until the puck drops on a new campaign in the fall.

Daniels said he knows UVic will be looking to get their revenge.

鈥淚t sucks to beat guys who you鈥檝e known for years and who you grew up playing with, but they鈥檒l get another shot,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to the battles next year because they鈥檙e going to be good.鈥�

鈥淚 told Austin in the handshake line that we鈥檒l be right back there next season,鈥� said Anstey. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud of what we were able to do, especially with so many first-year guys. We鈥檙e a young group and we鈥檒l start preparing in the off-season.鈥�