TWU Titans
Encyclopedia
The Trinity Western University Titans hockey club is a competitive ice hockey
team competing in the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League
. Today, the BCIHL included teams from Simon Fraser University
, University of Victoria
, University of the Fraser Valley, and Selkirk College
. The league is looking to expand for the 2008-2009 season, and may include teams from UBC Okanagan
in Kelowna
, Thompson Rivers University
in Kamloops, and University of Northern British Columbia
, in Prince George
.
(BCIHL), the Titans were in a contact church hockey league (in the 1990s) with some big Vancouver, Surrey, and Abbotsford churches, along with Columbia Bible College. During this time, the Titans won several championships but were essentially a club team and the only Trinity Western University
team. Later on, the Titans played in the Fraser Valley Contact Hockey League (FVCHL) with Athletes in Action
, the Sabers (a Trinity Western University
Alumni team), a team from Whiterock, Columbia Bible College (Abbotsford, British Columbia)
, the former hockey school in Langley, and a couple of other teams. The Titans won the regular season league championships in 2000 to 2002. As time went on, and interest grew in intercollegiate play, the Titans began having intercollegiate tournaments with University of Northern British Columbia
, The University College of the Cariboo (now Thompson Rivers University
), and Selkirk College
while still competing in the FVCHL. In 2003, the FVCHL folded and the Titans began playing exhibition games with a mix of American and Canadian universities.
playing hockey and doing mission work with Athletes in Action
.
On the trip, the Titans played five games against different Slovak Division II teams, most of which were stocked with junior and semi-professional players. These teams were highly skilled and boasted impressive skating and puck handling abilities. After each of their games, the Titans hosted the opposing team at a local restaurant and the Titan players shared their faith and spirituality and how Jesus Christ has worked within their lives. When the Titans were not on the ice, they were helping AIA Slovakia make connections with various groups and individuals.
In the first of their hockey games, the Titans were hosted by Bratislava Sport University, and eventually lost a very close game 4-2 at V. Dzurilla Winter Sports Stadium in Ružinov
. They followed it up one night later with a 3-3 tie with Žiar
N.H.
It was not until their third game where the purpose of their trip started to evolve. Following an embarrassing 10-0 loss to Brezno, a game which had the hometown Brezno crowd of 500 chanting, "Brezno, Brezno!", after the hometeam scored their tenth, the Titans thought long and hard about what they were going through. They did a lot of personal and team soul-searching and seemed to reclaim the purpose for the trip. The Titans began to very seriously integrate their faith with the hockey that they were playing. As a result, TWU discovered true team spirit, and won their next two games 6-3 at Lučenec
and 7-4 the following evening at Levice
.
Overall, TWU's line of Brett Simmonds, Nathan Higgins from the NCAA's Wayne State Warriors, and Josh MacKnee led the way for the Titans offensively. Of the 18 goals scored by the team, the line scored 70 per cent of them. Higgins and MacKnee scored six each, while Simmonds added one and many assists.
The action away from the rink saw the Titans help three different churches with their youth group ministries, as well as teach English in three different middle and high schools. The team also led worship at two different Slovak churches and played floor hockey and other sports with different groups. The team also toured Vienna, visited castles and historical sites, and made a brief stop at Esztergom
, Hungary
where the team visited the Esztergom Basilica
– the third largest church in Europe.
Goaltender Evan Menzies, who finished the overseas tour with a team best goals against average of 2.50, reflected on the outcome of his team's reading break: "The trip allowed us as a group to not only understand what love is, agape love, but to live it out to our teammates, and to the Slovak people. We learned that Christ's love is truly cross cultural and universal."
The team also drank a lot of absynthe on the trip.
The most legendary line in recent memory was known as the "Green Line". Clark Moran centered Jamie Simpson and Mark Westergard.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team competing in the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League
British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League
During its first year of official operation , the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League consisted of teams from Trinity Western University, Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria, University of Northern British Columbia and University of the Fraser Valley...
. Today, the BCIHL included teams from Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
, University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
, University of the Fraser Valley, and Selkirk College
Selkirk College
Selkirk College, founded in 1966, was the first regional community college in British Columbia. The college offers over 60 programs. Selkirk has grown into one of the largest organizations in the West Kootenay and Boundary regions of south eastern British Columbia...
. The league is looking to expand for the 2008-2009 season, and may include teams from UBC Okanagan
UBC Okanagan
The University of British Columbia Okanagan is a campus of the University of British Columbia, located in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. The official name for the campus is simply UBC's Okanagan Campus, although it is frequently called 'UBCO.'...
in Kelowna
Kelowna
Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"...
, Thompson Rivers University
Thompson Rivers University
Thompson Rivers University is a comprehensive university located in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. It offers students a broad range of courses, career streams, and the ability to ladder credits from diploma programs into full degrees...
in Kamloops, and University of Northern British Columbia
University of Northern British Columbia
The University of Northern British Columbia is a small, primarily undergraduate university whose main campus is in Prince George, British Columbia. UNBC also has regional campuses in the northern British Columbia cities of Prince Rupert, Terrace, Quesnel, and Fort St. John...
, in Prince George
Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
.
Early years
Before the formation of the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey LeagueBritish Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League
During its first year of official operation , the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League consisted of teams from Trinity Western University, Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria, University of Northern British Columbia and University of the Fraser Valley...
(BCIHL), the Titans were in a contact church hockey league (in the 1990s) with some big Vancouver, Surrey, and Abbotsford churches, along with Columbia Bible College. During this time, the Titans won several championships but were essentially a club team and the only Trinity Western University
Trinity Western University
Trinity Western University is a private, Christian liberal arts university located in Langley, British Columbia, Canada.The school was founded in 1962 as Trinity Junior College, and now enrolls approximately 4000 students and sits on a campus....
team. Later on, the Titans played in the Fraser Valley Contact Hockey League (FVCHL) with Athletes in Action
Athletes in Action
Athletes in Action is an evangelical Christian sports ministry in the tradition of Muscular Christianity. Athletes in Action, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, works with athletes and coaches to use the unique platform of sport to help people around the world with questions of faith...
, the Sabers (a Trinity Western University
Trinity Western University
Trinity Western University is a private, Christian liberal arts university located in Langley, British Columbia, Canada.The school was founded in 1962 as Trinity Junior College, and now enrolls approximately 4000 students and sits on a campus....
Alumni team), a team from Whiterock, Columbia Bible College (Abbotsford, British Columbia)
Columbia Bible College (Abbotsford, British Columbia)
Columbia Bible College is an institution of higher education in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The college states that its mission is to prepare people for a life of discipleship, service and ministry...
, the former hockey school in Langley, and a couple of other teams. The Titans won the regular season league championships in 2000 to 2002. As time went on, and interest grew in intercollegiate play, the Titans began having intercollegiate tournaments with University of Northern British Columbia
University of Northern British Columbia
The University of Northern British Columbia is a small, primarily undergraduate university whose main campus is in Prince George, British Columbia. UNBC also has regional campuses in the northern British Columbia cities of Prince Rupert, Terrace, Quesnel, and Fort St. John...
, The University College of the Cariboo (now Thompson Rivers University
Thompson Rivers University
Thompson Rivers University is a comprehensive university located in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. It offers students a broad range of courses, career streams, and the ability to ladder credits from diploma programs into full degrees...
), and Selkirk College
Selkirk College
Selkirk College, founded in 1966, was the first regional community college in British Columbia. The college offers over 60 programs. Selkirk has grown into one of the largest organizations in the West Kootenay and Boundary regions of south eastern British Columbia...
while still competing in the FVCHL. In 2003, the FVCHL folded and the Titans began playing exhibition games with a mix of American and Canadian universities.
2006-present
As more universities in British Columbia got involved and committed, the BCIHL became formally formed in 2006. The Titans have hosted BCIHL championships since 2003 and won titles in 2005 and 2006. After their last championship, the Titans saw a massive exodus of veterans. In fact, at the commence of the 2006-2007 season, the Titans only had six returning players (centremen Jordan Urness and Brett Simmonds, winger Joshua Schweitzer, defensemen Scott Robertson and Carl Ries, and goaltender Kevin Helps). As a result, the Titans have had a major youth movement in recent years, and have relied heavily on their young players over the course of the past few seasons.Slovakia Missions Trip 2008
For the spring Reading Break in 2008, the Titans were overseas in SlovakiaSlovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
playing hockey and doing mission work with Athletes in Action
Athletes in Action
Athletes in Action is an evangelical Christian sports ministry in the tradition of Muscular Christianity. Athletes in Action, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, works with athletes and coaches to use the unique platform of sport to help people around the world with questions of faith...
.
On the trip, the Titans played five games against different Slovak Division II teams, most of which were stocked with junior and semi-professional players. These teams were highly skilled and boasted impressive skating and puck handling abilities. After each of their games, the Titans hosted the opposing team at a local restaurant and the Titan players shared their faith and spirituality and how Jesus Christ has worked within their lives. When the Titans were not on the ice, they were helping AIA Slovakia make connections with various groups and individuals.
In the first of their hockey games, the Titans were hosted by Bratislava Sport University, and eventually lost a very close game 4-2 at V. Dzurilla Winter Sports Stadium in Ružinov
Ružinov
Ružinov is a borough of eastern Bratislava. It is the city's second most populated borough, housing over 70,000 inhabitants.-History:In place of today's Ružinov there were originally meadows, pastures, grasslands and woodland, interspersed with islands and channels of the Danube. The people living...
. They followed it up one night later with a 3-3 tie with Žiar
Žiar
Žiar may refer to places in Slovakia:Geography:* Žiar * Žiar Basin , of the Hron riverLocalities:* Žiar, Liptovský Mikuláš District , a municipality* Žiar, Revúca District , a municipality* Short name of Žiar nad Hronom...
N.H.
It was not until their third game where the purpose of their trip started to evolve. Following an embarrassing 10-0 loss to Brezno, a game which had the hometown Brezno crowd of 500 chanting, "Brezno, Brezno!", after the hometeam scored their tenth, the Titans thought long and hard about what they were going through. They did a lot of personal and team soul-searching and seemed to reclaim the purpose for the trip. The Titans began to very seriously integrate their faith with the hockey that they were playing. As a result, TWU discovered true team spirit, and won their next two games 6-3 at Lučenec
Lucenec
Lučenec is a town in the Banská Bystrica Region of south-central Slovakia. Historically, it was part, and in the 18th century the capital, of the Nógrád county of the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1918, as a result of the Treaty of Trianon, it became a part of Czechoslovakia...
and 7-4 the following evening at Levice
Levice
Levice is a town in western Slovakia. The town lies on the left bank of the lower Hron river. The Old Slavic name of the town was Leva, which means "the Left One"....
.
Overall, TWU's line of Brett Simmonds, Nathan Higgins from the NCAA's Wayne State Warriors, and Josh MacKnee led the way for the Titans offensively. Of the 18 goals scored by the team, the line scored 70 per cent of them. Higgins and MacKnee scored six each, while Simmonds added one and many assists.
The action away from the rink saw the Titans help three different churches with their youth group ministries, as well as teach English in three different middle and high schools. The team also led worship at two different Slovak churches and played floor hockey and other sports with different groups. The team also toured Vienna, visited castles and historical sites, and made a brief stop at Esztergom
Esztergom
Esztergom , is a city in northern Hungary, 46 km north-west of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom county, on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia there....
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
where the team visited the Esztergom Basilica
Esztergom Basilica
The Primatial Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed Into Heaven and St Adalbert is an ecclesiastic basilica in Esztergom, Hungary, the mother church of the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest, and the seat of the Catholic Church in Hungary...
– the third largest church in Europe.
Goaltender Evan Menzies, who finished the overseas tour with a team best goals against average of 2.50, reflected on the outcome of his team's reading break: "The trip allowed us as a group to not only understand what love is, agape love, but to live it out to our teammates, and to the Slovak people. We learned that Christ's love is truly cross cultural and universal."
The team also drank a lot of absynthe on the trip.
Championship Teams
- 2007-2008 SFU Clansmen - Titans finished 4th
- 2006-2007 UVic Vikes - Titans finished 4th
- 2005-2006 TWU Titans
- 2004-2005 TWU Titans
- 2003-2004 UCC (now TRU) - Titans finished 2nd
Legends
Over the course of the past five seasons, forward Josh MacKnee has led the Titans offensively four times:| Year | 2003-2004 | 2004-2003 | 2005-2006 | 2006-2007 | 2007-2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | 25 | 26 | 23 | 0 | 9 |
| Goals | 23 | 29 | 23 | 0 | 10 |
| Assists | 25 | 30 | 27 | 0 | 5 |
| Points | 48 | 59 | 50 | DNP | 15 |
The most legendary line in recent memory was known as the "Green Line". Clark Moran centered Jamie Simpson and Mark Westergard.