The Trinity Western University Spartans have made the move to the new Langley Events Centre, and encourage crowds to experience the excitement of their basketball season home opener on Friday, Nov. 20.

“We want all of Langley to come help us celebrate this big move in a big way,” said Janice Nikkel, promotions director for Spartans Athletics. “We promise you an action-packed event filled with contests, prizes, food, exciting competition, and entertainment. It truly is fun, affordable, family entertainment.”

Last month, TWU’s men’s and women’s volleyball teams took to their new home court in the Events Centre’s gymnasium. Now it is the basketball teams’ turn to make use of the facility, which has three full-size basketball and volleyball courts, and the capacity to seat up to 2,200 people around the main competition court.

The Spartans basketball season home opener will be held at the LEC, 7888 – 200 Street, on Friday evening, Nov. 20, when the men and women take on the Vikes from Victoria. The women play at 6 p.m., followed by the men at 8 p.m., and an opening ceremony will be held between the games. Admission is $10 for adults, and children six and under are free. Special rates are available for teams and groups. For all games and ticket information, visit www.gospartans.ca

“We're very excited to host our first Canada West league game in our beautiful new home, the Langley Events Centre,” said women’s basketball coach Kerby Court. “The Victoria games are once again going to be very important for the overall picture of our season, so we hope to have a great home crowd as we compete against another one of the top teams in the country.”

“The Langley Events Centre is a great place to bring the family to watch the Spartans and we are hoping to build that same amazing environment there as we had here on campus,” Court said.

This season promises to be exciting, as the upcoming TWU basketball teams feature men’s coach Scott Allen, who coached White Rock Christian to win the Boy’s High School Provincial Basketball Championships five times, and players Jacob Doerksen, last year’s CIS Player of Year, and Tyrell Mara, a former NCAA player and local prospect.

Trinity Western University is one of the community groups that partnered with the Township of Langley, the Province of B.C., and the Langley Development Group to help build the Langley Events Centre. Several other partners, including the Langley Gymnastics Foundation, Langley School District, and the Fraser Valley Italo-Canadian Society, also contributed financially to the creation of the Centre.

The 260,000-square foot Langley Events Centre features a 3,950-plus seat indoor spectator arena bowl that can accommodate 5,200 spectators for hockey games and sporting events, and has the capacity to hold up to 6,500 people for concerts and special events.

The Willoughby Community Centre, which is run by the Township of Langley’s Recreation, Culture, and Parks Division, is located within the Langley Events Centre. It is adjacent to Willoughby Community Park and has a spray park, playground, picnic areas, artificial turf and natural grass playing fields.

The LEC also has a commercial kitchen and banquet hall with the capacity for 500, commercial retail and office space, a dedicated gymnastics training facility, and is the future home of the Tourism Langley Visitor Info Centre and the Willoughby Community Police Office.

The Langley Events Centre is also home to the Trinity Western University Titans hockey team, Langley Chiefs Junior A hockey team, Langley Gymnastics Foundation, Langley Thunder Junior and Senior A lacrosse teams, Vancouver Titans of the International Basketball League, the North Langley Basketball Association’s Steve Nash Youth Basketball League, Basketball BC, and R.E. Mountain Secondary School.

As the Township of Langley’s centre for sports, recreation, and entertainment, the LEC can accommodate everything from concerts and hockey games, to high school graduations and public skating.

For event and game tickets or booking information, visit langleyeventscentre.com or call 604-882-8800.