Leafs, Hawks all square, Rebels continue to overwhelm Braves
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Ryan Edwards scored twice as the Beaver Valley Nitehawks squared its Murdoch Division Semi Final with a 5-3 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League playoff victory over the Nelson Leafs Saturday night in Fruitvale.
Nelson took the opener of the best-of-seven series 6-1 Friday.
The series now shifts to the NDCC Arena in Nelson Monday and Tuesday.
Puck drop for both games is 7 p.m.
Riding the wave of Friday’s upset win, the Leafs continued to play well taking a 2-1 lead after one period on goals by Dallon Stoddart and Aaron Dunlap.
Michael Bell replied for the Hawks.
But the Hawks turned the tables on the Leafs by scoring twice in just over a minute in the latter half of the second frame.
Fraser Stang beat Brett Soles in the Leaf nets before Edwards potted his first of two seconds later.
Keanan Patershuk increased the margin to 4-2 before Linden Horswill scored on the power play with two seconds remaining in the period.
Nelson took advantage of a slashing penalty to Beaver Valley goalie Jarrod Schamerhorn in the final minute of the period.
Beaver Valley turned up the pressure on the Leafs in the third, out shooting the visitors 15-9 to secure the win.
Edwards completed the scoring with an empty net marker in the final 26 seconds of the game.
Nelson out shot the Hawks 36-34 in the game thanks mostly to the quick start where the Leafs held an 11-5 margin after the first period.
Not everyone happy with Friday Leafs win
It’s obvious from the reaction some of the Leaf players received not everyone in Fruitvale is happy Nelson is not going quietly in the first round of the KIJHL playoffs.
Leaf defenceman Kevin Bow Tweeted after Friday’s game, “smacked to the face by a bv fan after the game hurts a lot less after a big win.”
Following the Leafs seven-game losing streak to end the regular season most experts were predicting a four-game sweep by the Hawk to set up a rematch of last season’s Castlegar-Beaver Valley Murdoch Final that went seven games.
Rebels pound Braves 12-1
The Castlegar Rebels are leaving no doubt in the minds of the Spokane Braves which city has the better KIJHL team.
The Rebels pasted the Braves 12-1 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Murdoch Division series Saturday at the Castlegar Arena Complex.
Bryan Lubin scored three times and first star Stuart Walton had five points to lead the Rebels.
Travis Wellman and Kody Disher each finished with four points while Erik Alden, Matt Reed and Lubin each had three points.
Jordan Gluck had an easy night in the nets facing only 21 shots at Castlegar out shot the Braves 52-21.
In two games against the Braves Castlegar, now unbeaten in 10 games including an eight-game streak to end the regular season, holds an 18-1 goal difference.
Games three and four go Monday and Tuesday in Spokane.
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