GFBB leave Nelson Leafs struggling to catch up at Jan. 17 game
By Graeme Willson
The Grand Forks Border Bruins were on home ice for Jan. 17th’s game against the Nelson Leafs taking the game for a final score of 5:2.
The Leafs only owned the ice for first period. Both their goals were scored at the start of the game. As for the second and third periods, the Leafs chasing the Bruins’ heals for both of the last two periods.
Fourteen seconds into the first period the Leafs’ Travis Wellman scored the first goal with assists from team mates Jamie Vlanich and Patrick Croome.
As the puck made its second drop at center ring six seconds passed before the whistle blew, sending the Wellman to the penalty box for four minutes for high sticking.
Several attempts were made on the goal before the Leafs Brandon Sookro scored their second goal with 14:32 on the clock. Assistance in scoring the goal came from teammate Nolan Percival.
Again the two teams rallied back and forth, but there were no more goals during the first period. That was not true for penalties. Two Bruins players got penalties before the clock ran out on the first period. Corey Munro received two minutes for high sticking with 6:29 left on the clock. Then when the clock reached 2:32 Max Newton got another two minutes for high sticking.
The only call made during the first half of the second period was when the Leaf’s Connor Tetlock was sent to the penalty box for interference. Shortly afterwards the Bruins’ Nathan Cory received two minutes for boarding which was followed by the Leafs’ Robson Cramer getting two minutes penalty for high sticking.
The Bruins held on strong for the remainder of the game showing that they truly owed their home ice.
Jackson Purvis scoring their first goal for the Bruins’ at 10:36 on the clock with assistance from team mates Connor Gross and Dominic Stadnyk.
Their second goal came immediately after thanks to Max Newton with assists from Tucker Brown and Reid Robertson.
Mere seconds passed after the drop of the puck before Bruins Connor Gross scores the third goal in the second period. Purvis and Lukas Peters assisted.
Penalties were given at 6:26 minutes left in the second period. Bruins’ Kyle Dolly and Croome were both left in the box for roughing. Before their penalties were finished, Bruins’ Corey Munro and Leaf’s Jamie Vlanich were sent to the box for roughing, leaving only four men on the ice per team. The rink got even emptier after Bruins’ Max Newton was sent to the penalty box for high sticking.
With twenty one seconds left on the clock a final penalty in the second period was called against Leafs Connor Tetlock for slashing.
This didn’t slow the Bruins’ down. They only had 17 seconds left on the clock when Purvis scored the games’ fourth goal with assists from Corey and Gross.
The third period was a game of cat and mouse while the Bruins maintained control over the puck for the entire third period. The Leaf’s stepped up the guard around their net, making it harder for the Bruin’s to slip another goal past.
The penalties keep coming in the third period. The Leaf’s Nick Trefry was sent to the penalty box for tripping with 15:10 left on the clock.
At 13:34 the Bruins scored the final goal of the game making it their fifth goal scored by Gross. Team mates Purvis and Cory gave assists in making the fifth goal connect with the net.
The refs whistle blew again calling penalty against Corey and he received two minutes for tripping with 8:24 on the clock.
Many failed goal attempts and power plays filled the last minutes of the game. With less than five minutes left, Bruins’ Lucas Robinson was sent to the penalty box for cross-checking.
As the buzzer rang calling the end of the game simultaneously all the refs whistles also blew making penalties against Bruins Cam McLennan, Dolly and Leafs Aaron Dunlop, and Rayce Miller all receiving four minutes in the penalty box for roughing.
The final score for the Grand Forks Border Bruins was 5:2 against the Nelson Leafs.
“We have really pulled it together, and tonight’s win comes with no surprises,” said coach Kevin Flather. “The guys have proven their stamina. Our game plan is (to) tire out the other team during the first and second periods and then play our game for the remainder of the second and third periods. Tonight really proved this strategy is working, I am really proud of my teams resilience.”
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