Miller shoots down Hawks in overtime sparking Nelson to 5-4 victory
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Just when fans are ready to write the eulogy for the Nelson Leafs the hockey club finds a way to come off life support.
Rayce Miller scored an unassisted marker in overtime to lift the Leafs to a 5-4 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League victory over Beaver Valley Saturday night at the Hawks’ Nest.
The win evens the Murdoch Division Semi Final a 1-1.
Game three of the best-of-seven series is scheduled back in Nelson at the NDCC Arena Monday.
Game four of the series goes Tuesday in Nelson.
Both games have a 7 p.m. puck drop.
The series shifts back to Fruitvale for Game five Thursday.
After failing to solve Hawks’ netminder Drake Poirier in a 5-0 loss Friday during the opening game of the series, Nelson scored three times in the first period Saturday to take a 3-2 advantage into intermission.
Tyler Fyfe and Michael Crawford with a pair put the visitors into the lead.
Crawford then scored his third goal of the game in the second period to increase Nelson’s lead to 4-2.
However, in the third Beaver Valley turned up the heat on the Leafs, out shooting the Green and White 22-15 in the frame.
Reid Anderson cut the advantage to 4-3 with a goal four minutes into the period before Spencer McLean tied the game with 1:26 remaining in the third period.
But the Hawks could not put any more pucks behind surprise goalie starter Jason Mailhoit.
The Kootenay Ice backstopper faced 58 shots and was named the Leafs’ game star.
Kyle Hope, Hawks’ game star, and Spencer McLean also scored for Beaver Valley, which out shot the Leafs 58-45.
Both teams played without key players Saturday.
Nelson’s Darnel St. Pierre was suspended for two games for an accumulation of checking-to-the-head penalties.
Meanwhile, Jace Weegar was ticketed for three games after receiving a major penalty — checking-to-the-head — and game miscondut in last 10 minutes of game Friday’s game.
Braves steal game two against Rebels, series tied 1-1
In Castlegar, a second period goal by Paxton Malone, proved to be the winner as Spokane Braves posted a 6-3 road upset win over the Rebels to even the Murdoch Division Semi Final at 1-1.
Castlegar won the opener Friday 4-3.
Tyler Wilkerson, Tanner Stolz, Keith Anderson, Lance Nooman and Kyle Davis also scored for Spokane, which led 4-3 after 40 minutes.
Yanis Wilkie, Cal Owens and Jeremy McNeil replied for Castlegar.
Spokane out shot the Rebels 33-31 to make a winner out of netminder Trevor Dilauro.
Patrick Zubick took the loss in goal for Castlegar.
Game three and four are schedule for Monday and Tuesday in Spokane.
The series shifts back to the Sunflower City for Game five Thursday.
Comments