Rebels continue to beat up Green and White, dump Leafs 9-0
By The Nelson Daily Sports
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The Castlegar Rebels continue to feast on all things in Green and White.
Kootenay Ice Major Midget affiliate player Jesse Knowler had four points to lead the Murdoch Division leaders to a 9-0 pounding of the Nelson Leafs in Kootenay International Junior Hockey League action Wednesday night in the Sunflower City.
The win was the fifth straight for Castlegar over Nelson this season.
This contest was well over before it started. The home side built up a 4-0 first period lead and never looked back.
Knowler, Taylor Anderson, Tyler Jones and Erik Wentzel in the final minute of the frame scored to give Castlegar the commanding lead.
Darren Tarasoff, Jamie Vlanich and Arthur Andrews added second period goals before Stuart Walton and Anthony Delong completed the scoring in the third.
The Rebels fired 44 shots at the beleaguered duo of Darren Hogg and Marcus Beesley in the Nelson nets.
The lopsided game allowed Rebel coach Steve Junker to rest starter Alex Ross after two periods, replacing the top Castlegar goalie with Cole Buckley in the third.
The loss was the third straight for the Murdoch Division’s third-place team from Nelson.
Nelson, falling to 1-9 against the Murdoch’s top teams — Beaver Valley and Castlegar — returns to the ice New Years Eve at 1 p.m. to host the Spokane Braves in the NDCC Arena.
GAME NOTES: Jesse Knowler, with a goal and three assists, is second on the Kootenay Ice in scoring behind Nelson’s Dryden Hunt. . . .Jesse Vlanich and Arthur Andrews had three points while Erik Wentzel, Darren Tarasoff, Stuart Walton and Taylor Anderson each had two points. . . .Vlanich, a 17-year-old sniper from Trail, has nine points in nine games since being acquired from Fernie in the blockbuster deal that sent veteran goalie Andrew Walton to the Ghostriders. The Rebels also received Mike Wiest in the deal. . . .Leaf defenceman Walker Sidoni made his return to the line up after a long stint on the injury list. . . .Kootenay Ice Major Midget forward Carsen Willans played his second game for the Leafs. . . .Nelson was missing foward Cody Abbey and defenceman Blake Arcuri for the contest. Both were serving suspensions from a December 11 dust up in Fruitvale against the Nitehawks. . . .Leaf forward Connor McLaughlin also did not play.
sports@thenelsondaily.com
