Medeiros scores hat-trick to power Rebels past Leafs 6-4
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Darren Medeiros scored three times to lead the Castlegar Rebels to a 6-4 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League victory over the Nelson Leafs Saturday night in the Sunflower City.
The win hoisted the Rebels into first place in the Murdoch Division.
Kamloops defeated Beaver Valley 4-3 in Fruitvale to keep Nelson and the Hawks tied for second in the division, one point behind Castlegar.
Castlegar has played two more games than the Leafs.
The Rebels jumped all over Nelson netminder Adam Maida, scoring twice in the opening three minutes of the game to grab an early 2-0 lead.
Medeiros and Bryan Lubin, on the power play, beat Maida before Tyler Barrett made it 3-0 midway through the period.
Patrick Croome gave Nelson some momentum with a power play maker late in the period.
However, Castlegar regained a three-goal lead with Medeiros scored the only goal in the second period.
Austin Lindsay cut the margin to 4-2 with a goal two minutes into the third period.
But Medeiros and Cal Owens scored two minutes apart to put the game away.
An unassisted goal by Rayce Miller and Robson Cramer on the power play completed the scoring for Nelson in garbage time.
Nelson out shot the Rebels 45-29.
Maida, who was replaced in goal by Joey Karrer after Castlegar’s third goal, took the loss in the nets. Karrer was recently signed by Nelson in a deal with Campbell River Storm of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League.
Nelson is back in action Sunday afternoon in Fruitvale against the defending KIJHL champion Nitehawks.
