Hawks take command of Murdoch series, edge Leafs 3-2 in Game four showdown
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The Nelson Leafs put together 55 minutes of great hockey against the Beaver Valley Nitehawks Tuesday night in Game four of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League Murdoch Division playoffs.
Unfortunately, hockey is a 60-minute game.
The defending KIJHL champs rang off two goals in the last five minutes of the second period to snap a 1-1 tie and go on to edge the Leafs 3-2 before a crowd of just over 500 at the NDCC Arena.
The sweep of games in Nelson gives the Hawks a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Monday Beaver Valley scored five times in the third period to defeat the Leafs 5-2.
Game five is Thursday back in Fruitvale.
For the second consecutive game Nelson took the lead in the contest after a scoreless first period.
Nelson defenceman Patrick Croome scored a power play goal past Carson Schamerhorn in the Beaver Valley nets to give the Leaf faithful some hope of sending the series back to Fruitvale squared at 2-2.
However, that’s when the Beaver Valley juggernaut went to work.
Taylor Stafford, with his fourth goal and sixth point of the series, tied the game as Beaver Valley scored its fourth power play goals in two games.
Then goals by Spencer McLean and Reid Anderson 16 seconds apart gave the visitors a two-goal advantage after 40 minutes of play.
Tyler Fyfe scored on the power play midway through the third period to give the Leafs some hope, cutting the lead to 3-2. The goal came despite the fact Beaver Valley held a 13-4 shot advantage in the frame.
Nelson had one more power play when Ross Armour was sent off for interference.
However, Schamerhorn shut the door to give the Hawks a chance to send the Leafs to the golf course come Thursday.
Nelson out shot the Hawks — including a 17-6 advantage in the second period — 29-28.
Schamerhorn won for the second time in the series while Kootenay Ice affiliate goalie Jason Mailhoit played solid once again for Nelson to register the loss.
BLUELINES: Beaver Valley has out scored Nelson in the series 17-9. . . .Before the game started, KIJHL vice-president Bill Sheard presented Leaf defenceman Robson Cramer with two league awards — top defenceman in the Murdoch Division and KIJHL. Cramer, Nelson’s leading scorer during the regular season, is off to Simon Fraser University next season. . . . Nelson got a boost when Darnel St. Pierre returned to the lineup after serving his two-game suspension for check-to-the-head. However, Nelson defenceman Austin Seaman missed his second straight game after being hurt during Game two in Beaver Valley . . . Beaver Valley’s Jace Weegar served the final game of his three-game suspension, and should be back in the lineup Thursday. . . . In Spokane, the Braves tied their series with Castlegar after posting a 6-0 rout of the Rebels. Jon Manlow stopped all 43 shots to send the Braves back to the Sunflower City for Game five even in the best-of-seven series 2-2. Paxton Malone scored twice while Jonny Marzec, Lance Noomen, Sean Collins and Kyle Davis added singles. Game six is Friday in Spokane.
