Sorry Leaf fans: Hawks take control of series; Border Bruins edge Rebels in OT
By Bruce Fuhr
For some reason the Beaver Valley Nitehawks have a way of playing just well enough and just a little bit better than the Nelson Leafs.
The Hawks squeaked out another one of those nail-biting victories Friday night at the NDCC Arena, dumping the Leafs 6-2 to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Kootenay International Junior Hockey League Murdoch Division Semi Final Series.
Beaver Valley can complete the sweep Saturday night in Nelson when the teams meet for Game four of the series at the NDCC Arena.
“It was a great win of us tonight,’’ said Hawks head coach Terry Jones from outside the winner’s dressing room.
“I thought it was a pretty gritty effort tonight, by both teams,” Jones added.
“I thought in the first period there wasn’t much out there . . . guys were battling hard but once we got that first goal one we seem to relax a little bit and get some confidence.”
After a scoreless first period, Hawks Jace Weegar got the visitors going six minutes into the second period.
Nelson bounced right back, tying the game at 1-1 on a goal seconds later by Levi Hulston.
However, Devin Nemes teamed up with Tyler Ghirardosi and Evan Gorman for a picture-perfect marker to give Beaver Valley the 2-1 lead after 40 minutes.
Nelson came out with some jump in the third, looking for the equalizer.
The Leafs got a chance to tie the game when Hulston found himself in all alone on Beaver Valley netminder Tallon Kramer.
But Hulston, shooting for the top corner, fired a shot wide of the net.
“Of course we want Levi to scored, but you’re not going to score on every shot,” said Leafs captain Rayce Miller.
“The next one is going to go in . . .. That’s the mindset you have to have. That’s what we tell each other, you miss one the next one is going in.”
Minutes later the Hawks made the Leafs pay when Ghirardosi scored the first of two in the period and Dylan Heppier added a power play goal.
Andy Fitzpatrick pulled the Leafs to within a pair with a special teams goal.
But the Hawks scored twice with Leafs goalie Josh Williams on the bench for an extra attacker to secure the four-goal victory.
“I thought our third period was a real good period,” Jones said.
“We just played it the right way and we worked real hard on the defensive side.”
“But that team doesn’t quit over there,” Jones added.
“They work hard and got some guys that just keep battling.”
Beaver Valley out shot the Leafs 31-26 in the game.
Kramer won his second game of the series in goal for the Hawks.
Meanwhile, Josh Williams, who had a bounce-back game for the Leafs after getting pulled during Game one of the series, took the loss.
“We just come ready to go,” said Miller when asked how the Leafs can extend the series.
“We wipe the slate clean and play the same way we did today and come to the rink ready to go.”
ICE CHIPS: Nelson once again played the game without a full compliment of players. Defenceman Dash Thompson returned to the lineup, but Cleary Ambrose did not play leaving the Leafs with 16 skaters . . . . The game saw more than 500 fans attend. . . . If a fifth game is necessary it will be played Monday night in Fruitvale. . . . In Grand Forks, Austin Dean scored in the second overtime period to give the Border Bruins a 3-2 victory over the Castlegar Rebels. Shayne Pluto and Chad Grambo also scored for Grand Forks while Darren Medeiros and Chris Breese replied for the Rebels. The Bruins now lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 with Game four Saturday in the Boundary City.
