Andrews finishes with four helpers to lead Nelson past Rockies 6-4
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Blair Andrews turned into a set-up machine, finishing with four assists to spark the Nelson Leafs to a 6-4 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League victory over the Columbia Valley Rockies Sunday afternoon at the Eddie Mountain Arena in Invermere.
Andrews, with five points in the past two games, snapped an 11-game point drought with the breakout weekend.
Nelson held period leads of 3-0 and 5-3 against the Eddie Mountain squad.
Jamie Vlanich scored twice for Nelson with singles going to Austin Lindsay, Brandon Sookro, Aaron Dunlap and Linden Horswill.
Brad Rebagliati faced 39 shots to register the win in goal for Nelson. The Leafs out shot the Rockies 41-39.
Nelson jumps past idle Beaver Valley Nitehawks into top spot in the Murdoch Division with a record of 28-6-1-3.
The Leafs, winners of three straight games, face Castlegar in the Sunflower City Friday before returning home to host Spokane Braves Saturday at the NDCC Arena.
Willans, Vlanich spark Leafs to 7-2 rout of Rockets
The Golden Rockets won the shots battle, but the Nelson Leafs took the scoring war.
Carsen Willans and Jamie Vlanich each had four points sparking the Nelson Leafs to a convincing 7-2 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League victory over the Rockets Saturday night in Golden.
Vlanich led the scoring parade witih three goals. Linden Horswill added a pair while Adam Hodge and Darnel St. Pierre scored singles.
Nelson held period leads of 2-1 and 6-1.
Adam Maida was busy in the Nelson nets stopping 37 shots as the Rockets out shot the Leafs 39-25, including a 17-4 advantage in the third period.
Willans had four assists while Troy Petrick, Horswill and St. Pierre each finished with two points.
Nelson, remaining one point behind Beaver Valley in Murdoch Division standings, concludes its Eddie Mountain road swing Sunday in Invermere against the Columbia Valley Rockies.
Beaver Valley edged Spokane 3-1 Saturday in Fruitvale.
Three second-period goals sparks Leafs past Nitros
Nelson Leafs started the New Year off on the right skate, scoring three second period goals to edge the Kimberley Dynamiters 3-1 in Kootenay International Junior Hockey League action Friday night in the Bavarian City.
Leaf captain Darnel St. Pierre, Troy Petrick and Jamie Vlanich, shorthanded, scored for the Leafs during a five-minute span.
The goals erased a 1-0 Kimberley lead.
Nelson out shot the Nitros 27-20 in the game.
Brad Rebagliati stopped 19 of 20 shots to register the win in goal.
Former Leaf players Tyler Garcia, traded to the Eddie Mountain team at the BC Hockey December roster deadline, was tabbed for a 4-minute spearing penalty at the game’s final buzzer. Garcia also received a 10-minute misconduct.
Nelson, climbing to within a point of idle Beaver Valley in the Murdoch standings, continues its road trip Saturday in Golden against the Rockets.
Nelson and Beaver Valley, which defeated the Leafs twice in December, have both played the same 36 games.
Nelson concludes the trip Sunday in Invermere against the Columbia Valley Rockies.
Next home game is Saturday, January 11 against Spokane Braves at 7 p.m. in the NDCC Arena.
