Hawks secure top spot with 3-0 victory, advance to Cyclone Taylor Cup Final
By Bruce Fuhr
Beaver Valley has booked its ticket into the Cyclone Taylor Cup Final.
Brett Clark made 26 saves to power the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League champion Nitehawks to a 3-0 victory over the Victoria Cougars in Cyclone Taylor preliminary round action Saturday afternoon at the NDCC Arena.
The win gives Beaver Valley 2-0-1 record, which is good enough for top spot in round robin standings, and a berth in the Cup Final Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
The Vancouver Island champs from Victoria, dropping to 1-2, was eliminated with the loss.
“It’s been a battle, but we’ve come together throughout this tournament and have just gotten better and better every game,” said Hawks Captain Archie McKinnon following the hard-fought win.
“We just grinded it out, played our game and kept it simple for throughout.”
Hawks led 1-0 after 40 minutes before putting the game away in the third with a pair of goals.
Dan Holland combined with Ryan Edwards to convert a 2-on-1 rush after the Cougars came close to tying the game earlier in the period on the power play.
Clark made a goal-line save to preserve the 1-0 lead.
“Brett has played unreal for us the entire playoffs,” McKinnon said of the Hawks backstopper. “He’s been unreal for us this whole tournament which has given us a chance to win.”
Reserve player Kyle Hope scored the third goal with 1.1 seconds remaining in the game into an empty net. Hope was in the lineup due to an injury to forward Dallas Calvin.
Defenceman Walker Sidoni was also seen limping after the game.
“We care a lot about each other so the guys who came into the lineup picked up the slack for the guys who couldn’t play,” McKinnon explained.
Beaver Valley now plays the winner of the Nelson/Aldergrove contest set for 7:30 p.m. in the NDCC Arena.
For the host Leafs to advance, the club needs to win the game.
Aldergrove, entering the game with a 1-1 record, needs only a tie to advance into the Final.
ICE CHIPS: Victoria out shot the Hawks 26-19 in the contest. . . . Beaver Valley center Ryan Edwards played the game wearing a cage after taking the puck in the face during Friday’s 2-2 against Nelson. Edwards did not lose any teeth but was cut for a few stitches. . . . Brett Clark has surrendered only three goals in three games during the tournament.
