Leaf win fourth straight by doubling Rockies 6-3
By The Nelson Daily Sports
By Bruce Fuhr,
The Nelson Daily Sports
The Nelson Leafs returned to their old slow-starting ways.
Only this time it didn’t cost them any points in the standings.
Nine different players hit the score sheet as Nelson doubled the Columbia Valley Rockies 6-3 in Kootenay International Junior Hockey League action Sunday afternoon at the NDCC Arena.
The win, coupled with a 5-1 shellacking of the Kamloops Storm Saturday, is the fourth straight for the Green and White and moves the Leafs into a third-place tie with the Spokane Braves. Nelson has won six of seven games.
“This feels good . . . we’re pretty confident now so we feel pretty good,” said Leaf forward Colton Schell.
Schell, teaming up with newcomer Brennan Foreman, scored the Leafs final goal during a three-goal third period that iced the contest for Nelson. But it was the slow start that had the players talking.
“We came out flat at the start thinking that this was going to be an easy game,” explained Schell as the Leafs met last place Rockies with only five wins on the season. “For some reason our first periods have been bad all year. Maybe it’s a lack of preparation but we need to focus better.”
Patrick Martens, on the power play, and Stephen Hynes of the Rockies scored in the first period. Nelson took control of the game in the second, outscoring the Rockies 2-1 in the second on goals by
Gavin Currie and Evan J Moir, scoring his first of the season.
Foreman, Currie and Schell completed the scoring for Columbia Valley in the third.
Marcus Beesley stopped 20 of 23 shots, including a few of the spectacular variety in the third, to register the win. Nelson out shot Columbia Valley 34-23.
Saturday the Leafs knocked off one of the hottest teams in the KIJHL in the Kamloops Storm. “We came out knowing (Kamloops) is one of the top teams in the league and if we want to be one of those teams we had to beat them and we did,” said Schell of the four-goal win over the Storm.
Connor McLaughlin, who has been scoring goals wherever he’s playing, netted a pair to lead the Leafs.
McLaughlin, given the night off by coach Chris Shaw, helped the Trail Smoke Eaters to victory during a road trip to northern B.C. by scoring twice against Prince George. McLaughlin scored twice in the opening frame, one coming on the power play.
Martens gave Nelson a 3-0 lead before Mike McCance solved Nelson starter Darren Hogg.
In the third Connor Enright and Dallon Stoddart scored to put the game away. Tanner Burns and Currie, who now leads Nelson in scoring with 33 points, added a pair of assists.
LEAF BANTER: Leaf coach Chris Shaw was without assistants Jason Rushton and Sean Dooley, both in Vernon attending a coaching clinic. . . .Nelson continues to beat up on teams outside the Murdoch Division, improving to 8-2 on the season. However, it’s inside the division that the Leafs are experiencing growing pains as the Green and White are a collective 6-9 against Murdoch opponents, with four of the wins coming against Grand Forks. Nelson has yet to defeat Murdoch front running Castlegar or Beaver Valley this season. . . .Newcomers Brennan Foreman and Joel Stewart have four and two points, respectively, since joining the team Thursday in Grand Forks. . . .Nelson hosts Spokane Friday and Castlegar Saturday as the team moves back to games within the division. Saturday’s game is in the Civic Centre Arena as the Leafs help the city celebrate the arena’s 75th anniversary.
sports@thenelsondaily.com
