Leafs brace for bumpy road ahead
By The Nelson Daily Sports
By Bruce Fuhr,
The Nelson Daily Sports
As if life couldn’t get any worse for the Nelson Leafs after Saturday’s 5-0 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League shellacking at the hands of Murdoch rival Castlegar Rebels.
But it can.
The Leafs open play Friday against another one of those Murdoch teams the Heritage City franchise has yet to defeat this season.
Saturday, the road get even bumpier when Nelson travels to the South Okanagan to meet a team that has suffered only one regulation loss this season — the 24-1-1-4 Osoyoos Coyotes.
“It’s real frustrating against Castlegar and Beaver Valley is another divisional team we haven’t done that well against,” Leaf coach and GM, Chris Shaw said following Saturday’s loss. “The rest of the league has felt our presence and we’ve handled them quite nicely and the rest of the teams in our division.”
“But we’ve got to learn to beat the two top teams in our division, which is the most important games for us,” Shaw added.
Nelson, fourth in the Murdoch with a 15-12 record, is 8-2 outside the division.
Nelson attempts to snap the streak against the Hawks, a team that has jumped ahead of the Rebels in the Murdoch race.
Unfortunately, for the Leafs Beaver Valley enters the contest tonight at 7 p.m. in the NDCC Arena as one of the hottest teams in the league. The Hawks are 9-1 in the last ten.
Beaver Valley is led by Nelson Minor Hockey grad Ryon Sookro. The 19-year-old native of South Slocan lead Beaver Valley in scoring with 36 points, including 17 goals.
Another Nelsonite with the Hawks is Justin Niminiken has 16 points for Beaver Valley.
The Osoyoos game is the first of three on the road for the Leafs. Next week Nelson travels to Kimberley and plays a return engagement with the Hawks before hosting Grand Forks Sunday, December 12.
The contest against the Bruins is the last game before the Christmas break.
sports@thenelsondaily.com
