Leafs drop two straight during Eddie Mountain road trip
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The Nelson Leafs weekend excursion into the Eddie Mountain Division proved to rank right up there with a National Lampoon Vegas vacation.
The injury-riddled Leafs lost two straight — 5-1 Saturday to Fernie and 3-0 Friday to Columbia Valley — Kootenay International Junior Hockey League games to fall into third spot in the Murdoch Division — five points behind Beaver Valley Nitehawks.
The two losses ran Nelson winless streak to three games.
Five different players scored for the Ghostriders in the romp over the Leafs.
Fernie snapped a 1-1 game with three second-period goals.
Derek Georgopoulos, Aaron Neufeld, Doan Smith, Joel Burgess and Tayler Sincenness scored for Fernie.
Newcomer Tyler Fyfe scored his first goal for Nelson.
The six-foot, 170-pound Fyfe was out of hockey after being traded to Peninsula Panthers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League from Creston Valley Thunder Cats of the KIJHL.
Fernie dominated the game, out shooting the Leafs 55-30.
Adam Maida was in goal for Nelson.
Friday, Nelson could not solve the Columbia Valley netminder Jason Sandhu en route to the shutout loss.
Sandhu stopped all 25 shots Nelson registers.
Harrison Davies, Sam Young and Malcolm Fenelon scored for the Rockies past Nelson goalie Joey Karrer.
Nelson returns to the NDCC Arena for action Friday against Creston Valley Thunder Cats.
Game time is 7 p.m.
Nelson plays four if its next five games at home to round out the month of January.
LEAF NOTES: Despite clinching a playoff berth, Nelson could run itself right into fourth spot in the division and a first-round series against defending KIJHL champion Beaver Valley should the Heritage City franchise not right the ship, and soon. Spokane trails Nelson by two points in Murdoch Division standings. . . . Nelson lost Patrick Croome during the second period against Fernie after the Leafs defenceman was issued a game misconduct. Croome was back in the lineup for the weekend trip after being out with injury since November 22. . . . Nelson also saw the return of forward Blair Andrews to the lineup. Andrews has played three games since being injuried December 5 against Golden. . . . Matt MacDonald, Aaron Brewer, Dylan Williamson and Brandon Chow all did not play during the weekend due to injury.
