Leafs shutout Castlegar 3-0 behind 23-save performance of goalie Brett Soles
By The Nelson Daily Sports
While most fans of the Nelson Leafs were enjoying a day at the turkey buffet table, the Green and White were making up of a hiccup Friday at home.
Nelson rode the 23-save performance of Brett Soles to shutout the Castlegar Rebels 3-0 Sunday afternoon in Kootenay International Junior Hockey League action in the Sunflower City.
The win gained some revenge for the Leafs after the Green and White dropped a 3-1 decision to the Rebels Friday in Nelson.
A goal by Michael Crawford in the second period stood up as the winner as Nelson, 7-2-2-1, stretched its lead over Murdoch Division rivals Castlegar and Beaver Valley to four points.
Nolan Percival, on the power play, and Aaron Brewer added some third-period insurance for the Leafs, winners of two straight games and four of their last six.
Brewer, Nelson’s game star, led the Leafs in scoring with two points.
Soles, outstanding between pipes, lowered his goal average to 1.96, good for second in the entire KIJHL behind Alex Kong of Summerland.
Nelson, which invited players parents in for the weekend games, now takes to the road for a trip to the BC Interior.
Friday, the Leafs meet 100 Mile House Wranglers before taking on Revelstoke Grizzlies Saturday and Sicamous Eagles Sunday.
Next home game for Nelson is Saturday, October 25 against Golden Rockets at 7 p.m. in the NDCC Arena.
Leafs outlast Braves at home Saturday
Saturday, Matt MacDonald and Rayce Miller each had two points as the Nelson Leafs edged Spokane Braves 3-1.
The win lifted Nelson into sole possession of top spot in the Murdoch Division, two points in front of second place Castlegar and Beaver Valley.
Castlegar defeated Revelstoke 4-2 while Beaver Valley lost to Kimberley 7-1.
Coming off a loss the night before against Castlegar, in a game the Leafs scored only one goal, Nelson once again struggled to find the net against the Braves.
Despite firing 17 shots at Spokane netminder Jon Manlow, all the Leafs could muster was a power play goal in the final minute by MacDonald.
Nelson continued to hold the one-goal lead until Miller, named Home Star in the game, put the home side up by two with a third-period marker.
Jake Toporowski cut the lead in half in the final minutes of the game on the power play.
But Sam Weber secured the win with his second goal as a junior into an empty net goal.
Nelson finished the game out shooting the Braves by a whopping 38-10 margin making a winner of Soles in the Leaf nets.
