Home is where the Leafs play this weekend as Green and White host three games at NDCC Arena
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The Nelson Leafs had better get used to some Heritage City home cooking.
Because the Green and White play the next three Kootenay International Junior Hockey League games, and four of the team’s upcoming five, at home in the friendly confines of the Nelson and District Community Complex Arena.
Three of the those games are scheduled for this weekend as the Leafs play host to Grand Forks Friday, Creston Thunder Cats Saturday and defending KIJHL champion Osoyoos Coyotes Sunday afternoon.
Unfortunately, home ice has not been as accommodating as the Leafs would like as, although Nelson is 3-1-0-1 which is good enough for top spot in the Murdoch Division, the team is only 1-1-0-1 at home.
Nelson hopes to better that mark Friday when the Leaf play host to winless Grand Forks Border Bruins.
The Bruins have had little bite to start the season, going winless in three games while being outscored by a combined 28-4.
Saturday, Nelson sees a Thunder Cats team that is 2-2 on the season.
Sunday the defending league champion Desert Dogs appear to be starting the current KIJHL campaign off the way the club ended the season last March, as Osoyoos currently owns top spot in the Okanagan Division of the Okanagan/Shuswap Conference with a 4-2 record.
BLUELINES: Patrick Martens and Matti Jmaeff, both racking up four points Sunday against Spokane Braves, jump to the top of the Leafs scoring race. Both players have seven points. Nik Newman is third with six points followed by James Sorriey and Colton Schell — the latter getting a shot to play with Trail Wednesday against Merritt —with five points. . . .Nelson acquired some depth on defence as Jonathon Petrash is back with the team. The 20-year-old rearguard last played in Nelson in 2009-10 scoring 28 points in 47 games.
sports@thenelsondaily.com
