Leafs ride Martens hat trick to 3-2 road win over Golden
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The Nelson Leafs got it done on then road and it was sniper Patrick Martens leading the way.
Martens sniped a natural hat trick to spark the Leafs to a 3-2 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League victory over the hometown Rockets Friday in Golden.
Nelson, 22-14-0-4 for third spot in the Murdoch Division, concludes the two-game swing through the Eddie Mountain Division Saturday in Invermere against the lowly Columbia Valley Rockies.
The Rockies, once considered one of the elite teams in the KIJHL when current Edmonton Oilers’ coach Tom Renney was behind the bench, have won only three games this season.
The game appeared to be over in the first period when Martens went on a scoring rampage by scoring three times in the frame.
Two of the goals were assisted by linemate Colton Schell, an obvious fan of Martens return at the roster deadline from Langley Rivermen of the BCHL.
Martens added an unassisted shorthanded marker to finish the period.
After the teams played through at scoreless second, the Rockets got on the board early in the third when Lane Erickson beat Andrew Walton in the Leaf nets.
The Leafs were their own worst enemies down the stretch as the team gift-wrapped a comeback for the Rockets with two lane period penalties — one to Max Mois for roughing after the whistle and the other for two-many-men on the ice, the second of the game for Nelson.
Darren Andre scored on the power play with 22 seconds remaining. But Nelson was able to withstand the Golden push to eek out the win.
Golden out shot the Leafs 33-28, including an 11-9 advantage in the third.
LEAF NOTES: The win improves Nelson’s record to 3-5-0-2 in the last 10 games. Only Grand Forks Border Bruins 0-10 have a lesser record than Nelson in the Murdoch Division. . . . Patrick Martens has points in both games since returning to the Leafs from the BCHL.
