Leafs look to keep unbeaten streak alive; host Bruins Saturday at NDCC Arena
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Following a single-game weekend, the Nelson Leafs return to the fold with a pair of key Kootenay International Junior Hockey League Murdoch Division games.
Nelson, locked in a three-way tie for second spot in the division with Beaver Valley and surprising Grand Forks, travel south of the 49th parallel to face the Braves.
The Leafs, undefeated in September with five exhibition and three regular season wins, know all too well how difficult it is to win in the Lilac City as the Braves always put up a challenge regardless of the team’s success.
Saturday, the Leafs return to the NDCC Arena to host the new-and-improved Grand Forks Border Bruins at 7 p.m.
After opening the season with three consecutive wins the Bruins have cooled off after dropping a pair of games to defending KIJHL champ Castlegar and Beaver Valley.
The Bruins enter the weekend sporting two of the top three scoring leaders in the KIJHL.
Jackson Purvis leads the league with 13 points in five games.
Former Leaf Connor Gross is tied for second with three players with 11 points.
Purvis and Gross combined have almost half of the Bruins offensive points.
Nelson counters with the Jamie Vlanich-Travis Wellman connection.
The two snipers have 14 of Nelson’s 44 points.
LEAF NOTES: The players have been busy off the ice of late. Three days this week some of the players helped out in the soup kitchen while others were challenged go a floor hockey game at Trafalgar.
