Leafs are ready to put the past behind, start post season Tuesday
By The Nelson Daily Sports
By Bruce Fuhr
The Nelson Daily Sports
The way the season started is the way the regular campaign ended for the Nelson Leafs — with a loss.
Five players shared in the scoring to lead the Creston Valley Thunder Cats to a 5-4 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League victory over the Nelson Leafs Saturday night at the NDCC Arena.
The Leafs, finishing with a 25-22-0-3 record and third spot in the Murdoch Division, now prepare to face Beaver Valley in game on of the divisional playoffs beginning Tuesday in Fruitvale.
“We’re now ready for the new season,” said Leaf captain Taylor O’Neil following the season-ending loss Saturday.
“Our record is completely erased . . . we can completely forget it. Now we can focus on Beaver Valley.”
The Thunder Cats, gaining a bit of revenge on the Leafs after losing 4-3 Friday in Creston, took the lead with a shorthanded marker by Brandon Formosa midway through the opening frame.
Ryan Hewitt made it 2-0 before Nelson center Gavin Currie, playing his second game after recovering from a shoulder injury, combined with Dustin Johnson and Marcus Dahl, the cut the lead to 2-1 at intermission.
Jovi Fabbri and Kane Dawe increased the lead to 4-1 six minutes into the second period before Johnson got one back for Nelson.
However, Brennan Foreman got a little satisfaction on his former club scoring on Marcus Beesley two minutes later to restore the three-goal advantage. Foreman, dispatched to the Cats at the trading deadline in January, glared at the Leaf bench while skating past coach Chris Shaw after scoring.
Dahl, with his second point of the game, gave Nelson some life before the period ended when his shot fooled Cats’ goalie Weston Joseph.
It took the Leafs 19 minutes, and pulling the goalie, to cut the lead to 5-4. Colton Schell scored from a goalmouth scramble.
Despite playing with two extra players after Creston’s Formosa was penalized in the final minute of the game, Nelson couldn’t find the equalizer.
“That’s a pretty good team over there,” O’Neil confessed. “Obviously we were able to come together as a team last night but it was a close game too.”
“It’s been like that all year,” O’Neil added. “We just didn’t have it tonight . . . had a couple unlucky bounces.”
Nelson out shot the Cats 29-23, including 14-8 in the opening frame. Beesley was out dueled in goal by Joseph, who recorded the win.
Ryan Waldhaus of Prince George, acquired by Nelson to fill the injured roster position of Darren Hogg, replaced Beesley in the second period.
Nelson was given special exemption by B.C. Hockey to place Waldhaus on the roster after it was revealed Hogg would not be able to play again this season due to an injured leg.
BLUELINES: It was quite a festive atmosphere in the arena Saturday as Leaf brass joined forces with Save On Foods and the NDCC to raise funds for Children’s Hospital Child Heath of B.C. . . .More than 700 fans attended with the 50-50 draw topping the $500 mark. . . .The concourse was filled with booths for the fans to enjoy, including tents occupied by The Bridge and Scotia Bank. . . .The Leafs welcomed back sniper Gavin Currie to the lineup this weekend. Currie, out since December 31 with a shoulder injury, has two points Saturday. . . .Colton Schell, with two points Saturday, won the Nelson scoring race by four points over Joel Stewart and five over Currie. . . .Blake Arcuri missed another game due to a shoulder injury, which he originally suffered in minor hockey. The Nelson Minor Hockey grad will have surgery in the next few weeks. . . .Evan J. Moir suffered a season-ending shoulder injury Friday in Creston. . . .Ryan Voykin, a contestant throughout the season during the Leafs shoot-to-win contest, and Shawn Badger, after winning the program draw, had a chance to win a Ford Fiesta in the Nelson Ford Shootout during the second period intermission. Both missed in their bids. . . .Friday, Connor Enright scored twice and added an assist to lift Nelson to the 4-3 win.
sports@rthenelsondaily.com
