Rebels mulch Leafs
By Kyra Hoggan
The Castlegar Rebels took back some of their own last weekend after road trips the week before ended in disappointment.
The weekend started off well in Spokane on Sept. 13, when the Rebels stole a win right out from under the Braves, taking the game 5-4 in over time.
Rebels head coach and general manager Brent Heaven said the win was no sure thing.
“It’s always difficult down in Spokane,” he said. “It was a back-and-forth game. We were down 4-3 going into the third period and scored the tie goal with about five minutes left in the game, and the winning goal in over time.”
A quick trip to the hospital for one of the players (he’s fine now) meant the team spent all night on the road and came back to Canada exhausted, heading straight to Beaver Valley and losing to the Nitehawks 2-3.
Sunday saw the Rebels back in the Complex, hosting the Revelstoke Grizzlies.
“We pretty much dictated the play that game,” said Heaven, congratulating the Grizzly goaltender on his spectacular game. “I think we got 41 shots, but were only able to get in one goal.”
The Rebels lost in over time 2-1.
Down but not out after that disappointing end to a tiring weekend, the Rebels played the comeback game of the season, bagging the Leafs on Nelson ice this Saturday with a shutout, 4-0.
“Nelson’s got a lot of speed and a lot of skill – they score a lot of goals with a rush attack,” Heaven explained.
“We stuck with our game plan and were able to hold them off in the neutral zone, not giving them the ability to use that skill and speed.”
He also gave a lot of credit to veteran Rebel goaltender Andrew Walton, who didn’t let a single puck into the net.
The Rebels are now primed to host the Columbia Valley Rockies at the Complex Saturday night, then it’s back to Spokane Sunday night to keep the Braves in check.
Heaven said the Rebel roster is by no means finalized, but fans can see the team starting to gel.
“There’s still going to be some stuff happening …possibly a couple of guys coming back from the Junior A’s …but it’s getting close,” he said. “The players are working hard and playing well together.
“We’re on the right track.”
The puck drops at the Complex this Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
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