Leafs ride performance of Adam Maida to 2-1 victory over Rebels
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Netminder Adam Maida stopped all but one shot to backstop the Nelson Leafs to a 2-1 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League victory over rival Castlegar Rebels Saturday night at the NDCC Arena.
The victory powered the Leafs into a tie for top spot in Murdoch Division standings and allowed Nelson to grab three of a possible four points in the home-and-home weekend series.
Castlegar won Friday night 5-4 in overtime.
Maida, who struggled in an earlier meeting between the two teams in Castlegar, was solid between the pipes as Nelson out shot the Rebels 36-30 in the game.
The teams were tied 1-1 after one period.
Ryan Rosich scored for Castlegar on the power play to open the scoring before Drew Carter tied the game for Nelson.
Rayce Miller scored what proved to be the winning goal in the second period. The rest was up to Maida who stopped 22 shots in the final two periods to register his seventh win of the season.
Nelson outshot the Rebels 36-30 in the game.
Castlegar and Nelson are tied for top spot in the division, but the Leafs have played one less game.
Friday in Castlegar, Daniel Petten scored the winner at of 4:20 of overtime to lift the Rebels to victory.
Nelson battled back from a two-goal deficit in the third to send the game into overtime.
The KIJHL’s leading scorer, Bryan Lubin, Darren Medeiros, Mike Bhatoa and Jeremy McNeil scored for the Rebels.
Michael Crawford with a pair, Austin Lindsay and Miller scored for the Leafs.
Leaf captain Aaron Dunlap, Austin Seaman, Matt MacDonald and Crawford each finished with two points.
Nelson now hosts the Spokane Braves Tuesday at the NDCC Arena.
Game time is 7 p.m.
BLUELINES: Nelson finished the month of November with a 6-5 record while Castlegar was 7-4 in 11 games. . . . Nelson’s new defenceman Joel Huber did not register a point in two games, but helped an injury-riddled blueline. . . . Former Nelson Leafs Alec Wilkinson registered two points to help the Creston Valley Thunder Cats edge Beaver Valley 2-1 Friday. . . . The Leafs kept an eye on KIJHL leading scorer Bryan Lubin, who saw his lead shrink to two points.
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