McLean's OT marker eliminates Leafs from playoffs in wild KIJHL post-season contest
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Spencer McLean scored his second goal of the game in overtime to spark the Beaver Valley Nitehawks to a wild 4-3 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League playoff victory over the Nelson Leafs Thursday night in Fruitvale.
The win advances the Hawks to the Murdoch Division Final against the winner of the Spokane Braves/Castlegar Rebels series.
Beaver Valley won the best-of-seven series 4-1.
The series appeared to be heading back to the Heritage City for Game six after Nelson took a 2-0 lead into the third period.
Darnel St. Pierre and Michael Crawford, with a power play goal, scored for the Leafs in the first period.
Then the series looked to be over as Beaver Valley struck for three straight goals in the third to take a 3-2 advantage late in the game.
Devin Nemes, Tyler Hartman and McLean, less that two minutes after Hartman tied the game, scored for the home side.
However, double-KIJHL award winner Robson Cramer tied the game in the final minute of regulation time to send the contest into overtime for the second time in the series. Cramer’s goal came two seconds after Mitch Foyle returned to the ice after serving a cross-checking penalty.
Beaver Valley out shot the Leafs by a 52-39 advantage, including a 12-5 margin in the wild third period when the home side pushed to get back into the game.
Hawks’ netminder Carsen Schamerhorn won for the third time in the series, outdueling Jason Mailhoit in the Nelson nets.
McLean was named the game star for Beaver Valley while Dylan Williamson earned the honour for Nelson, eliminated from the playoffs for the third consecutive year by Beaver Valley.
PLAYOFF NOTES: Michael Crawford, Rayce Miller and Robson Cramer each finished the game with two points for Nelson. Spencer McLean and Mitch Foyle finished the game with two points for the Hawks. . . . Crawford finished the series as Nelson’s leading scorer with four goals and three assists for seven points. . . . The game was the final junior game for a handful of Leaf players — forwards Matt MacDonald and Aaron Dunlap and defencemen Robson Cramer, Patrick Croome and Darnel St. Pierre. . . . Castlegar Rebels rebounded from a 6-0 pounding in Spokane to defeat the Braves 5-2 to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Murdoch playoff series Thursday in the Sunflower City. Brett Leidl, Yannis Soukas, Tyler Barrett, Aaron Petten and Dylan Ofner scored for the Rebels. Castlegar scored three unanswered goals in the third to secure the win. Game six is Friday in Spokane.
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