'Good weekend' as Kootenay Ice snap losing streak
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Now’s not the time to break out the champagne, but grabbing three of the possible four points is a reason to celebrate for the Kootenay Ice Hockey Club.
The Ice tied 6-6 and won 3-1 over North Island Silvertips during a BC Hockey Major Midget League series at the NDCC Arena.
“It was a real good weekend for us . . . we had no passengers,” said Ice coach Brian Jones.
“Goaltending was strong all weekend . . . Curt Doyle played Saturday and Ben Kelsch Sunday,” Jones added.
“Connor Seib had a strong weekend on the blue line while Bradley Ross, Aiden Jenner Hunter Floris and Shawn Campbell supplied most of the offense.”
Jones and the Ice players felt they let a point slip away when Keaton Mastrodonato, with this second of the game, scored with 28 seconds remaining in the game Saturday to allow North Island to steal a 6-6 tie.
“We were up 4-1 after one but a lack of discipline against a very chippy North Island team got the best of us in the second period,” Jones explained.
“I thought we deserved better.”
Floris and Ross, each with a pair, led Kootenay in scoring while Jenner and Campbell added singles.
Kootenay scored three times on the power play during the contest.
Sunday, after a scoreless first period, Kootenay took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Jenner.
North Island’s Kyle Pow tied the game four minutes into the third before Kootenay struck for a pair of goals to secure the victory.
“I thought we kept our composure and were patient and stuck with our system,” said Jones.
“We got a power play goal with a 1:30 left and then an empty netter.”
Kootenay remains in the cellar of the BCMMHL, three points behind the Silvertips.
The Ice travels to Abbotsford this weekend for a pair of games against the fifth-place Fraser Valley Thunderbirds.
Kootenay concludes the season at home February 27-28 hosting the third-place Vancouver Northwest Giants.
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