The Beaver Valley Nitehawks bounced back in a big way in Game 2 of its Neil Murdoch Division semifinal against the Creston Valley Thunder Cats.
The division’s top scorer Hayden Stocks scored the game winner in a 7-1 rout of Creston on Wednesday at the Beaver Valley Arena.
A more physical B.V. team ties the series at 1-1 following a 5-4 loss in Game 1 the night before and will now travel to Creston for Games 3 and 4 this weekend.
Trail native Ethan Smyth scored twice, including the opening goal with one second left in the first period to give B.V. the lead heading into the second.
Stocks then scored a shorthanded goal to make it 2-0 on a set up from Ethan Jang and Kelton McAuley at 2:33.
Hawks defenceman Kaleb Percival notched his first of the post season at 5:26 on the power play, before the Thunder Cats Luke Chakrabarti scored their lone goal 62 seconds later.
Gavin Tritt made it 4-1 Nitehawks to end the middle frame, and third period tallies by Cooper Ross, Ethan Smyth, and Joel Smyth made the final 7-1.
Beaver Valley outshot Creston 41-34 with Owen Albers earning the victory in goal, and Carlos Siso the loss. The Nitehawks went 2-for-8 on the power play, while Creston was 0-for-11.
In the other Murdoch semifinal, the Nelson Leafs tied their series with Castlegar at a game apiece after a 3-2 victory Wednesday in Nelson. Their series now shifts to Castlegar for Games 3 and 4 this weekend.
Game 3 between the Hawks and T-Cats goes on Friday in Creston with the puck drop at 7 p.m.