The Beaver Valley Nitehawks launched a comeback after being down 3-0 against the Nelson Maple Leafs on Tuesday.
The Leafs popped in two goals in the first and one early in the second, to take a commanding lead on home ice. But the Beaver Valley line of Craig Martin, Chris Derochie and Ryan Edwards caught fire midway through the second period with Martin netting a hat trick including the winning goal late in the third to pace the Nitehawks to a 5-4 victory.
The Leafs scored an early goal by Colton Shell and a late first period goal by Patrick Martens to jump out 2-0. Martens would add another early in the second to give the Leafs a comfortable three-goal lead.
Cue the comeback.
Midway through the second, Martin began the scoring barrage for the Nitehawks stuffing one past Leafs’ goalie Andrew Walton, with assists from Derochie and Edwards. With four minutes left in the second, Christian Johnson took a feed from Edwards and Dallas Calvin to put the Hawks within one. A minute and a half later, Martin and Derochie teamed up again to tie the game going into the final frame.
Both teams battled it out in the third period and Beaver Valley fans erupted in the stands with only four-and-a-half minutes remaining when the Nitehawk’s Ryan Dixon gave the Nitehawks their first lead.
Martin completed the hat trick seconds later as he converted a Derochie pass with a quick shot into the top corner to make it 5-3. A late Nelson goal would make it close but the Hawks would hold on.
Edwards leads the league in scoring with 22 points but both Martin and Derochie are hot on his heals, each with 21. Martin leads the league in goals scored with 10.
Zach Perehudoff stopped 19 of 23 shots for Beaver Valley while the Leafs’ Walton turned aside 22 of 27.
The Nitehawks next home game is Friday at the Beaver Valley Arena against Creston at 7:30 p.m.