The Beaver Valley Nitehawks crash landed in Abbotsford on the weekend as they failed to medal at the Cyclone Taylor tournament.
After cruising to a KIJHL playoff championship, the Nitehawks were poised to take the provincial title, but the teams on the coast thought otherwise.
Beaver Valley lost the bronze-medal game Sunday, 5-3, to the Delta Ice Hawks to finish fourth at the Cyclone.
Ryan Edwards gave the Nitehawks a 3-2 lead midway through the third frame, but Delta scored three unanswered goals to skate to the victory.
Delta opened the scoring in the first, but the Nitehawks Dallas Calvin would tie it at the 4:53 mark.
John Proctor scored on a power play to put Delta up 2-1, however, Justin Niminiken tied it nine minutes into the third period before Edwards would give B. V. a short-lived lead.
The tournament hosted league champion Beaver Valley from the KIJHL, Delta from the Pacific International Junior Hockey League, the Victoria Cougars from the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League and the host Abbotsford Pilots with the teams playing each other once to determine Sunday’s final and consolation final.
The Nitehawks opened the tournament on Thursday with a 1-1 draw against Delta, and followed that up with a 3-0 loss to Victoria on Friday.
It was the first time the Hawks had been shut out all season and virtually put them out of the race for Sunday’s final. Delta had also beaten Abbotsford in the PIJHL playoff final to qualify, yet, the Pilots took it to the Ice Hawks at the Cyclone winning 6-4 on Friday.
The Nitehawks entertained an outside chance of advancing. With a decisive win over Abbotsford combined with a Delta victory over Victoria Saturday, they could squeeze in. Delta did their part, beating the Cougars 7-2, but the Pilots snuck past the Hawks with a 4-3 victory, dashing Beaver Valley’s chances.
The score of the Victoria and Abbotsford final was unavailable at press time.