Following an 8-0 shutout victory over the Grand Forks Border Bruins Friday, Allan and Michael Pruss combined for seven points to lead the Beaver Valley Nitehawks to a dramatic 5-4 overtime victory over the Osoyoos Coyotes on Saturday at the Beaver Valley Arena.
Jace Weegar netted the overtime winner and Michael Pruss scored a hat trick, while Allan racked up four assists in the Hawks fourth straight win to open the season.
With 52 seconds remaining in the extra frame, Weegar worked the puck low to McCoy Hauk then drove to the front of the net, just as Hauk sent a pass to Fuller in the high slot. Weegar fought for position in front of the net when Fuller’s shot deflected off the Grand Prairie native and just squeaked through the pads of Osoyoos goalie Brett Soles.
Weegar said he was on the bench icing his forearm from an earlier slash when he and Fuller got the nod from coach Terry Jones for the final minute of the 4-on-4 overtime.
“My stick was tied up, I saw Fuller’s shot coming at me and I just turned my foot and it just barely made it in,” said Weegar.
The Coyotes jumped out to a 1-0 first period lead on a goal by Carter Shannon at 7:21, and kept it into the second, outshooting B.V 13-8.
But the Nitehawks turned it on in the second period, firing 20 shots at the Coyotes net, while Drake Poirier was steady in the Hawks goal blocking 10 shots in the middle frame.
Michael Pruss scored the first of three on the night rippling the mesh at 17:05 with assists going to Shawn Rowe and Allan Pruss to tie it at 1-1. Four minutes later Michael struck again to put B.V. up 2-1 on a setup from Hauk and Allan.
A wild third period ensued, which saw Rainer Glimpel draw the Coyotes even on a power play, but the Hawks again reclaimed the lead when Pruss got his stick on a drive from Blake Sidoni at 13:28 deflecting it by Soles.
Fuller was sent off for high-sticking midway through the third, and the Coyotes capitalized as Daniel Stone wired a Carter Robinson setup by Poirier to tie it at 3-3.
Both teams had their chances in the second half of the third with end-to-end action that eventually paid off for the Coyotes. Glimpel’s second goal of the game made it 4-3 for Osoyoos with just 76 seconds to play, but the game was far from over.
With 23 seconds remaining and Poirier on the bench, Fuller would redeem himself for the earlier penalty and fired an Allan Pruss pass by Soles to tie the match and force overtime.
The Pruss twins combined for seven points with Allan netting four assists and Michael the hat trick, while Hauk and Fuller had two-point nights. B.V. outshot Osoyoos 41-37.
On Friday night, the Nitehawks outshot the Border Bruins 49-20 on their way to an 8-0 drubbing. Fuller netted two goals and an assist while Tyler Hartman had a two point night with a goal and an assist. The Hawks other scorers were Dylan Heppler, Kyle Hope, Devin Nemes, Michael Pruss, and Jaxon Joseph, with Brandon Wells earning the shut out.
The Nitehawks host the Columbia Valley Rockies on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and travel to Castlegar to take on Neil Murdoch division rival Rebels on Sunday at 1 p.m.