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Shorthanded Nitehawks skate to OT win over Steam

Tyson Tokarz scored in overtime to lift Beaver Valley Nitehawks to 3-2 win over Summerland
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Nitehawks centre Ethan Smyth lines up to face off against Summerland opponent on Saturday at B.V. Arena. Photo: Jim Bailey

In a gutsy effort, a short-handed Beaver Valley Nitehawks team defeated the Summerland Steam in overtime on Saturday at the Hawks Nest.

With four players sitting out due to suspensions from the Nelson brawl incident Dec. 31, and leading scorer Nathan Dominici called up to the Trail Smoke Eaters, Beaver Valley faced off against the Steam with three affiliate players and a short bench.

But the Hawks outworked and outplayed the Steam andTyson Tokarz scored the game winner 1:52 into the overtime frame on a set up from Lucas Gartner for a 3-2 victory.

The games followed a challenging week of fallout from the stunning events that saw Leafs coach Adam DiBella suspended for the rest of the year, and ultimately resign due to instigating an on-ice brawl to start the second period of the Leafs-Nitehawks match.

B.V. fell to the Grand Forks Border Bruins 2-1 Friday, but rallied in front of their home fans for a big win on Saturday.

Affiliate player Connor Drake opened the scoring at 5:21 of the second period, tallying his first as a Nitehawk, on a passing play with Gabriel Chanut and Beau Manegre.

Chanut and Ollie Clement then set up Timothy Jozsa 1:24 into the third period for a 2-0 Hawks lead.

The Steam battled back, with Tristan Weil scoring a power play goal at 14:19 to cut the lead to one, and Kent Moors tying it up just two minutes later on another power play marker.

The goal set up a dramatic finish for Tokarz and the Hawks, with the Guy, Alberta native scoring his 15th of the season, and third goal in four games since joining the Nitehawks on Dec. 28.

B.V. outshot Summerland 49-30 and were 0-for-5 on the power play, and the Steam 2-for-5.

On Friday, B.V. goalie Connor Stojan stopped 43 shots in a 2-1 loss to the Border Bruins in Grand Forks. The Niteahawks iced just 14 skaters for the match up against the Neil Murdoch division leads Bruins.

The game remained scoreless through one despite a 24-6 shot advantage for the Bruins. Grand Forks Cody Laybolt tallied his 10th of the season with 2:38 left in the second period for a 1-0 lead.

The Nitehawks traded chances with the Border Bruins in the third, but a goal from Jonah Smith 16:31 into the period proved the game winner.

Nitehawks forward Manegre scored a late goal for the Hawks, but they could not find the equalizer.

Grand Forks outshot Beaver Valley 45-23, and were 1-for-4 on the power play, while the Hawks were 0-for-3.

The Nitehawks play the Rebels in Castlegar on Friday, Jan. 13 before returning to the Nest for a rematch and a full line up against the Grand Forks Border Bruins on Saturday, Jan. 14.



Jim Bailey

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