Drake Poirier made 41 saves as the Beaver Valley Nitehawks held off the Nelson Leafs 4-2 on Friday.
Ryan Terpsma, Nolan Percival, Braden Fuller and Sam Swanson each scored for Beaver Valley (20-5-3), which won its third straight to keep pace atop the Neil Murdoch Division with Castlegar.
Malcolm Fenelon and Eamonn Miller replied for the Leafs (13-17-1), whose losing streak stretched to six games. Patrick Ostermann finished with 29 saves in Nelson’s net.
After a scoreless first period, Terpsma and Percival each scored to put Beaver Valley up 2-0 entering the third.
Fenelon cut the deficit to one at 8:26, but Fuller capitalized on a Leafs penalty to restore the two-goal lead.
The Leafs had a chance to make a comeback with Nitehawks defenceman McKoy Hauck in the penalty box after being charged with tripping at 3:04. But, with Ostermann taken out for the extra man, Swanson scored short-handed into the empty net to make Miller’s goal with one second left pointless.
Nelson next plays the Osoyoos Coyotes at home Saturday night.
