The Beaver Valley Nitehawks got right back on the winning track on the weekend with three impressive wins over Conference rivals.
The Hawks skated to a well-earned 5-3 win over Castlegar Friday, before beating Grand Forks 5-1 Saturday, and humbling the Golden Rockets 8-1 Sunday.
“I am really proud of this team,” said Nitehawks president Dennis Bedin during Sunday’s game. “Every single one of those kids work their butts off every shift.”
The Nitehawks again received a full effort from the players on Sunday, especially from the tandem of Dallas Calvin and Dan Holland, who along with centre man Connor Brown-Maloski, looked like they’d been playing shinny together since they were toddlers. The trio accounted for 10 points, with Holland netting two goals and two assists, Calvin a goal and three assists, and CBM picking up a pair of helpers to pace the Hawks to the come-from-behind win.
The Nitehawks’ Brandon Butlin scored what proved to be the winner at 3:20 of the first period when he deflected a Danny Vlanich shot past Golden netminder Cole Henson.
The Rockets opened the scoring after Blake Roney stuffed home a rebound at 14:49 of the first. But the Nitehawks replied minutes later, when Russell Mortlock broke away on a nice pass from Nick Perez, and beat Henson low glove side to tie it at 1-1.
Butlin’s goal would send the Hawks into the second period with a 2-1 lead, a nice segue to the Calvin-Holland show. After Michael Bell made it 3-1 for the Hawks 1:38 into the period converting a nice passing play from Kurt Black and Taylor Stafford, the Hawks trio netted a highlight reel goal to go up 4-1. Entering the Rockets zone, Brown-Maloski dished off to Holland who passed to a streaking Calvin, who then gave it back to Holland, who feathered a perfect pass back to Calvin, who with the goalie down and out . . . passed it back to Holland, who finally put it in.
The goal doused any lingering Rocket fire, and opened the flood gates as the Hawks would score four more times with goals from Perez, who finished with a goal and two assists on the night, Calvin, Arie Postmus, and Holland.
Hawk goalie Zach Perehudoff stopped 29 of 30 shots for the victory while the Hawks fired 40 shots at Henson. The Nitehawks final home game before the Christmas break goes Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at the Beaver Valley Arena against the Spokane Braves.
