The Beaver Valley Nitehawks return home for a pair of Murdoch Division tilts against the Grand Forks Border Bruins and the Castlegar Rebels this weekend.
The Hawks are coming off a successful return to the Okanagan last week. The league suspended inter-conference play in 2016, and after a two year absence, B.V. defeated the Kamloops Blazers 7-2 and the 100 Mile House Wranglers 4-1 to improve its record to 4-2-0-0.
Both Castlegar and Grand Forks have gotten off to slow starts with the Bruins going 2-4 through six games, and the Rebels at 1-3 in four matches, their only win coming on a default by the North Okanagan Knights for an illegal player.
The Border Bruins have had a tough opening schedule with two losses to the undefeated Nelson Leafs and the others to the Kimberley Dynamiters, 9-3, and Columbia Valley Rockies, 3-2.
However, the Bruins are a physical and talented team that is bound to give the Nitehawks all they can handle on Friday. Zane Avery (3-7-10) and Liam Stalwick (3-4-7) lead the team in scoring, with former Nitehawks defenceman Evan Gorman providing a strong presence on the back end, while kicking in with three goals and six points this season.
Castlegar has managed just two goals in its three games since their opening night win, with consecutive shutout losses to Summerland and Fernie. However, Rebels veteran forward Brandon Costa will be back in the line up after sitting out two games for a hit to the head major in a game against Fernie.
The Nitehawks will look to keep their momentum going and dish out some payback for their Game 7 loss to the Rebels in last year’s opening round of the playoffs. The Hawks, however, will be without former Border Bruin Reese Tambellini, who suffered an upper body injury last week.
The Nitehawks face off against the Border Bruins tonight (Friday) and the Rebels on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Hawks Nest.
