Rebels Take on The Nite Hawks

It has been a while since the since the two long time Neil Murdoch rivals last met.  November 5th saw the Rebels earn a hard fought 6-5 win in a fast paced exciting end to end game.  Since that time the BV Nite Hawks have gone on a tear winning 13 straight games and currently sit first overall in the Division and the League.  The Rebels have also been hot of late with 8 wins and a tie and a loss in their last 10 games.  With BV having two games in hand on the Rebels and a 5 point lead in the standings this has to be amongst the most important games to date in this season for both teams. A chance for Beaver Valley to build a bigger gap between themselves and Castlegar and a chance for the Rebels to reel in their hockey counterparts.  The next two days will tell the story.

The Nite Hawks have a potent offensive attack led by Ryan Edwards, Chris Deroche and Chris Martin who are currently 1st, 4th and 5th respectively in scoring in the KIJHL.  It is no magic formula that controlling this offense would be a key to success for the Rebels. Over the season thus far, the Rebels can boast an excellent goals against statistic of 85 goals (as compared to 102 against BV).  Also, on the power play and penalty kill, the Rebels are just ahead of BV. The Rebels power play continues to improve with two dangerous scoring lines of Scotty Morisseau, Stuart Walton, and Arthur Andrews and the trio of Anthony Delong, Tyler Robinson, and Peter Mingus.  Both teams no doubt will be wary of penalties and will be looking for disciplined and hard nosed play.

If the teams manage to stay out of the box, it will be the five on five play and goal tending that will rule the day.  As Rebel coach Steve Junker has noted in previous articles, balanced hard working team play with all players chipping in in all areas of the ice, is a key component of a strong outing.  As the Rebels move well into the second half of the season, this is a great time for the younger players to step forward with their physical play and confidence.  I will be looking for sustained, consistent effort from the Rebels taking away time and space from the scorers on Beaver Valley and creating quality chances for the Rebel team.

For fans, these games are a real Christmas holiday treat and a great opportunity to show support for your team.  I am expecting the two best, most exciting games of the season thus far and a great test for our team.

Games time are:

Tonight: December 29 - 7:30 pm, Castlegar Complex
Tomorrow: December 30 - 7:00 pm, Beaver Valley Arena