Postgame: Lakers - 2 Nitehawks - 7

Tonight was a night to honor a former Nitehawk. Christopher Kissock played 2 seasons as  a Hawk but went on to play baseball instead. Drafted by the Phillies in 07, Chris has been playing with their farm team and was chosen to play for Team Canada in the 09 Baseball World Cup earning a Bronze Medal. in 2011, Kissock again was selected to play for Canada in the IBAF World Cup in Panama and earned yet another Bronze and then on to the Pan American games. Team Canada beat Team USA 2-1 to earn its first Gold Medal in Canadian baseball history. Congrats Chris!!

....back to hockey.....

Penticton Lakers came into town riding the coat-tails of a november snow storm that has blanketed Fruitvale for the first time this winter season. Wanting to extract revenge for the loss last week, Penticton started the game very strong out-playing and out-skating the Nitehawks. Carter Jensen opened the scoring on a scrambled play in front burying a loose puck behind Hawk keeper Zach Perehudoff just 6:28 in. Clearly this was a wake-up call as momentum changed directions and Max Flanagan tied the game just 1:27 later. Craig Martin would add another for BV at 14:28 and the Nitehawks would never look back leading 2-1 after 20.

The 2nd period started off how the first ended with BV on the attack and just 1:39 padded their lead on a sneaky seeing eye shot by Mason Spear that squeezed between the post and Laker goalie Austin Buzzell. Nitehawks controlled the play for the most part of the period and added a 4th goal at 11:29 by Tyler (Philly) Collins. A few minutes later following a scuffle along the boards, Laker forward Sean Alldridge dropped his gloves and started into Bryan Hinchcliffe. Once Hinchcliffe managed to get facing Alldridge, he quickly planted several sandwiches flush in the kisser while taking him to the ice unceremoniously. Decision was decisively given to Hinchcliffe. Alldridge was given an extra 2 minutes for instigating, which seemed fitting considering Hinchcliffe wasnt even facing him when it all started. BV rounded out the period with a 4-1 lead after 40.

Period 3. Lets call it the Beaver Valley Penalty Box Procession!! The frustration started when Fraser Stang was given a roughing penalty for muscling a Laker forward off the puck in open ice. So the other guy fell down, that means Stang was penalized for being stronger? It was a ridiculous call in my eyes and one look at the boxscore to see who was the ref for the night will set off "bings" in quite a few peoples minds as to why I feel that way. Digression intervention here!! Carrying on with the game......Johnson would collect his own roughing call just :39 secs later to put BV down 2 men. Penticton wasted no time and scored just :22 secs in to pull to within 2. Arie Postmus would take a cross-checking penalty :41 secs after that to once again place BV 2 men down. This time though, they were up to the task and stemmed the bleeding. Christian Johnson would regain the 3 goal Nitehawk lead at 13:13 and Dallas Calvin added another exactly 4 minutes later. Mason Spear capped it all off with a ppg at 19:33 and BV slams the door on Penticton.

Game Stars:

BV - Dallas Calvin (1G, 3A)
BV - Christian Johnson (1G, 1A)
BV - Zach Perehudoff (.929 S%)

Next up is Nelson on sunday here at home. Game time is a VERIFIED 6:00PM instead of the usual 1:00PM sunday game.