The Castlegar Rebels used a winning combination of teamwork, defensive play and all out hustling to dump the visiting GrandForks Border Bruins.
The Rebels beat the Grand Forks Border Bruins 4-1 at the Castlegar Complex last Friday.
The first period was evenly matched as both teams scored only once. The first 16 minutes of the period were very tight andresulted in only a handful of shots hitting the net on both sides.
However, at 4:15 the Rebel line of Breese, Bhatoa and Woods scored with a gaol by Mike Bhatoa. This Rebel offensive lineeventually would prove to be quite devastating to the Border Bruins. Chris Breese would score once and assist in two moregoals in the third period. Tayden Woods would score twice and Bhatoa would receive one more assist.
It was in the second period that the Rebels took the game as their own; dominating the play and outshooting the Bruins 10-6.The Rebels out skated the Grand Forks team and physically outmatched them. However the second period remained scoreless.
In the third period the Rebels scored three. Two power play opportunities in the first ten minutes allowed Woods scoringchances that hit their mark. The second of these was a nice wrist shot from outside the goalie crease near the boards thatoutsmarted the Bruins Goalie Anthony Galliart. The last Rebels goal came with 2:32 left by Breese assisted by Ed Lindsey andBhatoa. The Rebels had capitalized on the Bruins’ penalties and had outshot them 37-20 by the end of the game.
After the win Woods spoke about the positive play with teammates Bhatoa and Breese.
“Honestly I am just having really good chemistry with my linemates No. 19 Mike Bhatoa and Chris Breese,” he said. “We’re justfinding good chemistry now. You know it’s just coming together. I got a couple of goals in the third and it really felt good. Inthe first period we came out kind of slow and that’s definitely something we can improve. Making sure we come out of thegates strong.”
After 27 games the Castlegar Rebels have won 18. They are in second place in the Neil Murdoch division of the KIJHL, only twopoints behind the Beaver Valley Nitehawks.
The Rebels play at home against the Nelson Leafs on Dec. 2 and away in Fernie on Dec. 5.