Kevin Mills
Castlegar News
The Castlegar Rebels battled the Nelson Leafs to a 1-1 draw on Saturday night.
The visiting Leafs outplayed the Rebels for most of the night. However Castlegar goalie Patrick Zubick was outstanding in the nets, stopping 45 of the 46 shots he faced.
His play even caught the eye of the opposing coach.
“I thought he was really good,” said Nelson head coach Dave McLellan
“He didn’t give up rebounds at all for us to capitalize on. We just didn’t bury our chances.”
McLellan said it was a tough outcome for the Nelson squad considering what he called lopsided play.
“We really outplayed them the whole game long and the better chances were ours.
“We just didn’t score; we had our chances, even in overtime. It’s too bad. We got a point, which is good, but you feel bad about a game like this when you outplay an opponent so badly and you don’t win. But it happens,” said the Leafs’ coach.
The Rebels opened the scoring in the midway point of the first period when Lindan Calliou bulged the twine. Assists went to Carson Wornig and Bryan Lubin.
But a minute later, Nelson tied the game thanks to a marker by Darnel St. Pierre, assisted by Branden Chow and Rayce Miller.
That would prove to be all the scoring on the night, despite playing two overtime periods.
Over in the Castlegar dressing room, the team was pleased to skate away with the point.
“The first two periods Nelson was all over us,” said Zubick, who was named star of the game for the Rebels.
“In the third we started to open it up and get pucks deep. It was a tight checking game.”
Some of Castlegar’s best scoring chances came in the two overtime periods.
“We generally have been pretty good in overtime... Our guys like the sudden death aspect of it. They want to be the guy who gets that game winning goal.”
And when the play turned back the other way, Zubick was there to keep the puck out of the net.
“Just trying to do what I have to do to help my team win,” he said.
On Sunday, Castlegar played host to the Chase Heat, defeating the visitors 5-4.
Chase took a 2-0 lead in the first thanks to goals by Jordan Passmore and Logan Mostat, but Castlegar cut the lead in half before the end of the first when Mike Bhatoa found the back of the net.
A second period goal, also by Bhatoa tied the game at 2-2 after 40 minutes.
What followed was a wild third period.
Chase regained the lead, thanks to a marker by Kaleb Boyle but the Rebels scored two in a row, from Bryan Lubin and Jeremy McNeil, to make it 4-3 Castlegar.
The Heat would not give up as Jordan Passmore scored to tie it at four.
Bhatoa scored the game winner and the hat trick goal late in the third.
Overtime:
The Castlegar Rebels will be wearing their special pink jerseys throughout the month of October in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. At the end of the month, the jerseys will be auctioned off with proceeds going towards cancer research.