The Nakusp Falcons won the West Kootenay Minor Hockey League championship last weekend after a tense shootout in overtime.
The Falcons went into the playoffs in fifth place out of eight teams. The first game of the playoffs was Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in the BV Arena against the seventh-place Spokane Chiefs. Nakusp Goalie Ronan Goodrich was able to shut them out as the Falcons won 9-0. Goals were scored by Jake Flamand, Lucas Robins, Ewan Carter (hat trick), Darian Smith (2 goals), Aidan Hascarl and Kyle McDonald.
Saturday morning the Falcons were back in BV to face the Grand Forks Bruins. Nakusp’s Aidan Hascarl scored only one minute into the first period, with Grand Forks answering back four minutes later. In the second period Grand Forks got ahead, and Isaac Flamand tied it up two minutes later. Then again a Grand Forks goal, with Kimberly Roberts making the score even. It was a 3-3 tie going into the third period.
Grand Forks scored at the 12 minute mark, and Nakusp fought hard for six long minutes before Ewan Carter was able to squeak one in past the goalie to even it up, and then Kimberly Roberts second goal of the game, to get in the lead with only 1:44 left in the period. A goal by Grand Forks only 31 seconds later resulted in an ending score of 5-5.
The second game on Saturday was against the third place Trail Outlaws. Isaac Flamand scored halfway through the first period and Nakusp held the lead until one minute left in the third period, when Trail tied it up while on a power play and Nakusp couldn’t answer back for the win. The game ended at 1-1 tie, which meant the Falcons secured a spot in semi-finals Sunday at 8:30 a.m. in Rossland against the Trail Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks were tied for first place with Grand Forks coming into playoffs, and first in the playoff pool B. They were also first in scoring in the first period, but Kyle MacDonald and Isaac Flamand tied and gained the lead before the first period ended. Halfway throughout the second, Trail tied it up. Kimberly Roberts scored two minutes in, but the Blackhawks answered back only 15 seconds later. With only three minutes left, Jarod Groenhuysen scored the game winning goal. Isaac Flamand got an empty net goal to clutch the win with a final score of 5-3.
Nakusp had done it. They were heading over to Beaver Valley for the final and most important game of their hockey careers to date, facing off against the Trail Outlaws again.
As the puck dropped at 12:30 p.m., the fans were on the edge of their seats. It was an incredible turnout for the underdog Nakusp team. The excitement and nerves of the whole weekend came down to this one game. It didn’t help that the Trail Outlaws scored in the first minute of the game. Goalie Ronan Goodrich was bombarded with shots. Isaac Flamand tied it up before the first period ended and it seemed like the Falcons were getting their game back.
Twenty-three seconds into the third, Ewan Carter scored to gain the lead which the Falcons were able to hold until the Outlaws scored halfway through. Neither team was able to get one past the goal tenders to gain the lead, and the banner game went into overtime.
There were five intense minutes of four on four hockey with no goal, so it went to a shootout.
Nakusp and Trail went through their first eight players who were the highest goal scorers, with no goals scored. On the third round, Trail scored with their ninth shooter, which meant the Falcon’s next shooter, newcomer Colby Mackintosh, needed a goal to keep them in the game. Colby saved the day with a goal to send it to another round. Trinity Didier, who has been playing minor hockey for the past five years, was Nakusp’s tenth shooter.
She was able to squeak it past the goalie with a corner shot.
Trail’s next two players were unable to score, making the Nakusp Falcons the Bantam Champions for the 2017/2018 season. Ronan saved 185 shots throughout the weekend including 11 of 12 shooters in the shootout.
The celebration that followed was one seen through teary eyes and blurred pictures — a moment that all who witnessed it will never forget.
