Beaver Valley Nitehawks end 2025 exhibition season on winning note, home opener vs Spokane on Friday, Sept. 19
The Beaver Valley Nitehawks ended their 2025 KIJHL exhibition season on home ice and on a winning note with a 4-2 victory over the Castlegar Rebels on Friday, Sept. 12.
Fruitvale product Connor Drake scored the game winning goal with just 2:53 to play, as the Nitehawks battled back from a 2-1 deficit in the third period.
B.V played six exhibition games against division rivals splitting games with Castlegar and the Spokane Braves, and taking two close games against Nelson, an indication of another competitive season in the KIJHL Neil Murdoch Division.
The Rebels beat the Hawks 4-3 in Castlegar on Tuesday, Sept.9, with Trail product Hudson Makway scoring the game winner with 57 seconds left on the clock.
The Hawks returned to the Nest on Friday, determined to get a win in front of their hometown fans.
Brock Robertson finished a nice set up from Ty Noseworthy and Brady Magarell to give the Nitehawks a 1-0 lead at 12:51. But Cooper Barclay tied it for the Rebels just 60 seconds later.
Hunter Jaman gave the Rebels the lead at 11:12 of the second, with the assist to Asher Makway.
The Nitehawks Vance Amyotte started the comeback, scoring 7:39 into the third, before Drake fired in the game winner on a set up from Connor Smith and Dayton Graf.
Nitehawks defenceman Sam Chartres then iced it tallying his first goal of the pre-season with eight seconds remaining.
The Nitehawks outshot the Rebels 35-28 with Landan Uzeloc and Preston Shumate splitting the goaltending duties for the Nitehawks and Hunter Edwards in goal for the Rebels.
The Nitehawks look to have another strong season with several returning players including veteran goalie Uzeloc, forwards Ollie Clement, Connor Drake, Owen Dickson, Davis Marino, Brock Robertson, Brady Magarell, and Ty Noseworthy, as well as defencemen Ryan Neufeld, Nate Johnson, and Sam Chartres.
Last season the Nitehawks finished with a 30-11-3-0 record, good for second in their division. The Hawks lost to Grand Forks Border Bruins in the playoff division final, and the Bruins went on to win the KIJHL Teck Cup championship and BC title Cyclone Taylor Cup.
The Nitehawks open their season at the Beaver Valley Arena on Friday, Sept. 19 against the Spokane Braves. The puck drop is at 7 p.m.