Rebels lead Kootenay Conference Final series 3 - 0

Castlegar Rebels forward # 21,Travis Wellman, attempts to get a puck past Golden Rockets defenceman Shane Rutherford in game three of the KIJHL Kootenay Conference Final series on Monday, March 18 in Golden, B.C. Wellman scored what would prove to be the game winner in the thrid period to give the Rebels a 3 - 0 series lead.

Darryl Crane | Golden Star

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The Castlegar Rebels claimed a 3 -1 win on the road in Golden tonight, and will take a commanding 3 - 0 series lead over the Rockets into game four of the KIJHL  Kootenay Conference Final, which will also be played in Golden tomorrow (7:30 MST).

Despite being outshot 35 - 30, going 0 for 5 on the power play, and scoring no goals in the first period, the Rebels are now in position to sweep the series.

The Rebels have outscored the Golden team 14 - 2 to this point in the series but those numbers are not really indicative of strong performances from the Rockets goaltenders, Cody Boeckman and James Leonard.

After a penalty-filled game two that saw two fights and a number of game misconducts handed out to both sides, the penalty box on Monday was busy but nothing out of the ordinary.

The Rebels opened the scoring at 5:53 of the second. Matt Reed got his second of the playoffs on passes from Kody Disher and Dylan Bowerman.

At 10:29 of the third, speedy Rebels' forward Travis Wellman put Castlegar up 2 - 0, with assists going to Stuart Walton and Bryan Lubin.

The Rockets got within one at 8:49 of the third on a power play marker off the stick of Shane Rutherford from Carter Cochrane and Blake Roney, but that was all the charge they could muster.

Team-leading goal-scorer for the Rebels, forward Jamie Vlanich, added an empty-netter on a dish from Brenden Heinrich with just 47 seconds left to play. Vlanich now has 9 goals and 9 assists in the 15 playoff games decided so far.

Stuart Walton also has 18 points (4 goals and 14 assists).

Connor Beauchamp got the win in net for the Rebels; his second of four in the post-season. Beauchamp has allowed just four goals on 114 shots.

In other Monday night action, the North Okanagan Knights dominated the Osoyoos Coyotes in a 5 - 0 shutout for goaltender Dustin Nikkel in Osoyoos. The Knights have a 2 -1  lead in the Okanagan-Shuswap Conference Final and have outscored the Osoyoos squad 12 - 7.