Good thing for the North Okanagan Knights hockey games are 60 minutes long.
The hometown Knights spotted the Castlegar Rebels a 3-0, first-period lead before rallying with four unanswered goals for a 4-3 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League win Saturday at the Nor-Val Sports Centre.
Jacob Boden capped the comeback with a powerplay goal at 18:55 of the third period for the game-winner as the Knights improved to 3-0-0-1 to start the season, good for first place in the Bill Ohlhausen Division, one point ahead of the Kelowna Chiefs (3-0-0-0).
The Rebels (1-4-0-0) scored three times on nine shots in the first period to chase North Okanagan starting goalie Sean Kanervisto, who made 28 saves 24 hours earlier in a 3-2 double-overtime home-ice win over the Kamloops Storm.
READ MORE: North Okanagan Knights win home opener in double-OT thriller
Kanervisto, a native of Columbus, Ohio, was replaced by Spallumcheen’s Caedon Bellmann, who stopped all 16 shots he faced in relief. North Okanagan fired 37 shots at Castlegar goalie Ethan Lawczynski.
Cole Haberlack got North Okanagan on the board at 11:24 of the second period, and the game stayed 3-1 Rebels until early in the third, when Kevin-Thomas Walters and Nicholas Teale scored 69 seconds apart at 4:33 and 5:42 to tie the contest, setting the stage for Boden’s heroics.
North Okanagan visits the Sicamous Eagles Friday before returning to host the Nelson Leafs Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Nor-Val Sports Centre.
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