The Fernie Ghostriders ended their regular season with a win at home against Kimberley! With this win the Fernie Ghostriders finish first in the Eddie Mountain Division and will have home ice advantage in the first round against Creston starting this coming Friday and Saturday.
The Ghostriders played their last five games on the road. They won 5-3 in Creston, 4-2 in Columbia Valley and 6-2 in Castlegar. On Friday they lost in 3-2 in OT in Kimberley and reversed the score last night in Fernie with a 3-2 victory.
Notes From Under the Bleachers… where they keep the suds
A couple of weeks ago the Creston broadcast crew was cheering against Kimberley…because they want to play the Riders in the PO’s …just sayin…In the clinching game Nick Kunyk stopped 16 shots in the third…but only Dayton Collier scored, it was his 2nd game winner, his first was in the aforementioned Creston game…1300 fans in Kimberley last Friday, we would have had that many but our capacity is 1140…probably turned away 200…could Fernie get a new arena, there was talk (but no money) a few years ago… Sherwood Park is building one for their BCHL team, 2500 seats for only 85 million…in 2000 Cranbrook built a 4500 seat arena for their WHL team for 20 million… then their new owner moved it to Winnipeg then to Wenatchee… Most of the players from last season had more points this year… Taylor Haggerty 41-62, Cole Fournier 14-26, Andrew Kennedy 8-26, Kaden Slobodian 13-14, Jack Lambert 13-18 (very short seasons) Lucas Desjarlais 14-15, Gaege Johnson 15-14, Eli Neilsen 4-14 (11 games last year) Malachai Peigan 5-13, Cole Fisher 8-10… Sixteen players scored at least 1 game winning goal… Taylor Haggerty had the most with 7…both Kimberley and Fernie were missing key players…but that’s not why the Riders won in Fernie…Nitro Sportsman of the Year Winner Derek Stuart had this to say after they lost in Fernie at Christmas…”it’s a circus in that rink at the best of times, it’s not really hockey when you play in that arena, it’s just to tiny” …
And Finally team Captain Taylor Haggerty on the first place finish, “I’m just so proud of everyone. We played our hearts out and I’m just glad that was the result. We deserved it without a doubt. The fans were incredible we couldn’t have done it without them. The real season starts now and i’m excited for what lies ahead”.
Playoff hockey starts in Fernie this coming Friday and Saturday, February 23rd and 24th!
Riders pics and news.
