Skip to content

GALLERY: Fernie Ghostriders get their home game mojo back

Riders post 6-1 win over Columbia Valley Rockies; prepare for playoffs
15507444_web1_copy_IMG_5973
Tyler Witzke and Tristan Downe celebrate after the win. Kimberley Vlasic/The Free Press

The Fernie Ghostriders have got their home game mojo back.

Fans disappointed by the team’s last performance at Fernie Memorial Arena were whipped into a frenzy Saturday as the Riders put puck after puck into the Columbia Valley Rockies’ net.

A slow first period with no scoring by either side soon became a convincing victory for the Ghostriders, who notched up six goals to the Rockies’ one by the end of the third period.

“I thought it was a really good effort from our group,” said Head Coach Jeff Wagner.

“Obviously a very slow start, I thought that Columbia Valley really dictated the pace of play in the first period and we were probably lucky to go into the second period with a tie game.

“But ultimately I thought we did a really good job of regrouping and refocusing our energy in a positive way to come out for the second period and get a couple of goals.

“(We) fed off the crowd and everything was good from there on.”

A highlight for both fans and the team was Sawan Gill’s unassisted goal in the third period.

The rookie defenseman outsmarted three Columbia Valley players to score Fernie’s fifth goal and his first for the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.

Wagner said it was nothing short of “magnificent”.

“…he deked around two Columbia Valley defenders and then deked out their goalie,” he said.

“It was kind of the highlight of the entire evening to be honest.”

Aiden Gleisner, Dylan Defosse, David Lenzin and Johnny Elias also put their names on the scoresheet, with Elias scoring two goals, both assisted by Lenzin.

“I thought David Lenzin and Johnny Elias played really well together,” said Wagner.

“We put them on a line for the first time all year and they had a lot of energy, and created a lot of offense for us.

“But ultimately I thought it was a really good team effort and we really took care of some details on the offensive side of the puck that we talked about this week in preparation for Columbia Valley.”

The Riders are scheduled to play the Rockies twice more, on February 22 in Fernie and February 23 in Invermere.

Wagner hopes Saturday’s game will set the standard for the first round of the KIJHL playoff series when they may once again face Columbia Valley.

“For us it’s building off the things that made us successful on Saturday and making sure that we’re not flat out of the gate,” he said.

“We want to make sure we avoid periods like the first period that we had Saturday night.”

This weekend, the Ghostriders head to Grand Forks and Nelson to play the Border Bruins and Leafs.

Riders primed for playoffs

Mark February 26 and 27 on your calendar – the Fernie Ghostriders need your support for the first round of playoffs.

It has been confirmed that the team will play games one and two at Fernie Memorial Arena on February 26 and 27, however, their opponents are yet to be decided.

The Riders are sitting comfortably in second place in the Eddie Mountain Division and fifth in the combined standings, with 57 points and four games left in the regular season.

Head Coach Jeff Wagner has been building up his team’s stamina in preparation for playoffs, which will involve consecutive games and few rest days.

“We’ve really ramped it up, especially in practice over the last week or two,” he said.

“… we want to make sure we’re really battling and competing on a daily basis in practice, and really challenging each other on and off the ice as teammates to make sure we’re ready for the war that is ahead.”

15507444_web1_First-goal
The Riders celebrate their first goal against the Rockies. Kimberley Vlasic/The Free Press
15507444_web1_Johnny-Elias
Johnny Elias scored two goals for the Ghostriders last Saturday. Kimberley Vlasic/The Free Press
15507444_web1_Sawan-Gill
Sawan Gill charges down the ice to score his first KIJHL goal. Kimberley Vlasic/The Free Press
15507444_web1_Second-goal
Jordon Kromm celebrates the Ghostriders’ second goal by David Lenzin. Kimberley Vlasic/The Free Press
15507444_web1_Victory-lap
The Fernie Ghostriders enjoy a victory lap of the arena last Saturday. Kimberley Vlasic/The Free Press
15507444_web1_SawanGill_FirstKIJHLGoal_PGM2749
Sawn Gill celebrates his first KIJHL goal with his teammates. Phil McLachlan/The Free Press