The Fernie Ghostriders have broken their home game losing streak, by pummeling the Golden Rockets 7-2 on Saturday night in Sparwood.
The team came out of the gate strong, with Brendan Nemes scoring a goal mere minutes into the first period.
The Rockets player Jake Gudjonson tied it up with a goal in the first period, but from there on, the Ghostriders took off.
The Fernie team scored four goals in the second period, and both teams took penalties for misconduct and interference.
Coach Craig Mohr says that the team really turned it around after their loss the previous night, 3-1 in Creston.
“We did not play very well,” said the coach, “We were lazy, we were lethargic, unenergetic. It was the only game this year where we’ve played that way.”
He says the team has been very honest in their commitment and work ethic all year, and the game in Sparwood was a return to that.
Mohr said the game against Golden was high energy, his team used a lot of body contact and worked really hard.
“I thought we shot the puck really well tonight,” said Mohr.
Team Captain Mitch Titus, Keelan Saworski and Nemes started the team off on the right foot with their first play in the beginning of the game.
Titus, stated that the team has started to change up their pregame routine, saying the team capitalized on the frustration of losing home games, and brought in a momentous effort to turn it around.
“It feels good, the monkey is off the back a bit,” said Titus. “We’re definitely going to start rolling off that, I think you can start seeing some progress.”
He says the team has started making the right plays and forechecking properly.
“It started right from the first shift,” said the coach. “They set the tone for how the game was going to be…and that’s what leaders do.”
In the third period, the Ghostriders scored two goals and the Rockets scored one.
A new recruit, Ryan Partaker scored the final goal of the evening for the Fernie team.
Partaker is from the Golden Rockets, and says he was nervous at first to play against his old team, in his first game with the Ghostriders.
“I was just coming up the wall and Neufeld gave me a nice pass,” said Partaker. “It feels good. I’m just glad we got the win.”
Partaker says he likes to play the cycle, which is a strategy of moving the puck up the wall, and passing off to a supporting player to work the puck around the opposing team’s defense.
“I’m always going to bring my best effort,” he said.
Partaker was traded to Fernie for a player development fee, and Jake Hryhoriw was traded from Fernie to Dawson Creek.
“We were looking to get a right winger,” said the coach, explaining that Partaker fits the needs of the team well.
The coach says going forward, the team will focus on growing their offensive tactics.
“We still need to get better at it, we still need to sustain pressure in the other team’s zone,” he said.
The Ghostriders play their next game on Friday against the Kimberley Dynamiters and will be back at home to face off against the Grand Forks Border Bruins.