The Ghostriders didn’t go down in their 2021-2022 season without a fight.
The Fernie team faced off against the Columbia Valley Rockies for game six of their playoff series at the Fernie Memorial Arena on Tuesday (March 1), and lost with 46 seconds left on the overtime clock. The final score was 3-2 for the Rockies.
The first period kicked off with vigorous offensive attempts from both sides, but no goal was scored by either team until over 17 minutes in.
At 17:23 minutes, the Rockies took their first goal against Ghostriders’ goalie Thomson Casey (#1). They picked up an insurance goal a little over two minutes later with 19 seconds left on the clock.
Shots at the end of the first were 13 for Fernie and 11 for Columbia Valley. There were six penalties through the period, two for the Ghostriders and four for the Rockies.
The Ghostriders began the second period with a two-goal deficit, but Kort Kisinger (#21) began to close the gap with a goal at 6:49 minutes, assisted by Dayton Nelson (#15). There were a couple of near-goals from both teams that the referees ultimately shot down.
The second period ended with a 2-1 goal count for the Rockies. Shots-on-goal were 11 for Fernie and six for Columbia Valley. Only two penalties mounted up through the period, one for each team.
The Ghostriders played a valiant third period, with enthusiasm and chants and singing coming from the crowd. Ethan MacDuff (#18) tied the game with an assist from Nelson at 6:13 minutes. The rest of the period saw the teams battle it out with chances for both sides. Neither team was able to put another puck in the net before the clock ticked down to zero, and the period ended with a 2-2 tie.
The Ghostriders took 10 shots on goal, and the Rockies took 14 in the third period. There was one penalty for the Rockies.
After a two-minute intermission, overtime began. Once again the battle was fierce, with offensive pressure put on both teams’ defensive lines and goalies. But, despite the energy and attempts from the Ghostriders, they were unable to get a goal before the Rockies, who closed off the series with a goal at 9:14 minutes into the 10-minute overtime period.
Fernie took two shots on goal in overtime, and Columbia Valley took six.
The Rockies won the series 4-2.
The two teams lined up for handshakes at the conclusion of the game, and the Ghostriders gathered together for hugs and raising of their sticks as they left the ice for the last time this season.
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josh.fischlin@thefreepress.ca
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