The Ghostriders left the comforts of the Fernie Memorial Arena this weekend, playing two games on the road. They faced the Sicamous Eagles on Friday night before playing the Revelstoke Grizzlies on Saturday, winning both games in regulation time.
Head coach and general manager, Craig Mohr, was thrilled with the team’s performance, winning 3-0 over Sicamous and 5-3 over the Grizzlies. Goalie Brandon Butler earned his first shut out of the season.
“He’s playing very well,” said Mohr of Butler’s performance.
Butler and Jeff Orser have been splitting the ice time, as they are both still recovering from early season injuries.
“Truth be told, they are both still getting worked on by the training staff, so they need a little more rest than they normally might,” said Mohr.
Mohr credited Ghostrider Captain Cole Keebler for his offensive play this weekend. Keebler earned a hat-trick during Saturday’s nail-biting game against the Grizzlies.
“Revelstoke tied it with about a minute and 20 seconds left, with their goalie pulled. Then we scored about 20 seconds after that to go back ahead. It was pretty exciting,” said Mohr. “I went from swearing very loudly because we lost the lead to cheering very loudly in a matter of 20 seconds.”
Mohr also gave credit to the team’s defencemen, citing their work as the reason they have been able to earn more wins.
“We have really cut our goals and other teams scoring against us down in the last while. I think that is credit to the goaltending and the defencemen. Normally, when you don’t allow teams to score on you, you will win more games,” said Mohr. “We have a good offence and I think that the defensive side of the game is getting to be where we want it to be as coaches. I think, more than anything, they are taking a little more pride and playing with a little more work ethic to keep goals out.”
The Ghostriders face Columbia Valley in Invermere on Friday before hosting the Castlegar Rebels on Saturday night. The game is set to start at 7:30 p.m.