By Sara Moulton
The Ghostriders’ second consecutive three-game weekend resulted in a win and two losses at the Fernie Memorial Arena from February 7 to 9.
The Riders battled the Spokane Braves on Friday, Feb. 7 for the first time at home this season. Matt MacDonald (assisted by Aaron Neufeld and Joel Burgess) opened the scoring with a goal for Fernie in the second period, but the Braves came back to score three unanswered goals in the third for a 3-1 win.
The following night, division-leaders Creston Valley Thunder Cats showed their strength as they shut out the Riders in a 6-0 showdown. The guests were slapped with a variety of penalties between their goals, including two minutes when Ethan Rusnack rushed Ghostrider goaltender Phoenix Logan-Hill, but the Cats still managed to prevent the Riders from scoring from their 29 shots on goal.
Despite the disappointment of the previous two nights, the Riders returned on Sunday, Feb. 9 to defeat the Golden Rockets in an exciting 4-2 game. The spotlight was on the Riders’ defencemen as JJ Beitel and Anthony Gilbert delivered three goals between them for the home side, while the ever-reliable Burgess contributed one more with only minutes left in the game.
The Ghostriders’ final home game of the regular season will be on Sunday, Feb. 16 against Kimberley at the Fernie Memorial Arena. Come down and support your team as they take on their main rivals ahead of the playoffs!