The Fernie Ghostriders’ road trip to the Okanagan resulted in two wins and a loss as they battled through three games.
After a long drive on Friday, the Riders met the Kelowna Chiefs for the first time since the 2012-13 season. If there was any fatigue from their day on the road, it didn’t show as the Riders delivered a 7-1 thumping from seven different scorers. Jeff Orser performed particularly well between the pipes to stop 33 of 34 shots by the Chiefs. Both teams built up penalties in an adrenaline-filled game.
Next up were the North Okanagan Knights in Armstrong, where the Ghostriders were again victorious thanks to a game-winning goal by Justin Peers in the final two minutes of the game. It was goalie Brandon Butler’s first game and first win in his KIJHL career, after coming to Fernie from the Calgary Buffaloes Midget AAA team this season.
With a Sunday matinee scheduled against the Summerland Steam, there was little time to celebrate the two wins before the final game of the weekend. It was again Peers who put the Riders onto the scoreboard during a power play in the second, but the home side managed to put three past Orser for a 3-1 win.
After returning to Fernie, head coach and general manager Craig Mohr was pleased with the performance of his squad on the road.
“I thought the weekend went really well; I thought the players handled the long bus trip and three games in two and a half days like professionals,” said Mohr.
The Ghostriders will play their first home game of the regular season this Saturday, September 27, with the puck scheduled to drop at 7:30 p.m.
Fans can also support their team earlier in the day at the Drive One 4UR Community event, where Fernie Ford will donate $20 for each free test drive. Just visit the Fernie Memorial Arena from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on September 27 to participate.