The Riders win their first game in OT in Nelson.

*Ghostrider twitter says Gavin Lawrie scored the first goal *

Well the Ghostriders got off to a great  Friday the 13th start in Nelson with a big 3-2  double overtime win. It was rookie defensemen Dan Lindeman ( Keith- Lawrie) who scored  the game winner  on the power play, his first ever KI goal.

The Riders took the lead in the first when Jordan Kromm  (Backhouse Hladiuk) scored on the power play but Nelson’s Reid Wilson scored and the period ended 1-1.

 Johnny Elias (Lawrie Hladiuk) scored the Riders second goal on the PP in the third but Nelson’s Lane Goodwin tied it up with 1:14 left and the goalie pulled. 

Ethan Fitzgerald got the win in net making 36 saves for his first ever KiJHL win. Nelson’s Kurt Doyle 4saves was pulled in the first and Carlos Siso 24 saves finished the game.
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The second was a war with several misconducts and fights. The game sheets on the KI site are notorious for being inaccurate but if you want to read it check out the second period it’s HERE

Derek Unterberger, Carson Cecconi and Kyle Klein all were ejected for fighting and several players picked up game misconducts. 

Overall, whenever a team gets in a gong show early in the season it’s a team builder. All the penalties and fights are always guys sticking up for each other and that, more than anything, brings a team together, plus it was a road win. My dinosaur is parked outside the bar...

The Riders scored 3 power play goals and didn’t allow any. You can win with great special teams.

The rookies came through with goals and points including the D  who didn’t get a lot of points last season.

In an interview after the game Leaf Coach Mario DiBella said “I thought the gamesmanship [the coach] showed in that game was something I just put up into the reserve bank to use at some other time,” said DiBella.

In other words the coaches were going at it on the benches. 

No word on suspensions but there may be a couple, you can never tell for sure with the online game sheets.

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In other news 

Kimberley won 4-3 at home against Beaver Valley when Brock Palmer scored his third of the night in overtime.

Golden defeated Kamloops 3-1 in Kamloops

Creston won 7-1 in Spokane, Carson Small had a pair of goals and Derek Green had a goal and an assist.

The Rockies won 3-2 at home vs Osoyoos.