Ghostriders Back in the Saddle Again and some Twitter fun

After losing four in a row the Fernie Ghostriders got back on track with a pair of W’s this weekend (Nov 27-28)

On Friday Fernie surprised the first place Rockies with a very determined effort that resulted in a 3-0 (one empty net goal) road win. Both goalies Dylan Lacroix and Rockies' tender Grady Nicholas were picked as game stars and Ethan MacDuff and Dayton Nelson (2) scored the goals. 

Full stats here

On Saturday 500 fans filled the Fernie Memorial and the Riders put out another gutsy effort and earned a 4-3 win against Creston.

Presley Gordon, Dayton Nelson and Ethan MacDuff (2) scored the goals and Dylan Lacroix had the win in net.

Full stats here

Notes

The Riders had two new faces in the lineup Saturday and in my opinion they make the Riders a better team.

Forward Jock Michael skates well and competes hard at both ends of the ice and D man Kaden Slobodian fresh off the highway from Campbell River was immediately thrown to the lions and played Saturday... and by the end of the game he was playing a regular shift and saw power play time. He also stopped a certain Creston wraparound goal in the first period with a diving goal line play. 

Fernie’s penalty kill is one of the best in the league but got scored on when Adam Redding slid one under Lacroix’s pads... the ref lost sight of the puck and blew the whistle but a second later the puck trickled across the line... he allowed it anyway but probably knew he blew the whistle a little early,  everyone heard the whistle though.

The game started out with no calls and lots of hitting then all of a sudden (probably sensing things could go sideways) the whistle came out and by the end of the game Creston was furious after being called for five in a row to end the game, three in the third. 

Fernie  was 1-7 on the PP and Ethan MacDuff scored the goal... and much to the chagrin of Creston it was the game winner, his third goal on the weekend. 

Dayton Nelson (7) and Ethan MacDuff (6) lead the team in goals but Kort Kisinger with 2 assists Saturday has the most points at 12 . With 2 assists Sean Jacobs who I like more every game has taken over the lead in D scoring with 6 pts.

Captain Kyle Klein is still injured with no return date  listed.

With an 8-3 record here in Fernie McCoy Bidewell earned himself a Jr A spot in Cowichan and will not be back. 

Big time Twitter fun

First place Osoyoos played and won in Summerland last week in a game of cheap shots. Here is a couple of the Twitter comments

Tim Hogg was right... here are the results of the gong I mean game

Riders lost two this weekend

 The Ghostriders lost both games this weekend 6-1 in Golden and 4-3 at home to Castlegar. 

In Golden the Riders only goal was a power play goal from  Ethan MacDuff  The PP has been weak so that was a good thing...but they also allowed two shorthanded goals. Anyway Dylan Lacroix was in net and named as the Riders 1st star. Full report here

The team had a better showing at home against Castlegar but lost 4-3.

The Ghostriders were leading  2-1 after the first on goals by 17 year old Taylor Schmideder (2) and Cole Fournier (3)  Owen Johnson got the assist on Fornier’s goal, it was the 16 year old's first point.

 In the second Fernie local Liam Samycia scored his first goal and the period ended 3-2 Fernie. 

But in the third the Rebels scored two  for the win. Full game report here

Injuries 

Kyle Klein (C) , Scott Sinclair, and Dayton Nelson were all selling 50/50’s

After the weekend Fernie found themselves in last place... but not out of the playoffs.  This is because Spokane took another year off and the Murdoch division only has four teams. So that means whoever has the most points between the last place team in our division and the fourth place team in the Murdoch division will make the playoffs but will have to playoff in the Murdoch division. 

Essentially what that means is our division and Nelson, BV and Castlegar are getting an early Christmas Present because of Grand Forks who are almost guaranteed to miss the post season... even by my math See the next story

Full Standings Here

Around the League

The 0-14-0-1 Grand Forks Border Bruins got their first point Saturday night in Golden after tying the Rockets with one second left in the game...they lost in the shootout but still got a point. 

As of Sunday AM the Columbia Valley Rockies were in first place overall with 25 points. Osoyoos is next with 23 but have 3 games in hand. The Rockies are here in Fernie December 4th Creston next Saturday November 27.

Two of the premier KI teams are Kamloops and Revelstoke, they are tied at 20 but have 4 and 3 games in hand on the Rockies.

The  Osoyoos Coyotes won 8-3 Friday night and outshot Chase 68-19... I wish we could see them but Covid and travel costs mean they will only play here in the KIJHL final.

Some games in the middle of the province were cancelled because of the flooding, the games are listed here

McCoy Bidewell got his first two starts with Cowichan of the Jr A BCHL. Cowichan is a last place team, they lost 4-1 in Langley who are in first place. Bidewell was the game’s third star, they lost in 5-3 in Coquitlam Saturday. Bidewell is still listed as an AP

Credit hockey columnist Greg Drinnan for this amusing stat.

Cranbrook Bucks are averaging 2,236 fans through five home games. That’s second in the BCHL,behind the Penticton Vees (2,342). . . . Because you’re wondering, the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice, which has played nine home games in the 1,600-seat Wayne Fleming Arena, is averaging 1,603... the goal was always to move the Ice to Manitoba 

The Riders lost two games this weekend

 After getting at least a point in eight straight games the Ghostriders lost two in a row. In the ultra tight Eddie Mountain Division this is what that means

Friday AM standings

Sunday AM standings

The Riders lost 2-1 at home against Kimberley and the shots were 47-26 Kimberley. Goalies McCoy Bidewell and KD Matt Fleet were named as the stars of the game. Although they lost Fernie still had a few good chances to win it late. Full stats report here

On Saturday they lost 4-0 in Creston, no chance to win it late there Full game stats here

Notebook

Star goalie McCoy Bidewell is getting another shot at Jr A this time with Cowichan in the BCHL. We hear he’s going as an AP but if he wins some games maybe he sticks . No one is more deserving of that chance.

He’s coming on

Team Captain Kyle Klein went his first 11 games without a point then had a goal and 2 assists two weeks ago and scored the lone goal against Kimberley.

D man Scott Sinclair left the Kimberley game with an injury and didn’t play Saturday in Creston. He is a top two D and leaves a big hole when he’s out. Sinclair is considered possible for next weekend .

Because of stupid Covid teams are allowed to carry 25 players this year . Unfortunately that means there has been very little trickle down from Jr A so far. 

The Ghostriders have brought on Aaron Conlon as an assistant coach . Conlon is a former player who spent seasons in the AJHL with Fort Saskatchewan and Olds and in the BCHL with Merritt. 

The Ghostriders brought in goalie Dylan Lacroix from the Nipawin Hawks of the SJHL after trading Brendan Lloyd  to Creston . Lloyd did not play Saturday but Lacroix did. 

Fernie heads to Golden on Friday and on Saturday Castlegar is here in Fernie . This is the only time Castlegar will play here this year . The Riders shut them out 2-0 in Castlegar Nov 5th.

Ghostriders play Kimberley Friday Nov 12

 The Ghostriders play Kimberley tonight (Friday Nov 12 ) in Fernie. It’s a battle to hold on to second place... or even end up in first place. The Columbia Valley Rockies are in Creston Friday as well.  

The standings are tight in the Eddie Mountain Division and who knows who will be in first place  Sunday AM . 

 The defence first Ghostriders actually scored 5 goals and shutout Grand Forks last Saturday and won 2-0 in Castlegar Friday. Good road wins... hope they get 5 or how about 7 against Kimberley

 

Around the League.... A group in Quesnell  is asking the City to help them secure a KIJHL franchise. Read about it here The KIJHL says they are open to expansion now after turning down both Quesnell and Williams Lake a few years ago. The small towns should be worried, it’s easier to recruit to a City vs a small town. The team in the most danger is 100 Mile House... if I was them I’d vote no.

Ghostriders have traded goalie Brendan Lloyd to Creston for future considerations. Looks like they are going with Jesse Schindel as Bidewell’s backup.

Defensemen Kyle Klein had a goal and 2 assists last weekend and McCoy Bidewell had 2 shutouts, both players were named as KIJHL Players of the Week read about it here 

Kelowna and first place Osoyoos fought it out last weekend and here are the results