At the Ghostriders Home Opener on Friday night more than 700 cheering fans watched as the Fernie Ghostriders raised the KIJHL Championship Banner to the rafters then earned a 4-1 win over the Kamloops Storm.
The Ghostriders started the game with almost all of the of the good scoring chances and it took about 15 minutes to soften up Storm Goalie Brennon Jones before fourth year defenseman Joe Deluca finally beat him and scored his first goal of the season on the PP. Dave McIvor and Cody Hutton had the assists. About a minute later former Castlegar Rebel Jordan Reid scored his first of the year from McIvor and 16 year old Josh McEwan.
After that it was the Dave McIvor- Nigel Nolin show. McIvor was in on all of the Rider goals and scored his first in the second period when a Storm defenseman passed the puck right to him in the slot. In the third McIvor scored his second from Deluca and Reid on the PP with a 2 man advantage. Meanwhile Nigel Nolin made several great saves in the second and third and only let in one on a screen. Devin Gannon scored the lone Storm goal. Nolin played Junior “A” in Notre Dame (SJHL) last year and looks to be the number one so far this year in Fernie.
In the third Scott Traverse, Dave McIvor and Cody Hutton had some of the best chances and the Riders could have blown the Storm out to sea if they had connected on only half of them. The Ghostriders also had at least as many scoring chances as Kamloops did when the Storm were on the PP.
Newcomer Cody Hutton looks like he will end up being a fan favorite, he has character and skill and should get lots of points this year. Sixteen year old Brett Lyon and 17 year old Mike Hanes were the competitors in the main event in the third with Lyon getting the unanimous decision. Locals Jeff Zmurchyk and Travis Harrad got in the game last night and played well when they were called on. Harrad ruined a couple of Storm power plays and Zmurchyk was strong on the blueline. The three stars were Nigel Nolin, Joe Deluca and the first star was Dave McIvor.
