Riders win one, lose one Odds and ends and quotes of the week

The Riders won their home game last Friday night 3-1against the Columbia Valley Rockies. It was only the second time this season that they won against the Rockies. But that could be because every time they play them they have key pieces out with injuries and Friday was no exception. Cole Keebler, Alex Cheveldave, Zach Befus and Kyle Haugo were all out of the lineup.  The next night  Trevor Broad picked up an injury and all are unlikely for this weekend. 

In the 3-1 win Coleton Dawson, Justin Peers and Evan Reid scored the goals and Jeff Orser had the win in net.

When the Riders played in Creston last Saturday the wheels fell off in the third period and they lost 5-1, Mitch Titus scored the lone goal and Jeff Orser was in net. Riders are gonna  need all the best players in the lineup when the playoffs start somewhere around February 23rd.

Odds and Ends

After the Rockies game I was talking with Coach Mohr mentioning that Rockies scoring star Micheal Cardinal (61 points) seemed to be a non factor. Mohr credited Ryan Kennedy's line with Tayler Sincennes and Evan Reid  for their checking job but he reminded me that Cardinal is a top scorer for a reason  “He can really fly”.

We also learned that Cardinal can really act too when he stayed down for an extended time after a hit to the head by Coleton Dawson in the first…but only missed a few seconds of the ensuing power play. For the record, I have no issue with a player trying to get an extra 3 minutes called, it’s just an observation. 

Cardinal had a pretty good chance to score in the second heading down his wing alone but just when he was about to do something Keagan Kingwell dove ahead and knocked the puck off of his stick. A beautiful play…those are the type of plays that keep a guy out of the dog house when he gets caught out of position.

Evan Reid scored the insurance goal Friday on the power play and Jeff Orser had an assist… but Tayler Sincennes should have also had an assist when he collided with the Rockies D and they both fell down on the blueline creating the opening… some say picked, others said off side… I say great goal. Reid was also the Riders POG in Creston as well.

Justin Peers scored his 20th goal Friday, it was also his  7th PP goal and 52nd point.

Mitch Titus (97) scored the lone goal in Creston, it was his 10th  and he had an assist along with being named as the POG Friday. He's doin all right for a first year 17 year old and was named as the Ghostriders- Boston Pizza  Player of the Month for January. Congrats Mitch.

Jeremy Silzer was the referee in Creston, Coach Mohr said "He was good". The HC of the losing team doesn't always say that...

Sixteen year old AP Derek Green played his third game with the Riders in Creston. He’s from Trail and plays for Coach Brian Youngson and with seventeen year old Rider AP goalie Brandon Youngson… who had a 3-0 record including 1 shutout with the Riders when both Orser and Butler were hurt earlier in the year. Coach Mohr says Green made a couple of big hits in Creston and that both those players have a spot next season. Rider fans will get a chance to see Green this weekend, he's scheduled to play all three games.

Ghostriders Spring Camp is on April 1-3 Read the invite letter by clicking here 

The Riders  will be playing Creston this Saturday then play Kimberley on Monday February 8th at the special Family Day time of 2:00 both games are right here in Fernie.

There were 798 fans were at the Rider - Rockies game, some Jr A teams don't do that well. 

The Riders Jersey Auction netted $1650 and Friends for Friends got the money, who are they ? Click the link and find out Friends for Friends 

 

The Riders goaltending group including "The Panger" were profiled buy the Free Press' Bryn Catton.  Read that great story here

Quotes of the Week
Nelson lost 5-3 at home to their rivals from Castlegar . The game featured a few fights and Nelson was handed a couple of instigators and an aggressor penalty as well... and a total of 5 suspensions were handed out- read that here . After the game the teams (thank you) spoke to the local paper.

Nelson "More than anything in the whole world," said Jordan Davie. "I want Castlegar for four or five games, whatever it takes us to beat them in a row, really badly."

It started with Nelson's Levi Hulston and Castlegar's Tyler Barrett. Instead of going straight to the room, Barrett began taunting the crowd and the Leafs' bench, so then he was knocked down by Nelson's Matt Sokol, which kicked off several on-ice fights.

Nelson Coach "I thought the boys responded by how they were being treated on the ice," said DiBella. "You can't run around the ice with your stick high and decide that's just okay and skate away like you're an innocent party and you've been victimized.”

 Rebels head coach Jesse Dorrans had a different take… and had no issue with Barrett's antics pointing the finger at the refs.

"I think it was just a little something maybe the ref could have put a damper on it in the first when guys were starting to go after each other … either than that, let the players sort it out themselves.”
Read Tyler Harper's story right here

Sounds like the flu is going through the Dynamiters, this is from Taylor Rocca at the local paper. 

On top of it all, there were multiple reports from the coaches and training staff of others emptying their stomachs into garbage bins in between shifts at the back of the bench.

Kelowna’s GM thinks they can win a KIJHL Championship. “I believe we have the team that can challenge anyone (for a championship),” said Grant Sheridan, the Chiefs’ general-manager, 

Sometimes late at night your Twitter fingers don’t always do what your brain tells them to.

Kimberley Dynamiters 

Nitros win!!! 5-3 final. Final shits were 19-33 for us. Safe travels home boys!

Kamloops Storm GM Barry Dewar runs their Twitter site, this was a Tweet from last weekend. @NOKbryant perriernights   gas those boys playing well. Coach of the year? At least a leading candidate.

That was some sort of GM code for North Oak's Head Coach and GM Bryant Perrier should win the Coach Of The Year  in his division… I think...

Dewar also says he doesn’t hate Chase (a big rival) as much he once did.

But, that’s not to say all is well.

“Hate is a strong word,”

Kamloops owner Dewar and Chase’s owner Fred Pittendreigh battled over a players a few season’s ago and De-war was  on.

From 2006 “Fred hates me, I hate Fred, can you print that?” 
You bet Barry, I don't know a single reporter who wouldn't, and if they wouldn't they should be fired.
Here's what  Dewar told Adam Williams of Kamloops This Week  and coach Patterson also chimed in with  an interesting shove something up our butts quote as well. Read Adam Williams' story here