The Fernie Ghostriders caught the Beaver Valley Nitehawks sleeping and stole Game 2 in the Kootenay Conference final at the Beaver Valley Arena Sunday.
After winning the first game in less-than-impressive fashion, the Nitehawks continued their lackluster play dropping the second match 6-3 to Fernie.
Marty Wicks scored on a power play at the 13:14 mark of the second period to notch the winner for the Ghostriders. The tally put the visitors up 4-2 as they cruised to victory.
The Nitehawks missed many opportunities including a number of hit goal posts as they outshot the Ghostriders 35-29 on the night.
Fernie started the scoring with Connor McLaughlin putting one by Mike Vlanich 12:56 of the first. The Nitehawks’ big forward Dallas Calvin netted his first of two on the evening on a power play to tie it heading to the second frame.
Fernie’s Brendan Burge, the KIJHL playoff leading scorer, put the Riders ahead 80 seconds in before Max Flanagan replied with an unassisted marker.
Wicks would score two in a row before Calvin took a pass from Ryan Edwards and beat starter Fraser Abdullah, chasing him from the net, to make it 4-3 Fernie.
Patrick Web made it 5-3 with over three minutes remaining in the second, but unlike recent turnarounds against Castlegar, the Hawks could not muster a comeback and came up short in the end with McLaughlin netting an empty netter to seal the win.
The Hawks play in Fernie tonight and Wednesday night before returning home for a Friday night tilt at the B.V. Arena at 7:30 p.m.
In the Kamloops/Shuswap Conference Kelowna Chiefs skated to a 6-1 win over Sicamous Eagles to take a 2-0 lead in the series. The next game goes tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Sicamous.
