STEAM FINISH WEEKEND WITH WIN OVER FERNIE

On Sunday afternoon the Summerland Steam hosted the Fernie Ghostriders for the only time this season at the Summerland Arena. It was an entertaining hockey game that saw the Steam carry the pressure through the period and pelt Jeff Orser with 13 shots through the first 20 minutes. Orser was sharp early, making several saves on Steam forwards to keep the score even at 0 through the first 13 minutes of the hockey game. The Steam were finally able to break the goose egg with 7:27 to go in the period as Coleton Fisher found a loose puck out of a scrum and lifted it over a sprawling Jeff Orser to give the Steam  1-0 lead after a period. 

 The Steam then experienced a pushback from the Riders in the second period, as the Riders forced the Steam back on their heels and turned the tides on the shot clock early in the period. Brett Huber did a great job in the Summerland net, making sure that his team didn't fall behind while they found their legs coming out of the locker room. 

As the play went back and forth near the middle mark of the period, Summerland's Adam Jones took exception to a stick up high from Fernie's Travis Thomsen, and both were sent for an early shower after they shed the mitts and took a few swings. 

The Riders were finally able to get on the board on the power play after Braden Eliuk was sent to sit for a high-sticking infraction in the offensive zone. Justin Peers was able to find some open space off the ring wing boards, swing out into the top of the circle, and absolutely RIP one over the right shoulder of Brett Huber to even the score at one. 

The tie would only last a couple of minutes, as it was Braden Saretsky who streaked down the right wing and made a nifty toe-drag around a defender before rifling a shot over the glove of Jeff Orser to restore the Steam's lead with :44 seconds to go in the 2nd frame. Saretsky's goal was a shorthanded marker, coming shortly after the equalizer from Peers. 

With the Steam leading 2-1 to start the third, the Riders turned up the heat trying to force a tie. The play continued to roll up and down the ice without any scoring to speak of. As the clock wound down the Riders continued to pressure the Steam, but Brett Huber stood tall and kept the score safe at 2-1. Wyatt Gale then chimed in with his first KIJHL goal in his first KIJHL game, lifting a shot from the bottom of the circle up and over the shoulder of the Fernie goaltender to extend the Steam's lead to 3-1 with 1:33 to go. 

The final goal from the Steam would round out the scoring on this afternoon, and the Steam improve to 3-1 on the season. They will now look forward to a home and home with the North Okanagan Knights Wednesday in Armstrong, and back home in Summerland on Saturday night.