Rebels 8 Ghostriders 4

(Castlegar leads series 1-0)

Trust the captain to lead by example.

Taylor Anderson put up a hat-trick, including the game-winner 3:22 into the third period as Castlegar doubled Fernie 8-4 to win Game 1 of the Kootenay Conference final. Ryan Aynsley, Spencer Brodt, Anthony DeLong, Diego Bartlett and Stuart Walton also tallied for Castlegar in a wild game that saw half of the twelve goals come in the final frame.

Marty Wicks, Cale Wright, Jeff Zmurchyk and Thomas Abenante replied for the Ghostriders, while (and perhaps cruelly) Fraser Abdallah was assessed the loss despite allowing only two goals. Andrew Walton was given the hook after the 4th Castlegar tally but found himself back in after Bartlett made it 6-4.

The Rebels found themselves up 4-1 early in the second, but Fernie stormed back with a pair of tallies (Zmurchyk and Abenante) in the first 1:59 of period 3. From then on, though, it was all Rebels, as Castlegar outshot the hosts 17-5 in the third.

Alex Ross made 27 saves, including at least one ten-beller, for his fourth consecutive playoff victory.

Fernie will be without Abenante for tomorrow's Game 2 after being assessed an automatic game misconduct for a check from behind late in the game, as he caught Erik Wentzel in a vulnerable position.

Radio Land: For those of you who tuned into Mountain FM's coverage tonight, I hope you enjoyed the broadcast. Everything came together at the last minute, but we as a station are proud to be carrying the away games the rest of the way.

Up Next: Game 2 goes tomorrow night at 6:30 Pacific.