Panthers roll over Braves 6-3

The Peninsula Panthers travel to Oceanside on Saturday afternoon and will play the North Division foes later that evening in a game that is shaping up to be an important one for the Club.  But at least for a couple of hours the Team will enjoy a hard fought 6-3 win over the visiting Saanich Braves, one that was in doubt after 40 minutes.

The Panthers welcomed in the hottest Club in the VIJHL winning their last five games including a 1-0 victory against the Panthers on New Years Day.  But the Panthers had won 4 of 5 games themselves and so although the two teams were a ways down in the standings in the VIJHL South Division, the matchup looked very good on paper.  In goal for the Panthers was Alex Olson while Brandon Ward was between the pipes for the visitors.

Both Goalies made several key stops early but it was Ben Meyerink who broke the scoreless tie when at the 17:31 mark Trevor Owens found him all alone in front of Ward and threaded a pass through to Meyerink.  The physical forward seemed to lose control of the puck fanning on the shot however the changeup surprised Ward and beat him through the 5-hole.  It would prove to be the only marker of the period, one in which the Panthers outshot the Braves 14 to 10.

And it was Meyerink who would hit the scoresheet once again at the 7:11 mark.  The gritty Panthers forward seemed to get tied up with Braves Jordan Parmar and after exchanging some words, the two shed the mitts just inside the Braves blueline.  Parmar seemed to get the best of it in the early going however Meyerink responded late tossing a couple big shots in earning the draw.  The extra curricular activities seemed to spark the Panthers and at the 10:59 mark and on the power play Josh Poland romped into the Braves end.  He blasted a high shot that caught Kai Turner in the upper paraphenalia and bounced past a shocked Ward.  The Panthers carried the play throughout the 2nd frame however they were whistled on an icing call late in the period.  And with only 2:17 left in the period Braves Garrett Stankoven gathered in the puck near the Panthers blueline, walked towards the net and sent a seeing eye shot past a screened Alex Olson to make it a 2-1 affair.  The Braves took a puck turned over at their blueline with well under a minute left and after heading into the Panthers zone, Hunter Atchison beat Olson again at the 19:40 mark of the period to give the Braves a 2-2 tie and all the momentum going into the 2nd intermission.

But it was all Panthers in the final stanza as they outscored the Braves 4-1.  Sean Buchanan opened the scoring at the 4:06 mark with helpers from Owens and Grayden Hohl but only two minutes later it was Atchison who tied it after banging in a power play marker.  It was all Peninsula after that.  Mitch Newman gathered in a puck from Owens and Hohl and after flowing down the left side he let a wrist shot go that Ward would have probably liked to have back.  And then it was Koby Hale who would get into the act.  At the 15:07 mark Lum moved the puck below the line and Cody Allison shovelled a pass in front to Hale who made no mistake giving the Panthers a 5-3 lead.  Hohl would finish off the scoring at the 18:03 mark with helpers from Owens and Newman.

Olson blocked 19 of 22 shots directed his way by the Braves in picking up the win while Ward was collared with the loss and blocked 33 or 39 shots.  The three stars were Buchanan who seemed to have the puck all night long, Atchison for the Braves and Owens who was slick in the playmaking department all evening.

With the win the Panthers pulled within five points of the Kerry Park Islanders who will be at home Saturday night when they host the Westshore Wolves.

The Panthers face the Generals on Saturday before returning next week to face the Victoria Cougars in a home and home series on Thursday and Friday.  They will then travel up to Kerry Park to face the Islanders on Sunday afternoon.