Panthers go on Xmas break with a 4-3 road win over Wolves

It took only 51 seconds for Garnett Roberts to show he belonged.  Gathering in the puck at the point after being set up by Josh Poland and Spencer Loverock, the talented defenceman wasted no time in unleashing a blast that found nothing but net behind Westshore Wolves starter Jordan Spandli.  And for Roberts, it would be a sign of things to come.

Roberts walked quietly into the Q-Centre two hours before game-time and was greeted by his new teammates, many of whom were friends and had played hockey with him throughout his minor hockey out on the Peninsula.  After getting equipment with the new colors and after a quick chat with Head Coach Rob Mortin, there was nothing much more to do than to put on his skates, take the warmup and get ready to play a hockey game as he has done hundreds of times before.  Roberts had a smile on his face and rightly so.

The Wolves Jacob Malloch tied the game at the 16:26 mark but it was Roberts again who would give his Club the 2-1 lead going into the 1st intermission.  With just under two minutes to go in the frame, Roberts gathered in the puck and wheeled in open ice down the left side on a 2-on-1 with Cody Allison.  Although Allison was statistically not in on the goal, his play was crucial.  He sped to the net which kept the Wolves defender honest and at the left hashmark in the offensive zone, Roberts wound up and blasted his 2nd of the night behind a surprised Spandli.  16-year-old rookie Conner Mowatt and silky-smooth rearguard Austin Singhera added helpers.

The ice was greased and tunes belted out at the Q-Centre between periods and in the Panthers dressing room the mood was light.  The two teams returned to the ice and the lone marksman in the middle frame would prove to be former Panthers sniper Rylan Ball.  The crafty forward romped down the right side and after undressing a Panthers defenceman, he walked in alone on stopper Alex Olson.  Ball ripped a shot to the top of the cage on an effort that left Olson with little chance to tie the game and it would remain that way after 40 minutes.

There was still one more chapter to write and the script was started early in the 3rd stanza when with only 82 seconds in the book the diminutive Kiefer Evans managed to bank a shot off the elbow of Spandli from behind the net to regain the one-goal margin.  Braedan Pearce and Kai Turner were in on the goal.  And 17-year-old Koby Hale, who has recently returned from a recent finger injury, showed soft hands at the midway mark of the period beating Spandli after picking up a rebound on a shot from 17-year-old Ben DeJong.  But the Wolves had just a bit more howl in them when with just over four minutes remaining, Spencer Preece put one past Olson.  The play became frantic in the final minute when the Wolves pulled Spandli and pressured the Panthers in their end.  But Olson, with the help of a goalpost, held firm until the final buzzer giving the Panthers a well-deserved and hard-fought victory.

Olson was solid over the 60 minutes and blocked 39 of 42 shots in picking up the win.  He was named the contest's 2nd star for his efforts.  Spandli blocked 22 of 26 attempts and was collared with the loss.  Roberts was named the game's 1st star logging big minutes and collecting his two markers.  Ball was the 3rd star.

"I was really happy to pick up the win going into the break," explained Mortin.  "Roberts was a nice pickup and although we gave up scoring in Nathan Looysen, we felt that we needed to get better and get some depth on the back end.  I liked Singhera's game as well and it was great to have Loverock back after missing the last few games being up with the BCHL's Cowichan Capitals.  I liked our effort tonight.  We still have a long way to go but we have a young group and they are getting better each time out.  Tonight was a lot of fun, I felt it was an important win for everyone."

The Panthers will now take the next week off and Olson will head home to Langley while Mowatt takes the 90-minute trip home to Nanaimo where he will enjoy friends and family.  The rest of the Club is local to the Greater Victoria area.

The Panthers will practice on December 28th and 29th to prepare for their next game in Nanaimo after Christmas on December 30th.  They will be back home at the Panorama Recreation Centre on New Year's Day for a 6:00 pm start against the Saanich Braves and will then host the Kerry Park Islanders the following night on Friday, January 2nd.