Panthers get Remembrance Day overtime win over Braves

There was a weather advisory for South Vancouver Island but for the Lower Island Population and the Peninsula Panthers, Remembrance Day, 2015 turned out to be nothing but sun.  No rain, no wind, just blue skies capped off with a 4-3 overtime win over the visiting Saanich Braves in the friendly confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre.

A touching pre-game ceremony opened the afternoon off on the right foot when Piper Roger Hind piped in Retired Second Lieutenant Kenny Podmore from the Royal Engineers England and Retired Commander Peter Chance from the Royal Canadian Navy to the tune "Morag of Dunvegan."  Commander Chance addressed the crowd of 264 discussing his tour of duty in various parts of the world and letting everyone know that he is now 95 years young.  The ceremony to celebrate the veterans who have given service to Canada so that so many might enjoy the freedom's that we do today was a touching one.

The National Anthem was belted out by young Clayton Butler and then it was time to play hockey.  At the 5:52 mark of the 1st period Kai Turner drew first blood getting a puck over Braves starter Riley Mathieson with helpers going to Spencer Loverock and Josh Poland on the play.  But a string of three straight penalties finally caught up to the Panthers when at the 9:50 mark Evan Horvath tied the game for the Braves on the power play.  The Panthers replied on a power play of their own with only 59 seconds left in the period when 17-year-old Cam Thompson came out of the corner and snapped a shot over the shoulder of Mathieson.  Loverock and Trevor Owens were awarded assists on the goal.

It was all Panthers in the 2nd frame however they were thwarted time after time by Mathieson.  And at the 16:12 mark Braves Jack Rachwalski tied the game when he let a shot go from the top of the right circle that eluded Panthers goaltender Alex Olson.  It would prove to be the only tally of the middle frame.

Braves Scott Henderson beat Olson as he come out from the corner midway through the final stanza, slipping the puck past the Panthers netminder on the short side.  But Rachwalski went to the sin bin for the Braves only seconds later and the Panthers went onto the power play once again.  The puck was moved to the front of the net where a crowd had formed and the diminutive Panthers forward Koby Hale came out of the pack as a giant when he banged a loose puck under the fallen Braves netminder to knot the game at 3-3.  Both teams exchanged chances, the best when Thompson set up 16-year-old Marty Westhaver late in the period.  Westhaver lifted the puck to the top of the Braves cage however it clanged off the post and rolled harmlessly into the corner.

It did not take long for the overtime to be decided.  The puck moved to the front of the Braves net and one of the visitors defencemen tried to clear the puck out of harms way.  It bounced off Owens who was looking to bang home the winner and went straight past Mathieson for the winner and this set off a Remembrance Day celebration once again.

Olson blocked 30 of 33 shots to collect the win while Mathieson was good on 28 of 32 and was nailed with the loss.  The three stars on the evening were Owens, Loverock and affiliate callup with the Panthers for the afternoon, Zach Evans.

The Panthers get Thursday off however are right back at it Friday night at the Panorama when they play host the the South Division opponent Westshore Wolves.  The puck drops at 7:30 pm.