Seale pots winner in Panthers All-Rookie 5-1 win Friday night

The lake and the sun screen were well in the rear view mirror on Friday night as 20 hopefuls for both the Peninsula Panthers and Westshore Wolves came onto the ice shortly after 7:30 pm on Friday night to the cheers of a good-sized crowd at the Panorama Recreation Centre.  Both squads were playing All-Rookie lineups and with wide eyes everywhere in sight, the Panthers group were full value for a 5-1 win on the evening in what turned out to be an entertaining affair.

Tyler Sexton opened the scoring for the Panthers at the 6:24 mark after a pretty play by Aleko Sdrakas to allow Sexton the time.  The two Clubs roared up and down the ice and it would be the skilled Westshore Wolves' rookie Jack Westhaver who would knot the score at 1-1 at the 14:02 mark.  Not to be outdone, Matt Seale replied for the home squad with only 3:23 left in the 1st frame to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead.  The goal would prove to be the winner as the Wolves were held off the scoresheet the rest of the way.

Payton Braun - brother of Panthers leadership group Riley Braun - Tyson Johnson and Ethan Ewar all talled in the middle stanza to give the "Cats" a commanding lead at 5-1 after 40 minutes were in the books.  There was no scoring in the third period.

Panthers' bench boss Brad Tippett addressed his troops after the game was in the books and then provided comments before departing the barn for the night.

"We were very pleased with the effort and enthusiasum.  As this was an All-Rookie game, both teams iced very young but skilled lineups.  I thought we had guys playing with a great deal of passion - doing all the little things like blocking shots.  Our guys all came determined to make a statement to the coaching staff and many of them did just that."

The Panthers will ice a majority of their regular season lineup going into their next two exhibition contests on Wednesday night at the Q Centre and then again back at the Panorama next Friday night with a 7:30 pm start.  

The Regular Season opener looms just two weeks away when the Cats will host the Saanich Braves on September 6th at 7:30 pm.