Wort scores breakaway winner with 1 second to go against the Wolves

November 20th, 2019
Colwood, British Columbia

Peninsula Panthers' goaltender Connor McKillop squeezed the puck and drew a face-off in his own zone with just 9.7 ticks left in the game Wednesday night at the Q-Centre in Colwood.  The Westshore Wolves had made a valiant comeback after trailing 3-1 in the game with only eight minutes remaining.  But a couple miscues by the visitors midway through the final stanza allowed the home side to get back in the game knot the score at 3-3. Overtime loomed ahead but the remaining time had to be played out.  A time-out was called and the Bench Boss for each squad gave final instructions to their troops.  Panthers' Josh Lingard took the draw to the right of McKillop and won it just behind his position in the face-off circle.  Captain Thomas Spink swooped in and bounced it off the far wall just outside the blueline and the crafty Tanner Wort blew down the left side picking up the disk on the way to what he hoped was paydirt.  Wort had surprised the Wolves' defenceman and he waltzed in all alone crossing the blueline with 4.5 seconds left in the game.  There was plenty of time.  Wort faked a shot, went to his backhand and then deftly tossed it over the outstretched Wolves' netminder Dalan Marleau.  And when the puck gently hit the netting and fell softly to the ice, the Panthers broke into a celebration.  There were only 1.5 seconds left and the story would be the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

Coach Brad Tippett had drawn the play out at the bench during the timeout and he was available for some comments after the game just outside the dressing room door. 

"I thought we played pretty well as a team for 55 minutes. We had a couple of minutes in the 2nd and 3rd where we put in a soft effort or tried to be too cute. We got burnt once in the 2nd and then twice within 20 seconds in the 3rd.  I like the way we hung together though. It’s a tough building to come out of a game with points."

Wort paced the Panthers with two goals and a helper while Lingard had a goal and two helpers.  Lucas Thomson-Fiddes was the other Panthers marksman.  McKillop picked up the win blocking 18 of 21 shots.  

Scoring for the Wolves were Andy Westhaver, Chase Klassen and Blake Bentham.  Marleau was tagged with the loss and stopped 31 of 35 shots directed his way.

Klassen for the Wolves and Lingard for the Panthers were selected as the Players of the Game.

The Cats are back to business Friday night when they welcome in the visiting Comox Valley Glacier Kings.  The game in the friendly confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre is slated to go at 7:30 pm.