Panthers add Goaltender Connor Cheyne, #'s 8, 9 and 10 have a season in 10-1 win Friday night

November 29th, 2019
North Saanich, B.C.

The Peninsula Panthers welcomed in the visiting Kerry Park Islanders for their first of four visits but the Cats were not a welcoming crew.  The Islanders made a Coaching change two weeks ago and it seemed to be paying dividends as they promptly knocked off the Nanaimo Buccaneers in Nanaimo last Thursday night, and followed that up by knocking off the Victoria Cougars last Saturday in Mill Bay.  The white hot Oceanside Generals cooled the Islanders just a bit last Sunday coming out on top in a 5-2 affair, but clearly the Islanders hit the ice in the friendly confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre with a lot of newly-found confidence.  When all the smoke had cleared just before 10:00 pm, the Islanders might have had just a bit less jump in their step.

The Panthers made a rare move on Thursday when they signed 19-year-old goaltender Connor Cheyne and released 18-year-old netminder Chris Combiadakis.  Cheyne played most of his Minor Hockey on the Peninsula before heading downtown several years ago for a stint with the Victoria Royals Major Midget program.  He then played a year in Saanich with the Braves before deciding to sit out this season due to work commitments.  But Cheyne had the itch and the Panthers felt that it was an opportunity to bolster the Goaltending position.

"I absolutely love Chris Combiadakis and his family," said GM Pete Zubersky from his home early Saturday afternoon in discussing his netminder who had been released Thursday.  "This was a really tough move on an emotional level as the family are simply awesome people.  Coreen and I were discussing letting Chris go and thought it might have been the toughest move for us on a personal level since we came into ownership back in 1999.  Our Organization wish Chris and his family the best of luck in the future and we thank him for the time he has spent with us here on the Peninsula."

Zubersky continued with a few comments on his newly acquired Goaltender.  "We feel like we have a squad that could make some noise in the 2nd half of the season and into the post-season and we think that Connor Cheyne can be right up there with some of the top netminders in the League.  I think his addition will also push Connor McKillop to be better and that is always a good thing.  Competition between the pipes will start on Monday when we are all together for practice and internal competition makes everyone better.  Cheyne will fit seamlessly into our room as he has played a lot of hockey with a lot of our veterans on the Club.  I believe this will prove to be a very important addition as we come down the stretch and into the 2nd season.  Connor backed up our other Connor Friday night but I would expect that Coach will throw him into the fire sooner rather than later.  He is a big body who is very solid technically.  Our Club just took a huge step in adding this piece to the puzzle."

The puck dropped just after 7:30 pm on Friday evening on a cool and crisp evening however, the start did not exactly go as scripted by the Panthers' coaching staff prior to the contest.  The disk squirted into the Islanders' end on the opening face-off and a winger moved up the right wall heading out of the visitor's defensive zone near the blueline.  Panthers' defenceman Hunter Jensen allowed an unchecked Islanders forward to skate past him while he pinched and when the puck was chipped by him, the result was an early odd-man rush.  McKillop was forced to make a big save but the rebound was inadvertently tapped past McKillop by Jenson who was chasing back on the play.  Islanders' Parker Bergstrom would be awarded with the goal being the last visitor's player to touch the puck. Only 13 seconds had transpired from the opening drop but McKillop would be perfect for the remaining 59:47 in picking up the win.

The line of #8 Josh Lingard, #9 Tanner Wort and #10 Riley Braun had a career night as individuals but also had even a better one as a trio.  The three forwards, who currently sit one, two, three in VIJHL scoring, scored early and often and shared the puck like a mother would share a sandwich with her hungry child.

"These three have figured it out and seem to have thrown individual stats out the window.  They play for their team and they play for each other and I absolutely love watching them.  I have said it in the past that watching these three are worth the price of admission.  I am not 100% sure but when I watch them I think they might be sharing the same brain.  This is the 4th straight year they have now played together.  They played their final year of Midget on the Peninsula Eagles Midget AA squad and this is their 3rd year on the Panthers.  Their chemistry last night was amazing!"

The trio rolled over the boards with their squad down 1-0, Lingard meandering into the face-off circle at Centre Ice.  And 30 seconds after the draw, Lingard had knotted the score at 1-1 with helpers from Wort and Braun.  Lucas Thomson-Fiddes caused some havoc deep inside the Islanders' zone two minutes later and when the puck turned over, he was 'Johnny on the spot' to pick it up and pound it past Islanders' Spencer Deakin.  His marker would prove to be the winner.  But the fireworks were only getting started.  At the 7:10 mark, Lingard scored his 2nd of the game with Jensen atoning for his earlier gaff in picking up an assist on the play.  Wort went to the sin-bin for high-sticking midway through the period and when his penalty expired, he stepped out of the box and picked up a nifty pass from Sterling Lyon to go in all alone on Deakin.  Wort made no mistake.  Panthers' Captain Thomas Spink picked up the 2nd assist on the play.  And at the 18:30 mark, Braun ran the lead to 5-1 when he finished a pretty passing play; assists going to Lingard and Wort.

The 2nd frame started exactly the same way the 1st ended.  At the 8:26 mark, Logan Speirs beat Deakin with helpers going to Luc Pelletire and Spink.  And then Wort added another at 11:24 with none other than Braun and Lingard notching assists.  With the score at 7-1, Deakin's night was over and Islanders' netminder Nicholas Haisell slid in between the pipes for the visitors.  Wort did not miss a beat and he beat Haisell at the 16:15 point in the period, assist on the play going to Lingard and Braun.  The two squads skated to the dressing rooms at the end of the stanza with the Panthers up 8-1.

With 40 minutes in the books and a win pretty well nailed down for the Cats, the final period was a formality.  Lingard extended the lead to 9-1 only 59 seconds into the 3rd period on assists from Wort and Alexander Benger and 11 minutes later, 16-year-old rookie Pelletier closed the book on the stats when he tallied on a sweet setup off the stick of Speirs.  Benger would be awarded the 2nd helper.

McKillop was solid between the pipes blocking 20 of 21 shots while Deakin and Haisell, who had probably seen more rubber than the Malahat Drive teamed up to stop 45 of 55 pucks.  Braun and Islanders Matt Baird were selected as the Game Stars for the respective Clubs.

The Cats will now be idle this weekend however will be back at it once again when they welcome in the Islanders to the confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre once again next Friday.  The puck will drop at the usual 7:30 pm start time.