Braves pound Panthers 8-3

January 5th, 2020
Saanich, British Columbia

The Peninsula Panthers came into Sunday afternoon for their game against the Saanich Braves looking to put their 27th win in the books and pull within a point of the League-leading Victoria Cougars.  It didn't happen.

The Braves' Avery Hargitt opened the scoring only 1:32 into the 1st frame and that was followed by a Jarrod Lucoe marker only three minutes later to quickly give the home side a tidy 2-0 lead.  Late in the period, Drew Coughlin scored a highlight goal for the Panthers to bring them to within a goal going into the first intermission.  Jonah Ragsdale and Thomas Spink had helpers on the tally.

Ryan Strange beat Panthers' starter Connor Cheyne midway through the middle stanza to give his squad a 3-1 lead.  Although the Panthers peppered Braves starter Connor Svienson with shot after shot, they could not find a way to put one past him and the Strange goal would be the only one of the period.

The Panthers came out of the 2nd intermission like they had been shot out of a gun as Coughlin took a feed from Josh Lingard and deftly beat Svienson only 40 seconds in.  But a defensive miscue in front of Cheyne took away much of the momentum that was going the Panthers way as Strange pumped his 2nd of the afternoon past Cheyne.  The Braves would score four more times as Evan Abgrall, Jack Groves, Hargitt with his 2nd of the game and Jake Wilhelm popping one into the empty net as Cheyne had been pulled for the extra attacker.  Lingard scored for the Panthers.

"We had a lot of guys that have to be better than they were tonight," said GM Pete Zubersky.  "Cheyne needed to stop more pucks.  Our defence broke down a number of times and it cost us.  We put 60 shots on their net but did not have a lot of net presence.  Some of our fowards looked like they were in quick sand.  We had a great effort on Friday night but it was not the same this afternoon and it cost us.  That being said, we play the Cougars on Thursday and are then back at home Friday against the North Division-leading Oceanside Generals.  It will be a couple good tests and I would like to see our Club start to get into the playoff mode, that is get the puck out, get the puck in.  It's time."

Head Coach Brad Tippett shared his thoughts after the 60 minutes were in the books on Sunday.

"After another great full team effort on Friday we suffered through another frustrating day at Pearkes. We get 60 shots , control the puck 80% of the game and can’t buy a bounce.

Defensively we were very soft below the hashmarks. I think they had 4 goals that would be more easily measured in inches than feet. They wanted to get into the paint more than we wanted to box them out. On the bright side we were much, much better defending the rush. Today we also didn’t get a save at critical times. It seems when we get one hole plugged another one springs a leak.

There had a few forwards who found their ice time drastically reduced in the last half of the game. We had a couple who had very little engagement right from the first shift. We had a couple who had no desperation after making a mistake. No urgency.

Up to Christmas we teach. We have patience with thinking mistakes. We try to always find the positive. It’s about building confidence and commitment. The last two months are 'you are only as good as your last shift'.

There are rookies, no veterans. There are just players.

Complacency is recipe for becoming a spectator or a scratch. It doesn't who you are. If not pulling your weight you are pressing your luck."

The game Friday night against the Generals will see the puck drop at the usual 7:30 pm.