Panthers win 7-4 on road to take two-game series lead

February 23, 2022
Colwood, British Columbia

In a game that had just about everything a hockey fan could ask for, the Peninsula Panthers prevailed in solid fashion knocking off the Westshore Wolves by a 7-4 count for an important road win. And with the victory, the Cats take a 2-0 series lead with the two Clubs set to return to the friendly confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre on Friday night at 7:30 pm for Game 3.

The Wolves came out loaded for bear and seemed to be the quicker team through the first several minutes of the game and were justly rewarded. Only 1:44 in to the game, a stretch pass from their own end to the Panthers blueline was tipped to Kobe Knowles who was steaming right down mainstreet. Knowles went in alone on Panthers starter Ashton Lukan and made no mistake to open the scoring. But just two minutes later, Panthers Evan Crawford gathered in a puck on the right point and he found VIJHL MVP Riley Braun in a soft spot to the right of Wolves netminder Jacob Haydar. Braun one-timed the pass from Crawford and cleanly beat Haydar to knot the score at 1-1. The Panthers seemed to take some momentum from the marker but with just a few ticks over four minutes remaining in the opening stanza, Wolves Andy Westhaver picked up a loose puck deep in the Panthers zone and he roofed a shot past Luken.  There would be no more scoring as the two teams headed to the dressing room for the first intermission.

Perhaps the Cats spent the intermission sharpening their claws because a different team emerged to begin the 2nd stanza.  The ice seemed tilted as the Panthers scored four unanswered markers on strikes from 16-year-old Ethan Lingard, Denver Maloney, Logan Speirs and Braun's 2nd of the night to give the Panthers a commanding three-goal lead at 5-2 after 40 minutes were in the books.

When the Wolves came out for the final stanza, Haydar was vanished to the home bench while Andrew Palm took the reigns between the pipes.  The two teams exchanged a pair of 3rd period goals, Grady Nursey and Elijha Goyer scored for the Wolves, while replying for the visitors were Maloney, who notched his 2nd of the night.  Speirs followed with his 2nd of the night into an empty Wolves cage that had been vacated by Palm for the extra attacker.  

Lukan picked up his 2nd win of the series blocking 26 of 30 pucks that flew his way, while Haydar was tagged for his 2nd loss in allowing 5 goals on 28 shots.  Palm allowed a goal on 9 Panthers attempts in the final period.  Knowles and Maloney were named as the Player of the Game for their respective sides.

The two squads will have 48 hours before they meet for Game 3 Friday night when they head out to the Saanich Peninsula for a 7:30 pm date at the Panorama Recreation Centre.  A large crowd is expected, please arrive early.