Panthers celebrate PMHA and FAN Appreciation Game with 5-1 win over the Storm

Monday, February 19,2024
Panorama Recreation Centre
North Saanich, British Columbia

The Peninsula Panthers were full value for their 5-1 win over the visiting Campbell River Storm in front of 350 boisterous fans of all ages.  And after the final buzzer sounded, the fun continued as 30 special 3rd Jerseys were gifted to PMHA Players and Fans who were in attendance.


The game was a rugged affair from start to finish with both teams combining to rack up 101 penalty minutes.  The emotion was raw and real and it continued right to the end of the contest.

Ryan Melanson made the start between the pipes for the visitors while Tanner Ferrill was given the nod in goal for the Panthers.  And in the end, Ferrill was simply better than Melanson and it showed on the scoreboard's final tally.


Ethan Lingard opened the scoring early in the game on a helper from Risto Ringma at the 4:40 mark and a little over two minutes later, the Panthers would strike again. Lukas Preweda hit paydirt while on the power play with assists going to Ty Barrie and Kyle Erickson.

In the middle frame, the Panthers extended their lead to 3-0 when at the 2:30 mark, Lingard scored for the second time crushing a one-timer on a precise pass from Reid Fryer over the right shoulder of Melanson.  Gaetz Barrie picked up the 2nd assist.  But the Storm were not ready to blow out just yet and at the 11:24 mark, Jackson Gudz beat Ferrill from in close.  It would be the only blemish on Ferrill's stat line on the afternoon.  Power forward Luka Jansen van Rensburg had the answer on the power play.  Lingard picked up the puck on the half wall and sent it to Tanner Truswell at the point.  Truswell shot a low bullet to the net and it would be Jansen van Rensburg, who had taken up residence at the top of the blue paint in front of Melanson, that would make all the difference when he tipped the shot to the back of the cage to regain the 3-goal lead at 4-1.


In the final stanza, the rough stuff continued but the Panthers seemed to keep their focus and eventually opened up a 5-1 lead on a marker off the stick of Gaetz Barrie at the 2:31 mark.  His brother Ty and Truswell helped out on the goal.

Melanson stopped 17 of 22 shots and was collared for the loss while Ferrill was good on 36 of 37 disks sent in his direction and he added a win to his totals. Ferrill and Gudz were named as Players of the Game for their respective squads.

The Storm left the sheet and it was time for the crowd to join in on the jersey celebration.  Thirty smiling faces came down onto the ice and were gifted jerseys right off the backs of the players.  It was a rainy day when most of the fans filtered into the parking lot however, it was like water off a duck's back for most.  They had been treated to three highly entertaining hours in the friendly confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre and it will be a Family Day that most in attendance will remember for a long while.

The Panthers get right back into action this Friday evening when they will take on the Nanaimo Buccaneers at the Panorama Recreation Centre with the puck set to drop at 7:30 pm.  It is the final Regular Season game of the year for the Panthers.