Panthers down Wolves 5-3 to keep their undefeated string at home intact.

The Peninsula Panthers remained undefeated at the Panorama Recreation Centre as they downed the visiting Westshore Wolves 5-3 on Friday evening.  But it was not easy and it took a power play marker late in the 3rd period by hulking Panthers defenceman Grayson Vickers and then an empty net insurance tally by Panthers Captain Brett Sjerven to send the Wolves home howling.

Rookie Tate Coughlin kept up his scoring ways when he opened the game with a goal only 1:36 into the 1st period.  It seemed like the Panthers squad thought the match was going to be an easy one from here on out, but it was a determined Wolves group that carried the play for most of the remaining 18 minutes.  And when Kyle Peterson scored on the power play and Connor Krupa got another one for the visitors, the Panthers headed to the room licking their wounds.

Stephen Heslop was between the pipes for the Panthers while down at the other end Matt Chester had the start and both tenders were perfect in the 2nd frame, both blocking some quality chances.  But the period seemed to belong to the Panthers for the most part and it set up a dramatic come-from-behind victory in the final stanza.

17-year-old Connor Logan, who has been on the Nanaimo Clippers radar and was recently named as an affiliate player with them, scored at the 7:02 mark of the final twenty minute segment and only ten seconds later he would find the mark once again, scoring the two fastest goals by a Panthers player in their franchise history.  And it seemed like the Panthers had it all going their way when a scrum broke out at the 13:05 mark of the period.  Spencer Loverock had lugged the puck the length of the ice and when cutting past the Wolves crease, he bumped into Chester.  A scrum of players gatherered and the traditional pushing and shoving broke out however, Wolves fiesty defencman Eric McClennan shed the mitts and began throwing punches with Panthers big rookie defenceman Sean Buchanan.  But the fight was all one way as Buchanan did not return punches.  In the end after a host of penalties were called, the Panthers went on a protracted five-minute power play and for all intents and purposes, it seemed as though the game might be over.  But the Wolves had a different idea and when Hobin Zinch screamed down the right side and then unleashed a blast over the right shoulder of a startled Stephen Heslop the teams were knotted at 3-3.  Zinck's talley came with just 5:10 left in the game and his short-handed effort looked like it might just send the game into overtime.  But the Panthers still had the power play and after winning a draw in the Wolves end, Vickers went straight to the front of the visitors net and anchored himself there.  Panthers Defenceman Cody Breitenstein and Jackson Skerratt were able to work the puck on Chester and it was Vickers who was in the right place at the right time to put the rebound in at the 17:17 mark and give the Panthers a lead they would not relinqish.  Sjervan would add the insurance marker with only seven seconds remaining when he gathered the puck in his own end and sent it 200 feet into a wide open Wolves net which had been vacated for the extra attacker.

Heslop was named the game's 2nd star while facing 30 shots, while Chester also faced 30 pucks directed his way.

With the win the Panthers pulled into a 2nd place tie in the South Division of the VIJHL with the Wolves however the "Cats" have played three less games.

Panthers Tracks....The Panthers did not fare quite as well on Saturday evening when they faced the Kerry Park Islanders in Mill Bay....Panther were on the wrong end of a 4-2 score....The final marker was into the empty net....Skerratt and Cole Glover scored for the boy from the Peninsula....Connor Logan picked up the 1st star in Friday's game....Wolves Spencer Preece was 3rd star....Panthers host the Victoria Cougars this Friday night and their undefeated string at home will be put to the test.