Panthers knock Cougars from the unbeaten ranks by edging their crosstown rivals 4-3 in a dramatic double overtime win

It was going to be a emotional battle, there was no doubt about that.  And after Friday's struggle came to a close, yet another chapter was written about the bitter rivalry between the Peninsula Panthers and the Victoria Cougars.

Tate Coughlin sent a large crowd home happy at the Panorama Recreation Centre late Friday evening when a puck went off his skate and past Cougars goaltender Connor Beaucamp at the 00:58 mark of the 2nd overtime period to lift the Panthers to an exciting and dramatic 4-3 win.  Reece Costain had wheeled down the left side only seconds earlier and after beating a Cougars defender deep in the offensive zone, he cut to the net looking somewhat like power forward Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins.  Costain was able to shovel the puck into harms way and Coughlin, who was racing to the Cougars net in support of Costain had the puck go off him and into the net which was the queue for a wild celebration both on and off the ice. 

But there were almost 66 minutes of hockey that went into the record books before Coughlin was able to put the final nail in the coffin and it was pretty obvious that there is not a lot of love lost between the two Clubs. 

Speedy Michael Frentz scored the only goal of the 1st frame when at the 19:01 mark the Cougars took advantage of a turnover at their blueline and raced the length of the ice on a 2-on-1.  Big power forward Jake Daughtry shoveled a pass to Fretz who was in alone on Panthers netminder Stephen Heslop and he wasted no time putting a tally on the board.  The goal was clearly against the flow during the opening twenty minutes.  The Panthers had missed on several wonderful  scoring opportunities including a chance by Costain who slid a puck past a wide open cage.

But the 2nd stanza belonged to the visitors as Heslop faced 20 shots, he was only able to block 18 of them.  Cougars' Ryan Carson and Fretz with his second of the night at the 11:41 mark gave the Archie Browning Cats a 3-0 lead and it looked like it might just be one of those nights.  But two power play blasts by Jackson Skerratt and Sean Buchanan only 20 seconds apart late in the frame put the Panthers back in the game and set the stage for a great ending.

Cole Glover was the only marksman in the 3rd when the Peninsula Minor Hockey product finished with a marker past Beauchamp after taking a feed from the new offensive weapon of the Panthers, Grayson Vickers.  Nothing else would be decided until 65:58 had been played and although the fans were treated to a double overtime finish, a buzzing crowd left the Panorama already looking forward to the next Cougars/Panthers meeting which will take place in the same barn on October 25th.

The game had a bit of everything.  Some nastiness was evident in the 1st period when Panthers Ben Meek squared off against Cougars Jordan Marciniak.  It appeared that Graham Zagrodney was tag teaming with Marciniak for the initial seconds of the tilt however he was simply whistled for a roughing minor.  This seemed to incite the Panthers bench and a boisterous crowd were in full agreement.  Once Zadra was out of the picture Meek seemed to fill in his opponent in a protracted skirmish.  And midway through the 2nd period Panthers defenceman Kyle Richardson and Cougars Captain Mark Walton shed the mitts near the visitors net.  The diminutive Walton did not back down and although it appeared as though Richardson landed a couple big shots, Walton would draw blood when he landed and sliced Richardson's lip.  It appeared as though the game might get out of hand however cooler heads prevailed and both squads got back to the task at hand.

The three stars in the game were Coughlin, Heslop and Panthers Captain Brett Sjerven who was solid and physical all night long and added a couple helpers in the game.

On Thursday evening the Panthers traveled to Nanaimo and lost to a determined Buccaneers squad, the final was 4-3.  Joey Karrer took the loss for the Panthers.

The Panthers travel to Saanich on Wednesday evening before they return home to face the red hot Campbell River Storm next Friday evening at 7:30 pm and then the following Friday it will be the Cougars and Panthers one more time, with love.