Lace up fans, Round 2 is here!

The anticipation has been mounting within the Club, and playoff fever is in full effect.  The next seven games have been scheduled, set for the boys to take on the Comox Valley Glacier Kings, who defeated the Saanich Braves in four straight games to move onto their second round.  The Glacier Kings have had a solid season, ending in 1st place in their division and tied the Panthers for 2nd overall.  They have fallen short three of four meetings against the Panthers for 2013/2014 and have a strong roster going into this round, including VIJHL top goalie in Michael Hales.  Despite the recognition, Hales has played only one playoff game, and Blake Pearson has been standing the backline with a .928 save percentage through their first leg.  Players to keep an eye on include 18-year-old Liam Shaw, who has put up 8 points, and top scorer Dallas Maxwell who has scored four goals in their four games.  This however, has not hindered the Panthers as they prepare for game one today at the Comox Valley Sports Centre.

"We are as ready as can be for battle, the team is prepared and it’s all about execution now and willing to do the little things as a team to keep moving forward," head coach Brian Passmore tells us.  "We are confident but also know that they are a fast team and they match up very well against us.  We know what we have to do to be successful, we will take this one period at a time and try to seize the moment.  We all want to win and now it’s time to show it.  Playoffs are exciting and our players understand that emotions need to be in check because it is an up and down ride.  We need to play a complete 60 minutes as a team.  It should be a very entertaining series for fans in this league." 
 
The Peninsula roster itself has become a fine-tuned list of men, ranging from last year vets to promising rookies, hometown boys to those who have found their second home, creating a team the Panther community can be proud of.  As a fan, watching the team on the ice over the season has become a sport of its own, and although we have seen players come and go, no one can argue that the list of names that we have representing the community in these playoffs is one to bet the odds on.  We are now seeing the likes of Rylan Ball and Alex Milligan settle into their team, dominating stats, and creating endless opportunities on the ice.  Ball is sitting comfortably with four goals and five assists, totalling nine points in his aggressive defensive position; Milligan is sitting at two goals and seven assists with nine points also.
 
The new guys are not the only ones stealing our attention though, 20-year-old veteran, Jackson Skerratt, has made noise with his 6 goals and one assist.  Fan favourite Grayson Vickers has been a resounding name the past five games and fellow hefty defenseman Cody Breitenstein has broken out this past two weeks with two goals and three assists.  Just in case the Peninsula defense isn't already giving you enough excitement, the anticipation for the potential return of 20-year-old vet, Matt Sheeran after his shoulder injury is bound to keep you going!  Check back this week for "A minute with your MVP", for all the updates on Sheeran.
 
As always, we will see you for game two this Friday night at your Panorama Rec Centre.  Game three will take place Saturday back on Glacier King ice at 7:30 pm.  As you may have seen, the Panthers community is taking no risks to miss the action, and Wilson’s Transportation will be aiding in the community getting their Panthers fix; a fan bus will be headed up to Comox tonight, and Saturday.  Contact Steve at 250-889-4345 or stevepearce@shaw.ca to get your seats.