The Peninsula Panthers have been white hot on home ice this season.
The club won their seventh game in a row on home ice, their latest victim being the Oceanside Generals last Friday night.
Riley Braun, Joe Stafford-Veale and Tanner Wort scored against the Generals on Friday however, with the score at 3-3 it was Logan Speirs who would put on the Superman cape.
Speirs was out on the penalty kill with only 1:24 left in regulation when he managed to strip a Generals’ defenceman and race in all alone. The speedy forward deeked and then went to his backhand and sent the puck to the top of the cage to lift the Panthers to their seventh straight victory on home ice.
The Panthers are now looking forward to welcoming in the Saanich Braves this Friday in what is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated games of the VIJHL regular season to date.
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With games now having a three-point value in regulation and with parity in the league having never been more evident, none of it is lost on Coach Brad Tippett, whose goal is to take back some of the points lost to the Westshore Wolves.
“This will be a big week for us,” Tipett said. “The last outing versus the Braves was close to our worst effort of the season.”
Tipett said the league has become ultra competitive and every team needs to bring their “A” game every night because the new point system allows teams to move up or fall behind very quickly.
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“We just have to keep playing together and for each other – put bad periods behind us and build on the positive ones,” he explained.
Captain Thomas Spink might wear the “C” on his jersey, but Tipett said the team is fortunate to also have a strong leadership group who have “really stepped forward leading vocally and by example.”
“I think that has been beneficial in the pace of development of some of the younger guys,” he added.
Panthers president Pete Zubersky anticipates a big crowd Friday night .
“The fans are really enjoying the Club right now. It’s been a while since we have run a string of wins together at home like we have currently,” he said.
The Peninsula Panthers will take on the Saanich Braves Nov. 9 at the Panorama Recreation Centre where the puck drops at 7:30 pm.