If you have not yet travelled to the Panorama Recreation Centre in North Saanich to take in a Peninsula Panthers game, you have been missing some really good Junior hockey.
The Panthers currently sit on top of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL), with 34 points (16-1-2-0), two ahead of the Campbell River Storm in the North (with three games in hand) and three points ahead of the Westshore Wolves in the South.
The Panthers have lost just one game in regulation this season, a 3-0 loss to the Wolves on Oct. 13, and since that time, have rattled off seven wins in a row, including victories this past weekend over the Storm on Friday night in Campbell River and a win over the Lake Cowichan Kraken at home on Saturday night.
On Friday in Campbell River, Carson Harris played the hero against his former team, scoring three of the Panther goals, including the winner just 13 seconds into overtime to give the Panthers an exciting 4-3 win over the Storm.
The Panthers went up 3-0 in the first period with two goals from Harris and one from Brendan Williams, but then gave that all back in the second, with the teams playing a scoreless third. Jacob Walsh got the start in net and remained perfect, stopping 35 of 38 shots to move his record to 6-0 on the season.
On Saturday night against Lake Cowichan, the Panthers spotted the Kraken a 1-0 lead before storming back with four straight goals en route to a 5-3 win.
Williams, with a pair of goals, and Harris, with another, once again factored in the scoring, while Lukas Preweda and Cole Sather also added goals for the Panthers.
Walsh, making his second start in a row, with Merik Grinaker called up to the BCHL Victoria Grizzlies, did not have a ton of work, but made the saves when it mattered, stopping 15 of 18 shots to keep his season record perfect at 7-0 and his league-leading goals against average at 2.12.
Speaking of goaltending, Grinaker (8-1-2) sports the second-best goals against in the league at 2.24 and both he and Walsh have allowed only 41 goals against in total, tops in the league. Part of their success also comes from a solid defensive corps that has allowed only 523 shots on goal, second only to Nanaimo (512), but the Buccaneers have played two fewer games.
On the offensive side, the Panthers boast a very well-balanced attack with eight different players having 10 points or more. Leading the way is Ontario import Williams with 12 goals and eight assists (20 points) while local players and Panther veterans Ethan Lingard (9-10-19), Preweda (10-8-18) and Harris (8-7-15) follow close behind.
Denver, Col. import Joe Marranzino has also contributed from the back end and is fourth in team scoring with five goals and 12 assists (17 points).
The next opportunity to see the Panthers in action will be Friday, Nov.15 when they host the defending VIJHL champion Saanich Predators at Panorama. Game time is 7:30 p.m. They then travel down the Peninsula to face the Victoria Cougars at Archie Browning Arena in Esquimalt on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. and return home again on Friday to host the Nanaimo Buccaneers at 7:30 p.m.
Admission to all Panther games at Panorama is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (ages 60+), $9 for youth (ages 13-18) and $2 for kids 12 and under. Also, for every kid’s ticket sold in the regular season, the Murphy Family Foundation will donate $1 US to the Peninsula Minor Hockey Association.
