The Peninsula Panthers had another successful weekend in VIJHL action and the best might be still ahead. After blitzing the Comox Valley Glacier Kings in a convincing 8-4 victor on home ice Friday night, the club traveled to Mill Bay to take on the Kerry Park Islanders Saturday.
Still deadlocked after 60 minutes, and two overtime periods, the game went to a shootout that took eight skaters from each to determine a winner in what may have been the most entertaining game of the VIJHL season thus far.
Friday night saw the Panthers cool off the Glacier Kings right from the opening face-off, out-shooting the visitors 54-21 in a game that was never in doubt.
Scoring for the Panthers were Jake Gajda (2), and single markers from Logan Speirs, Riley Braun, Joe Stafford-Veale, Bryson Hines, Tanner Wort and Josh Lingard.
In Saturday’s game against Kerry Park, Peninsula was down 1-0 due to an unbelievable effort from Islanders goaltender Charles Oliver-LePage.
Braun popped the bubble when he scored with only 12 seconds left in the middle frame and then scored the go-ahead goal with just over two minutes remaining to give his team the lead for the first time.
And it appeared as though the lead would hold until Samon McLean scored for the Islanders with only 8 seconds left to send the game to overtime.
Nothing would be decided until the Islanders eighth shooter Riley Windson beat Panthers netminder Chris Akerman in the shootout to send the Panthers packing. The Panthers dominated from start to finish outshooting the Islanders 47-31.
“Saturday night was the best game we have played in the past three years,” said a disappointed Pete Zubersky. “Every single guy on our club dug deep and it was a shame that we did not come out with the win that we really deserved in every way. It really showed our guys what they can accomplish. What a difference from a month ago. We are starting to figure it out.”
With the shootout loss the Panthers have now earned at least one point in their last six games. They have won their last four home games and look to keep it going when they host the Westshore Wolves this Friday night at the Panorama Recreation Centre at 7:30 pm.
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