Coaches and parents were very proud of their cardiac kids who showed tons of heart and positive attitude to battle back from a 2-0 deficit in the final of the St. John tournament against a strong Grand Lake team who had not been scored on in the tournament and was coming off 4 consecutive shut out wins. The comeback began with Brown setting up Richards for a top corner goal in the last minute of the 2nd period and Cassibo "The Lord Beaverbrook Snipper" repeating his goal scoring prowess of 2 years earlier at the same rink in the final when he knocked in a rebound mid-way through the 3rd period to tie the game and set the scene for a nail biting finish. After Pownal killed off a 5-3 penalty in the final minutes, neither team could score in OT. In the shootout both teams scored twice in the first round (Bryenton & Brasky) of three shooters before going to sudden death. Hogan continued his stellar play with 4 consecutive saves before Walker calmly deeked the NB goaltender and won the game for the Panthers in the 7th round of the shootout.
The win topped off an exciting weekend and great memories for the Panthers. Despite ankle injuries to O'Brien and Byrne, both players made key plays to contribute to the team's success. Ross and Jay played some of their best hockey of the season and Crawford will be sorely missed by the Panthers in the Provincials as he finished his season with the shoot out win. Tournament game MVP's Richards, Perrot, McIsaac, Redmond, and Hogan were a reflection of the team's overall strong team play, improved discipline, and work ethic. Way to go boys!
Email
Print
