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Islanders edge out Panthers on a high-scoring Saturday night

Parker Ellis’s second goal of the game, a shorthanded score at 4:05 of the second overtime, gave the Kerry Park Islanders a 6-5 win over the Peninsula Panthers on Saturday evening, making up for his team giving up a pair of two-goal leads during regulation.
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Parker Ellis’s second goal of the game, a shorthanded score at 4:05 of the second overtime, gave the Kerry Park Islanders a 6-5 win over the Peninsula Panthers on Saturday evening, making up for his team giving up a pair of two-goal leads during regulation.

“It shouldn’t have gone to overtime,” Islanders owner Mark Osmond said. “We made a couple of defensive mistakes and they tied it up.”

The Isles held a 3-1 lead late in the second period and a 5-3 lead just past the midway point of the third, but both times, the Panthers were able to come back and tie things up.

Peninsula opened the scoring, but Keenan Eddy drew the Isles even late in the first. A powerplay goal by Kayden Peck and Ellis’s first of the night put the Isles ahead in the second, but the Panthers got back within one with a powerplay marker of their own in the final minute of the second, then made it 3-3 at 2:26 of the third.

Peck’s second and a shorthanded effort by Brandon Wilson got the Isles back in front by two, but the Panthers tied it up again with goals at 13:40 and 14:14 of the final frame.

Ellis finished with two goals and two assists on the night, while Peck had two goals and Joe Lamoureux notched two helpers. Chase Anderson made 32 saves for the win.

Osmond was pleased with the way his team bounced back from adversity throughout the game, including a two-minute hooking penalty assessed to Peck during the second overtime. The Isles also lost Keenan Eddy to a second-period match penalty for slew-footing that led to a three-game misconduct, and Will Connors was tossed for interference from the bench, incurring a one-game ban.

Already missing Malloch on a separate three-game suspension and injured defenceman Connor Bissett, that meant the Isles would be out four of their more effective players as they played host to the Victoria Cougars on Sunday. In-house discipline also had the Isles benching a couple more players for two-thirds of Sunday’s game, but the team still played well in a 3-1 loss.

“They had a lot of passion, which they haven’t played with for a while,” Osmond said. “I hope the guys watching took notice. I thought we had a lot of the play in the second and third.”

The Cougars scored twice in the first period. Wilson answered back in the second. Victoria finally iced it with just over two minutes left to play. J.J. Pichette finished with 31 saves.

“I’d like to play Victoria with our full team,” Osmond said.

Adding to their personnel issues, the Isles also recently lost local product Brayden Nelson to the Battlefords North Stars of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Nelson had a goal and four assists in seven games with Kerry Park before making the jump.

“We wish him well,” Osmond said. “He’s a great kid. It was great to have him while we had him.”

The Isles are now tied for third in a tight South Division race that sees the Westshore Wolves leading the way with 21 points, followed by the Cougars with 18 and the Isles, Panthers and Saanich Braves with 17 apiece.

The team will visit the Nanaimo Buccaneers this Thursday, then won’t play again until the following weekend when they visit the Panthers and Comox Valley Glacier Kings. Kerry Park won’t play at home again until Nov. 25.



Kevin Rothbauer

About the Author: Kevin Rothbauer

Kevin Rothbauer is the sports reporter for the Cowichan Valley Citizen
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