The Kerry Park Islanders managed to push the South Division semifinal against the Peninsula Panthers to a sixth game, and even that game went into overtime, but that was where their Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League playoff journey came to an end.
Trailing 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, the Isles won 5-4 in double OT on Friday night to send the game back to Kerry Park Arena on Saturday. Up 3-0 midway through the second period of Saturday’s showdown, the Isles watched that lead fade away, then saw the Panthers score at 6:10 of the first extra frame to end their campaign.
At Panorama Rec Centre on Friday, Brady Estabrook scored his second goal of the night and fourth of the playoffs at 1:25 of the second overtime to keep the Isles alive in the series. Estabrook’s first of the night had given the Isles a 4-3 lead with 4:24 left in regulation, but the Panthers scored with 2:58 remaining to force OT.
Kerry Park trailed 2-1 coming out of the first period and 3-2 after two, but Mateo Sjoberg tied the score before Estabrook gave the Isles their first lead of the night. Carson Strom had the first-period goal for the Isles, his third of the postseason, and Kirk Whittaker potted his first of the playoffs in the second. Dryden DeMelo made 39 saves as the Isles were outshot 43-26.
Back at Kerry Park Arena on Saturday night, Reid Fitzpatrick opened the scoring for the Isles in the first. Captain Matt Baird scored at 3:18 of the second, and Sjoberg added his eighth of the playoffs just 37 seconds later. The Panthers finally got on the board at 12:25 of the second, then scored two more in the third. The game-winner came at 6:10 of the first overtime.
Fitzpatrick finished the game with a goal and an assist, and Dylan Parsons had two helpers. Dylan DeMelo made 18 saves as Kerry Park outshot Peninsula 51-22. The Isles chased Panthers starter Ashton Lukan, who allowed three goals on 15 shots in just under 14 minutes, but replacement Brady Kelly barred the door with 36 saves over the remainder of the game.
The Panthers will play for the VIJHL championship against the Oceanside Generals, who swept the regular-season champion Campbell River Storm to take the North Division title.
Sjoberg, a rookie who just turned 18 in January, led the Isles in playoff goals and points, with eight and 16, respectively, over 10 games. Veteran defenceman Parsons had a team-high 11 assists, and was one of three Kerry Park players with three points, joining Logan Walker (5G, 7A) and Jackson Egan (3G, 9A).
Parsons returned to the Isles for the final game of the regular season after missing more than 30 games with injuries from a car accident in November that also involved two of his teammates. Parsons was a vital part of the team in the playoffs as Kerry Park swept the Victoria Cougars in four games before falling to Peninsula.
Parsons is one of six players aging out of junior hockey this year, along with Egan, Fitzpatrick, Whittaker, captain Baird and Cole Sloboda. Several other youngsters, including Sjoberg, Walker, Estabrook and DeMelo, will certainly try to move up the ranks to junior A or major junior next year.