Panthers edge Dauphins

In a tale of teams moving in opposite directions, the Lakeshore Panthers defeated the Deux Rives Dauphins 4-3 in Peewee AA action last Saturday. The victory extended the Panthers undefeated streak to six to begin 2009, while dealing the Dauphins their third loss in four games.

A hard fought first period featured spirited attacks at both ends, but the tide seemed to shift on a Deux Rives goal that seemingly entered the net after the whistle had blown. Despite Lakeshore protests, the tally would stand, evening the score at 1.

The controversy seemed to ignite the Panthers, who dictated the pace in the second period and staked themselves to a 4-1 lead going into the third.

To their credit, the Dauphins put up a fight in the final frame, narrowing the gap to 4-3, but that was as close as they would get. Time would expire with them pressing in Panthers territory with the goalie pulled in favour of an extra attacker.

Panthers’ goaltender Matthew Legler was excellent, turning aside several scoring chances to protect his team’s lead. One particularly memorable save occurred early in the third when he reached with his glove to deny a near certain goal while sprawled on his back. He received a boisterous ovation from the crowd when he bounded up and raised his glove hand to the sky triumphantly.

Other standouts for the Panthers included Trevor Lorber and Trevor Momesso, who each found the back of the net for the home squad and were dangerous each time they were on the ice.

Though he was on the losing end of the decision, Legler’s counterpart, Deux Rives’ Jonathan Marmen, also deserves recognition for his play. He was instrumental in keeping the Dauphins in the game, especially during the second period and early stages of the third.

The result moves the teams into a tie for first place in the Lions division with 42 points. Lakeshore was victorious in two of the three head to head confrontations this season and hold a game in hand going forward.