Coach's Comments
Freshman Panther Brendan Ohr debuted in his first game as a member of the varsity team, and sophomore goaltender Brady Mosberger started his first game between the pipes as a Panther.
The Lancers opened the scoring at 4:41 of the 1st Period on an even strength goal. The Panthers knotted up the game late in the 1st Period when senior forward Chris Keller netted an even strength goal at 15:34, his first of the season and his first as a Panther. Sophomore forward Shane Moore and senior defenseman Jackson Paul were both credited with assists on the goal. The Panthers got their second goal of the game just over a minute later with only 11 seconds left in the period when senior forward Matthew Hajdukiewicz scored an unassisted goal to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead that they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.
The Panthers struck quickly in the 2nd Period, making the Lancers pay on the power play just 11 seconds into the period when senior Matthew Hajdukiewicz netted his second goal of the night off of senior Jackson Paul’s second assist of the night to extend the Panther lead 3-1. The Lancers responded at 12:14 of the period with an even strength goal to cut the lead 3-2. The Panthers delivered late in the period again when senior Matthew Hajdukiewicz recorded his third goal of the game and notched a natural hat trick with an unassisted short-handed goal at 16:10.
Senior defenseman Tommy Gordon extended the Panthers lead at 1:47 of the 3rd Period to 5-2 with an unassisted even strength goal, his first of the season. However, the Panthers were plagued by penalties in the 3rd Period receiving a total of five for 18 minutes. Deer Lakes capitalized on the Panther penalties, mounting a spirited comeback in the 3rd Period by scoring a power play goal at 3:47 and an even strength goal at 15:03 to pull within one of tying the game. Panther goaltender Brady Mosberger was steady for the Panthers in net in the final minutes of the game, making several key saves that squashed the Lancers hopes of tying the game and secured the first win of the season for the Panthers by a score of 5-4.
The Panthers defensemen, seniors Jackson Paul, Henry Meakem, and Tommy Gordon, junior Chris Martian, and sophomore Christopher McEnroe, had a solid effort on the night as a group. They blocked a number of shots, broke up a number of plays by keeping their sticks in shooting and passing lanes, moved the puck quicker in our defensive zone, and chipped in offensively combining for 3 points on the night. Sophomore goaltender Brady Mosberger stopped 30 of the 34 shots he faced on the night.
The Panthers move to 1-1 on the season and face Freeport in their next game on Thursday October 18th in Kittanning.
Go Panthers!
Go Panthers!
