Add another shutout to the pile

   Panthers silence BAD Blazers, 6-0, to advance in peewee BB playoffs

Tuesday, January 20, 2018

By Rob J. Ross 

AYLMER, ON. - Not only are the St. Thomas peewee BB Panthers difficult to beat, finding their net is similar to looking for a needle in a hay-stack. Or it just seems that way for opponents.

The deadliest weapon in the Panthers' arsenal this season has been the shutout, accounting for about 60 percent of the team's victories.

St. Thomas added to their pile of blankets, silencing the BAD Blazers, 6-0, tonight in Aylmer, to win their Lower Lakes Female Hockey League (LLFHL) first round series, two games to none. The Panthers won game one, 3-2, on home ice, January 27.

"We preach defence first and playing from the goalie out. We protect our goalie and we have a really strong goalie. Those are all positives for us," Panthers' head coach Duane Loebach said.

Goalie Emma Humphreys had a quiet game this night facing only a handful of shots, for the team's 28th shutout of the season.

Madeleine Lee netted a hat trick and assisted on goals by Madelyn Pinnegar and one of two from Gracie Gilchrist. Ramona Reid and Ella Gilchrist, each picked up two assists.

"Madeleine gives you everything she's got every time she's on the ice. She's a work horse. Gracie comes out and has so much talent," said Loebach. "The girls want to learn and they work hard, so they have been a pleasure to coach this year."

The Panthers entered their league playoffs, following an 18-1-3 regular season and now own a 37-3-3 overall record. The team is currently on a seven game win streak, but that now just ties their second longest run of the season. The Panthers started the season on a seven game roll, including five shutouts. The longest win streak lasted 11 games, eight via the goose egg.

"Going into the season we had a goal of making 13 leaders on the team. Everybody wants to lead by example," Loebach said. "We gelled really well and the girls all get along and they love coming out and playing together. They listen, they work hard and they move and share the puck. It's easy to coach when they come out and go hard every game."

St. Thomas took game one of their opening playoff round, 3-2, with surprisingly the Blazers putting two pucks in to the Panthers' net. It was only the fifth time the Panthers allowed more than one goal.

"It was a little bit of a shock. We came out a little flat. I asked them (players) after the game and they all agreed it wasn't our best game. It wasn't our best effort," said Loebach. "We were happy we won, but we weren't happy about our effort. We came out today and they (players) showed they were going to give everything they got."

In league action, only one team has had success against the Panthers during the season and that edge may have had its roots connected to previous seasons. The Lambton Attack handed St. Thomas their lone regular season loss, 2-1, fought the Panthers to a scoreless draw and only lost 4-2.

"They (Lambton) used to be, when our kids were younger, Petrolia and they were always that one team we had to get over the hump," Loebach said. "I think it was a mental thing those first couple games. Later in the season we were able to pull out a win over them. It was getting over the hurdle, getting it from our heads that we can't beat this team."

Their two other losses, came in the final at tournaments in Markham and Ancaster. At Markham, the Panthers lost the gold medal game, in the 11th round of a shoot-out. St. Thomas won the Big Cat tournament on home ice, allowing just a single goal during five victories.

Those two other ties are a pair of 1-1 affairs with the Windsor Wildcats.

Next month, the Panthers begin their Ontario Women's Hockey Association (OWHA) peewee BB play-downs.

"Going into the season I didn't know what to expect. You always hope (for a good season). We originally thought we would be a 'B' team, (then) we had a lot of success in tournaments and decided to go to BB."