Game Recaps

 

OJHL SEASON CANCELLED - What could have been a long playoff run by the Pickering Panthers was brought to an abrupt end on March 13 as a world-wide pandemic shut down the 2019-20 OJHL season. The Panthers had an outstanding season, going 32-18-2 and clinching first place in the North Division for the first time in 21 years. The team got off to a rocky start, making a coaching change two games into the regular season. It took some time for new coach Rob Pearson and his staff to evaluate what they inherited and to start to make changes. The move with the greatest impact was acquiring goalie Brendan Bonello at the end of October. Bonello brought a confidence with him that rippled through the whole team and led to a 13 game streak with only one loss that started mid-November. The team rattled off another 8 game streak with no losses at the beginning of the year and Bonello was named OJHL Goalie of the Month for January.

With a few more solid acquisitions before the trade deadline, the team pushed to capture first place in the Division. They dispatched the Georgetown Raiders in the first round of the playoffs, posting two shutouts and allowing only 3 goals in the series - then the pandemic struck. Although Bonello was a huge factor in the team's success, the Panthers truly came together as a team. This was a team that displayed all of the essentials - speed, scoring, relentless forechecking and backchecking, solid defence and sound goaltending from both of its goalies. The Panthers were comprised of 4 returning players from last year, 11 players that were brought to the team in the off-season (a mix of veterans and rookies) and 6 players with OJHL experience who were acquired by trade during the year.  When they played to their capabilities, the Panthers showed that they could beat any team in the league and they were a team that other teams hated to play. Who knows how far they could have gone in the playoffs?

The way the season ended must be especially disappointing for the eight veterans on the team who unknowingly played their last Jr A game in Georgetown on March 4th. The outstanding contributions of Nathan Gooch, Kevin Stiles, Rocco Andreacchi, Liam Anderson, Noah and Shane Bull, Pattrick Demaio and Brendan Bonello are recognized by all who followed that Panthers this year and they should know that they finished their OJHL careers as winners.

It should also be noted that Brendan Bonello is now the all-time leading goalie in Panther history (minimum 25 games played), recording a regular season GAA of 1.86 and a .946 SV%. The record was previously held by Ethan Langevin in 2017-18.

WEDNESDAY MAR 4 -  PICKERING 5 GEORGETOWN 2 - The Georgetown Raiders were swept by the Panthers tonight - retribution for last year's sudden death cross-over game elimination of the Panthers by the Raiders. Pickering came out strong in the first period, outshooting the Raiders 15-8 and jumping onto a 2-0 lead on goals by Shane Bull (power play) and Brenden Sirizzotti. Play in the second period was a bit  frenzied, thanks to a number of penalties on both sides. Georgetown finally solved goalie Brendan Bonello scoring mid-way through the period -  their first goal since game one. Power plays were again a factor in the third as Christos Rodis scored in the first minute and the Raiders countered with another six minutes later to make it 3-2. Shane Bull put the game away with his second goal of the night at the 17 minute mark and his brother Noah scored into the empty net to seal the Panther victory and their first playoff series win since 2007.

Pickering's power play was 3-5 tonight and 7-17 in the series. The Panthers now await the winner of the Collingwood Stouffville series to play for the North Division crown.

MONDAY MAR 2 -  PICKERING 3 GEORGETOWN 0 - ANOTHER SHUTOUT! - The Panthers stifled the Raiders in a great display of goaltending at both ends of the ice. The score could easily have been doubled but for Nathan Torchia's robbery in the Georgetown net. A number of Panthers came away shaking their heads as Torchia took away what appeared to be open net shots.

Nathan Gooch blasted the first goal home early in the second period. Nick Papadopoulos broke in alone and made a great deke to put it in the net but the goal was disallowed when the far post came off the mooring as Torchia inadvertently (?) pushed against it to try to make the save. It remained a one goal game until Christo Rodis scored a pretty goal early in the third. Kevin Stiles added another on a Panther power play with about seven minutes remaining in the game. As it usually does when two teams play each other that often, things got a bit heated between individual players, but both teams did a pretty good job of staying out of the box

Brendan Bonello was terrific in the Panther net making 30 saves for his second consecutive shutout of this series. Pickering's attention to defence has limited Georgetown to one power play goal in three games as the Panthers take a 3-0 lead in the series.

SATURDAY FEB 29 -  PICKERING 3 GEORGETOWN 0 - another goaltender dual with Pickering coming out on top. No scoring in the game until Patrick Demaio found the mark on a power play shot from the point later in the second period. Eli Pilosof knocked one in from a goalmouth scramble seven minutes into the third to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead and Patrick Demaio iced the game on the power play with a shot from the deep slot on a great pass from Brenden Sirizzotti. Brendan Bonello was stellar in the Panther net, stopping all 46 shots for the shutout. With the win, Pickering takes a 2-0 series lead.

FRIDAY FEB 28 -  PICKERING 2 GEORGETOWN 1 - the Panthers came out on top of this hard-fought, tight checking first game of the North Division semi-finals. As you would expect with these two goalies, goals were at a premium - a power play goal for each team and one even strength goal by Christos Rodis near the end of the second period that proved to be the winner. Rocco Andreacchi got the other for the Panthers on his patented blast from the circle that found the far corner. Brendan Bonello made 34 saves for the win. 

PLAYOFFS

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SATURDAY FEB 22 -  PICKERING 7 AURORA 1 - final game of the regular season and lots of highlights .... Noah Bull records a hat trick, Christos Rodis scores his 39th to tie him for the league lead in goals, Adam Grein gets a short handed goal, Kevin Stiles gets his 17th and Rocco Andreacchi scores his 27th to finish as the Panther's top scorer with 69 points. Darius Bell got the win in net making 42 saves and was  2:11 away from a shutout. We now await our playoff schedule against the Georgetown Raiders.

FRIDAY FEB 21 -  PICKERING 8 MILTON 1 - what a way to cap off a terrific last regular home game of the season!

• all the billet and player's families were in attendance to celebrate the evening and the season 

• Christos Rodis gets the hat trick to tie for the league lead in goals scored with 38

• Shane Bull pots a pair of goals

• Connor Olson scores twice

• Rocco Andreachhi has several breakaways, hits at least three posts and notches his 26th goal, and

• Brendan Bonello, as normal, comes up with 37 saves allowing only one goal for his 19th win in 25 games as a Panther.

One more away game to end the regular season and then we await our playoff opponent.

 

MONDAY FEB 17 -  STOUFFVILLE 6 PICKERING 4 - third game in four days and it showed (or maybe too much celebrating the night before?) as the Spirit topped the Panthers. Not much offence generated by Pickering as they were outshot 30-16 over the first two periods. That, in addition to numerous undisciplined penalties (9 penalties) in the second period helped Stouffville to a 5-2 lead at the second intermission. Sirizzotti and Andresacchi got the Panther goals. Pickering got two more in the third again from Sirizzotti and Andreacchi to make it a one goal game but the Spirit put it away with a power play goal late in the period. Darius Bell took the loss in the net for Pickering.

SUNDAY FEB 16 -  PICKERING 3 COLLINGWOOD 1 - Well that didn't take long! Only 21 years since Pickering finished on top of their Division, but tonight the boys clinched it with a 3-1 decision over the Colts. No scoring in a tight checking first period but the Panthers finally got rolling later in the second when Patty Demaio's shot from the point found its way through traffic to the net on a Pickering power play. Eli Pilosof broke in on the left wing three minutes later a put it high to the short side for his 15th of the year and then Braydon Leeking deflected Sirizzotti's to make it 3-0 Panthers.

It looked like Brendan Bonello would record his 6th shutout of the year until the Colts scored on a power play with 30 seconds left in the game. The boys look to make it a trifecta long weekend as they take on Stouffville on Monday.

FRIDAY FEB 14 -  PICKERING 3 LINDSAY 0 - a solid defensive game by the boys as both goalies put on a show in Lindsay. The Panthers controlled most of the game, outshooting the Muskies 42-24 and Brendan Bonello came up with some spectacular saves leading to his fifth shoutout in his  23 games since joining Pickering. Nathan Gooch and Nick Papadopoulos put the Panthers up 2-0 in the first period, both with terrific wrist shots to the far corner. Brenden Sirizzotti added his 15th of the season in the second to complete the scoring. The Panthers now get ready for their next two games coming up against Collingwood and Stouffville that will help determine final standings in the North Division.

SATURDAY FEB 8 & SUNDAY FEB 9 - rare back to back games against the Collingwood Colts in Collingwood ...

    PANTHERS 5-0 - Pickering played a solid defensive game and didn't leave any doubt as they shut out the Colts, turning aside five Colt power plays, one on a five minute penalty. Once again, Kevin Stiles got things rolling for the Panthers with a first period deflection. Christos Rodis continued his scoring spree, notching his 33rd and 34th of the season in the second period. Andreacchi and Stewart added singles in the third to finish off the Colts. Brendan Bonello recorded his 16th win and 4th shutout of the season in the Panther net. Pickering outshot Collingwood 40-24.

    COLLINGWOOD 4-2 - the Panthers had a 2-1 lead at the end of the second, but couldn't hang on.  Too many Panther penatly kills in this game leading to two Colt power play goals and an empty netter In the third. Rodis (35th) and Demaio (10th) got the Panther goals. Rodis is now one goal back of leading the league in goals scored this season.

FRIDAY FEB 7 - PICKERING 7 BRANTFORD 2 - the Panthers came out flying on all cylinders tonight with a solid team effort - amazing what a week of practice and some team bonding will do - a good way to shake off a couple of losses and get back into the winning habit! Not only did Pickering jump to a 6-0 lead before Brampton scored their first in the final minute of the second period, but the Panthers put on a display of beautiful passing in doing so. Kevin Stiles (15th) and Rocco Andreacchi (22nd) scored in the first. Sirizzotti (14th), Shane Bull (4th), Andreacchi  (23rd) and Gooch (10th) added singles in the second.

Nick Papadopoulos added another to open the third and Brantford got a power play goal later in the period to finish the scoring. Brendan Bonello got win number 15, stopping 43 shots. The Panthers now head to Collingwood for a crucial double header and first place showdown. 

SUNDAY FEB 2 - MARKHAM 4 PICKERING 3 - Pickering kept pace with the Royals for two periods as Patty Demaio got the first Panther goal to make it 1-1 at the second intermission, but the impact of three games in a row took effect in the third as the Panthers started to run out of gas and Markham scored three times to pull ahead 4-1. The Panthers made an attempt at a comeback, with Noah Bull and Demaio (9th) scoring in the final three minutes, but that's as close as they could get. 

Pickering had numerous odd man rushes and scoring chances in the match but couldn't connect, even though they outshot Markham 42-30. The Panthers have now gone 0-17 on the power play over their past three games. Darius Bell took the loss making 26 saves.

SATURDAY FEB 1 - BRANTFORD 3 PICKERING 2 (OT) - not much to describe here, as the Panthers and 99ers were even throughout the match until Brantford popped in the winning goal in OT. Eli Pilosof and Nick Papodopoulos scored for the Panthers.

FRIDAY JAN 31 - COLLINGWOOD 3 PICKERING 1 - the Panthers didn't lose this game - Collingwood won it, playing better all-round hockey. Although Pickering was outshot 18-6 in the first period, they managed to get to the intermission tied at one on a deflection by Braydon Leeking. That was all they managed, as the Colts got a power play goal in the second and another goal in the third for the 3-1 win. The Panthers weren't as sharp as usual and didn't generate many scoring chances, partly due to the sound defence of the Colts. Brendan Bonello took the loss, his first loss in regulation time in the last 11 games.

MONDAY JAN 27 - PICKERING 4 COBOURG 3 - the boys travelled down the 401 today to face the Cobourg Cougars and persevered in a scrambly game with a comeback win after being down twice in the game. Cobourg jumped into the lead but Patty Demaio tied the game in the final minute of the first. The Cougars added two more mid way through a spirited second period (one on a power play) but the Panthers hung in as Shane Bull got his 3rd on a power play and then Michael Urtis added his 7th late in the period on a goalmouth scramble to tie it up at three.

Pickering kept their poise and played their game in the third, outshooting Cobourg 11-6. Patience paid off as Patty Demaio (7th) scored his second of the night and the game winner mid way through the period on a shot from the point that found the corner of the net.. 

FRIDAY JAN 25 - PICKERING 9 STOUFFVILLE 4 - FIRST PLACE AT LAST!  the Panthers made a statement tonight as they took on the Stouffville Spirit in a battle for first place in the North Division. As has been the trend recently, after Pickering got their legs in the first ten minutes, they pounced on the Spirit, netting five goals before Stouffville scored one just before intermission. Kevin Stiles (power play), Braydon Leeking, Christos Rodis, Connor Olson, and Rodis were the Panther scorers. 

Stouffville edged closer with two goals in the second, but Panther coach Rob Pearson settled the boys down with a time out call and Nathan Gooch and Noah Bull responded with goals to put Pickering ahead 7-3. The Spirit completed their scoring with one more before intermission.

Eli Pilosof added two more in the third, his 12th and 13th of the season. A number of Panthers had two point nights, but Rodis (2G 3A) and Pilosof (2G 2A) shone on the same line. Brendan Bonello made 36 saves in the Panther net for his 13th win. With his performance tonight, Rodis is now tied for the OJHL lead in goals scored (32) and Bonello tops all goalies with a 1.90 GAA and a .945 SV%. Pickering's win jumped them into first place with three games still in hand over Stouffville.

WEDNESDAY JAN 22 - PICKERING 6 MARKHAM 3 - a matinee make up game where the Markham Royals drew first blood, controlling play and scoring a shorthanded goal in the first period. The Panthers made adjustments in the intermission and popped in three in a row by Benham (7), Sirizzotti (13) and Leeking (8). Things got heated in the last five minutes of the period as both sides took numerous offsetting penalties. The Royals got one back before Christos Rodis scored his 29th on a power play to make it 4-2 at the end of the second. 

Papadopoulos (7) and Rodis (30) scored in the third and Markham added one more to make it a 6-3 final score. Rodis now has 6 goals in his 5 games since coming to Pickering. Bonello made 42 saves in the Panther net to register his 12th win. The Panthers are now a single point behind first place Stouffville with two games in hand. Stouffville plays later this evening before they face the Panthers in a huge matchup on Friday night.  

MONDAY JAN 20 - BURLINGTON 4 PICKERING 3 (2OT) - an afternoon cat fight in Burlington where the Cougars bested the Panthers in double OT. The loss ended Pickering's eight game win streak - time to readjust and start another one.  The Panthers were unable to score at even strength, getting two goals from Brednen Sirizzotti (11 & 12) and one from Rocco Andreacchi (20), all on the power play. Pickering didn't seem to have the same jump that they have exhibited in the past few games, but at least they managed to secure a single point from the loss.

As is often the case in OT games, winning goals often result from breaks and odd man rushes. In this one, the Panthers rattled one off the post three minutes into the second OT and the Cougars came back down and after a turnover at the blue line, put one past Brendan Bonello for the win. Bonello made 43 saves and took only his second loss.  Pickering next faces Markham and Stouffville in key North Division matchups.

FRIDAY JAN 17 - PICKERING 6 MARKHAM 3 - once again, the Panthers pounced in the first period to build up a 5-0 lead on the visiting Markham Royals. Brett Benham got things underway at the three minute mark on a Pickering penalty kill. Benham stripped the puck from a Markham defender in the slot and wasted no time scoring his 6th of the season to give the Panthers the lead. Papadopoulos, Andreacchi, Olson and Pilosof got the other Panther goals in the first. Pickering had complete control of the period, out-shooting Markham 19-11.

The teams traded goals in the second as both teams had several penalties. Christos Rodis got his 28th of the year and 4th as a Panther on one of the power plays. The Royals added two more in the third to close within three but that's how it ended. Brendan Bonello got the win in the Pickering net, making 32 saves. The Panthers are now only two points behind first place Stouffville with three games in hand.

SATURDAY JAN 11 - PICKERING 5 AURORA 3 - in a game similar to last night's, Pickering jumped to an early four goal lead and then coasted to a 5-3 victory over the Tigers. Chris Rodis scored twice (his second and third goal in two games with the Panthers). Brett Benham and Mike Urtis (6th) added singles. Urtis now has a goal in each of the last four games. Aurora got two back early in the third period, one on the power play, before Brenden Sirizzotti added his 10th of the season to make it 5-2. The Tigers got one more with a minute remaining in the game. Darius Bell got his 8th win of the season in the net.

In their last 16 games, the Panthers are 13-1-2 and with tonight's win, they move within two points of first place Stouffville with two games in hand.  

FRIDAY JAN 10 - PICKERING 7 PATRIOTS 4 - this was a story of two separate games - the first two and a bit periods where the Panthers jumped ahead 6-1 and the remainder of the third where they took their foot off the gas and took a number of penalties to give Toronto some life. Noah Bull, newcomer Chris Rodis (his 25th and first as a Panther), Liam Anderson (his first this season) and Adam Grein gave Pickering a 4-0 lead before the Patriots scored mid-way through the second. 

Connor Olson and Mike Urtis pushed the Panthers ahead 6-1 early in the third and Pickering then eased up, allowing the Patriots to score one. Toronto possess the best power play in the league and showed it off, scoring two power play goals to pull within two. Eli Pilosof  made a great shot block late in the game with the Patriot goalie pulled and was rewarded with an empty net goal to seal the victory. Pickering was outshot 50-30 as Brendan Bonello played another strong game in the Panther net, recording his 10th win of the season.

SUNDAY JAN 5 - PICKERING 7 TRENTON 1 - WHAT A WEEKEND! Who would have guessed that the Panthers, playing their third game in as many days against another team also playing their third game this weekend, would dominate with a 7-1 victory? Pickering travelled down the 401 to take on the Golden Hawks, one of the best teams in the league. The Panthers scored two in the first, two in the second and three in the third and relied on solid goaltending from Darius Bell to make 39 saves and hold the Golden Hawks to one shorthanded goal in the second. Nathan Gooch got his 7th and 8th, while Michael Urtis, Nick Papadopoulos, Patrick Demaio, Shane Bull and Eli Pilosof added singles. Pilosof has been particularly hot lately, accumulating 10 points in the last 5 games (3G & 7A).

With this win, Pickering moved into second place in the North Division, just four points behind Stouffville with two games in hand.

SATURDAY JAN 4 - PICKERING 6 AURORA 1 - the Panthers scored two in the first (Papadopoulos and Pilosof) before Aurora finally solved Brendan Bonello in the Pickering net with a goal in the second to break his shutout streak. Pickering pulled away in the third with four unanswered goals by Andreacchi, Urtis Pilosof (second of the game) and Roberts to take the 6-1 victory.  

FRIDAY JAN 3 - PICKERING 2 AURORA 0 - in Part 1 of a two day, back to back tilt with the Tigers, the Panthers held on to a one goal lead until the final minute of the game when Rocco Andreacchi deposited Brednen Sirizzotti's pass into the empty net for the two goal victory. Kevin Stiles got the game winner (13) near the middle of the second period and Brendan Bonello was stellar in the Panther net, blanking the Tigers to record his 8th win and his second shut out in a row.  The same teams go at it Saturday afternoon in a short turnaround makeup game.

SATURDAY DEC 28 - PICKERING DEFEATS COLLINGWOOD 2-0 - SHUTOUT!! this was a fast, hard-checking game ... another important North Division matchup for the Panthers and they came away with an impressive win, their second in two days. Ethan Lindsay got his timely first goal of the season for the Panthers as it proved to be the game winner. Kevin Stiles (12th) added an insurance goal mid-way through the second and Pickering held off the Colts for the remainder of the game. Brendan Bonello was excellent again in the Panther net, stopping all 34 shots to record the shutout and get his 7th win.

With the win, the Panthers moved back into third place and are now only four points behind Collingwood with four games in hand and five points behind Stouffville with two games in hand. Pickering is 9-1-1 in their last eleven games.

FRIDAY DEC 27 - PICKERING 5 STOUFFVILLE 2 - the Panthers came out strong today, controlling the first five minutes of play in the Spirit end, but not scoring until Kevin Stiles scored on a pretty pass from Eli Pilosof at the 17 minute mark. They took over in the second with three unanswered goals by Nick Papadopoulos, Brenden Sirrizotti (power play) and Shane Bull to take a 4-0 lead into the second intermission.

Stouffville got one back early in the third but Brayden Leeking countered on a beautiful pass from Rocco Andreacchi to make it 5-1. The Spirit then got their final goal on a power play. Pickering managed to kill off a seven minute Stouffville power play shortly after  to take the 5-2 win and to secure an important two points against the division-leading Spirit. Pickering out shot Stouffville 37-28 and Brendan Bonello was again strong in the Panther net, getting his sixth win of the season.

FRIDAY DEC 20 - PICKERING DROPS A 2-0 DECISION TO BRAMPTON - not for a lack of effort tonight, but the boys had difficulty finding the net, dropping a 2-0 decision to the Brampton Admirals. Brampton got their first at the 1:23 mark of the first, and it remained there until the Admirals put a dagger in the Panthers, scoring their second with 24 seconds remaining in the period. Pickering has had difficulty this year preventing goals in the final minutes of a period. 

The Panthers came out blazing in the third, outshooting Brampton 17-5, but the Admiral goalie was hot and Pickering was not. A goal by Ethan Lindsay midway through the period was waved off for a player in the crease and that was as close as the Panthers got. Two minor Panther penalties in the last five minutes of the game killed any chance that they might have at tying the game. The loss ended Pickering's eight game point streak. Time to start another streak.

SUNDAY DEC 15 - PICKERING BURYS WHITBY 7-0 - the hot December streak continued as the visiting Panthers rolled over the Fury 7-0. Pickering took a 4-0 first period lead on goals from Ty Roberts, Adam Grein (his 5th this month), Kevin Stiles (power play) and Nicholas Papadopoulos. Curtis Shukster added one more in the second and Braydon Leeking connected on a power play goal mid way through the third to give the Panthers a 6-0 lead. Things got heated in the third as the Fury seemed to target Brendan Bonello in the Panther net leading to a number of fights. Noah Bull got the final goal, his first as a Panther, late in the third to make it a 7-0 final. Brendan Bonello got the shutout and his 5th win of the season, stopping 28 shots.

FRIDAY DEC 13 - PICKERING 3 ST MICHAELS 2 - Friday the 13th meant nothing to the Panthers tonight as they continued to accumulate points, downing the Buzzers 3-2. Braydon Leeking fed a great pass to Adam Grein early in the first period and he buried it to give Pickering an early lead that they held until the Buzzers tied it up in the final minute of the second period. Brett Benham put Pickering ahead 2-1 in the first minute of the third but St Mikes again tied it twenty seconds later. The Panthers wouldn't be denied tonight - Shane Bull, playing in his first game as a Panther with his brother Noah, fed a veteran pass from behind the net to Rocco Andreacchi in the slot who scored the winner and his 16th of the season.

The Buzzers came on strong in the remainder of the period but the Panthers held them off as Darius Bell got his 6th win of the season in the Pickering net. With the win, the Panthers jumped into third place, one point ahead of Markham.

SUNDAY DEC 8 - PICKERING 2 COLLINGWOOD 1 - THE BOYS ARE MOVIN' ON UP!  The Panthers continued their winning ways as the division-leading Collingwood Colts made their first visit to the Den this season. Pickering hit the board early in the first as Brenden Sirizzotti converted a nice power play pass from Rocco Andreacchi and they held that lead until Andreacchi did the same early in the third period on a nice pass from Adam Grein. The Colts got one back shortly after on a strange goal that fluttered high toward the Panther net and eluded Bredan Bonello to make it a one goal game. Pickering was able to hang on to preserve the win and to gain their 10th point in the past 6 games, puling them to within one point of third place Markham in the North Division standings.

THURSDAY DEC 5 - PICKERING 1 STOUFFVILLE 1 (2OT) - the Panthers were looking to close the gap on division-leading Stouffville tonight, but ended up with a well-deserved single point. The Spirit got on the board first but Pickering tied it up on a five on three deflection by Braydon Leeking on a Rocco Andreacchi shot from the point. That was all the scoring there was as both teams traded chances for the remainder of the game and two overtime periods. This was a fast paced, hard checking game that featured great saves at each end - neither team deserved to lose this one. Brendan Bonello was in the net again for Pickering, making 25 saves. The Panthers were 1-5 on the power play and killed off two of their own penalties.

WEDNESDAY DEC 4 - PICKERING 3 GEORGETOWN 2 - special teams were the story in this matinee game as four of the five goals were scored on power plays. The Panthers registered their third win in a row, a 3-2 defeat of the Raiders as Rocco Andreacchi, Brenden Sirizzotti, and Braydon Leeking scored for Pickering. After the Panthers built a 3-1 lead in the third, Georgetown closed to within one in the final minute of play with a 5 on 3 power play goal. That was as close as they got as Brendan Bonello stopped 46 shots to record his third win.

FRIDAY NOV 29 - PICKERING 6 MARKHAM 3 - the Panthers took it to the Royals tonight on the strength of four unanswered first period goals and a hot goaltender. This was the first of back to back weekend games between these division rivals, with the Royals eight points ahead of the Panthers and Pickering having two games in hand. Pickering wasted no time getting going as Matthew Altomare broke in from the blue line two minutes into the game to bury it into the top corner of the Royals net. Eli Pilosof scored from beside the crease on a nice pass from Stiles, Michael Urtis banged in a rebound for his second of the year and Brenden Sirizzotti converted a pretty pass from Rocco Andreacchi to make it 4-0 at the first intermission. 

Markham got one back on a power play goal in the first minute of the second and then the teams traded goals as Stiles and Ty Roberts scored for the Panthers to finish off all the scoring in the game. Newcomer Brendan Bonello continued to shine in the Panther net, frustrating the Royals with a couple of highlight reel stops, including a penalty shot in the third period. Frustration was evident in the third period as both teams headed to the penalty box, Pickering was 0-6 on their power plays while the royals were 1-5.

WEDNESDAY NOV 27 - PICKERING DEFEATS MILTON 2-1 - the Panthers came away with the two points in this game in hand on the other North Division teams, but should have had an easier go of it as they dominated the Menace for two of three periods. Eli Pilosof opened the scoring on a nice pass from Kevin Stiles in the first and Patrick Demaio added another before the period ended as the Panthers outshot Milton 19-8.

Milton made it close scoring a power play goal early in the third, but couldn't get the equalizer as newcomer Brendan Bonello made some excellent saves to earn his first win as a Panther.

FRIDAY NOV 22 - PICKERING 1 NORTH YORK 1 (2 OT) - in their second of back to back games, the Panthers took on the North York Rangers and played to a 1-1 draw through two overtime periods. This one started out like a bad movie that you have seen before, when the Rangers scored a short-handed goal on the very first Panther power play. The same thing happened the night before when Pickering coughed up two short-handed goals. Pickering got it back when AP Thomas Stewart got his first OJHL goal on his shot from the point. Both teams then settled into  a back and forth contest as the Panthers went 0-5 on the power play and the Rangers were 0-7. Three shots rattled off the goal posts.

The game got very exciting in the OT periods - Pickering had a number of great opportunities to win the game as they controlled the play for long stretches but couldn't convert. Both goalies were excellent as Darius Bell secured the point for the Panthers in net.

THURSDAY NOV 21 - PANTHERS FALL TO DUKES 6-2 -  the Panthers got behind the eight ball early in this game as the league-leading Wellington Dukes scored a shorthanded goal during the first penalty of the game in the third minute of play. They added two more mid-way through the first and it was all uphill battle for Pickering from that point on. The Panthers played much better in the second controlling much of the play as Matthew Altomare converted a nice Brenden Sirizzotti pass to give the Panthers a bit of life at 7:29, making it a 3-1 game. 

Despite an array of Duke penalties in the third, the Panthers only managed one power play goal, despite having a five minute man advantage early in the period. Shortly after that, Wellington scored twice, including another shorthanded goal. Nathan Gooch scored his sixth of the year on a Panther power play but it was all over as the Dukes added one more for the 6-2 victory. Tanner Sheppard took the loss stopping 26 shots. 

FRIDAY NOV 15 - PICKERING 7 AURORA 3 - Patrick Demaio got things rolling early for the Panthers, scoring in the second minute of the opening period. The Tigers gone one back a couple of minutes later but Brett Benham gave Pickering a 2-1 lead before the first intermission. The Panthers scored three unanswered goals in the second as Andreacchi (power play, his team-leading thirteenth), Stiles and Forhan found the net before Aurora got their second before intermission.

Kevin Stiles scored his eighth of the season and Braydon Leeking added another in the third as the Panthers skated away with a 7-3 victory, their third win this season over their division-rival Tigers. Pickering outshot Aurora 42-25 and Darius Bell got his fifth win in the Panther net. 

WEDNESDAY NOV 13 - PICKERING DEFEATS GEORGETOWN 4-2 - the Panthers must have been energized by the student throng from Valley Farm Public School today as they took it to the Georgetown Raiders, coming out on the good side of a 4-2 score. Pickering twice had two goal leads, going up by two in the first period on goals from Brett Benham and then by Nathan Gooch who converted a nice two on one pass from Kevin Stiles.

The Raiders got one back with three seconds remaining in the first and then tied it up five minutes into the second. Pickering restored the two goal lead later in the second when Brenden Sirizzotti was pulled down on a breakaway and scored on a dazzling move on his penalty shot then and Eli Pilosof picked the far corner of the net on a power play shot from the circle. Darius Bell had a strong game in the Panther net and shut out the Raiders in the third, stopping 29 shots in picking up his fourth win of the year.

SUNDAY NOV 10 - BURLINGTON 9 PICKERING 2 - ever have one of those days at home or at work where nothing goes right? That was the case this evening for the Panthers as the visiting Burlington Cougars scored three times in each period to hand Pickering their second sound defeat of the weekend. The Panthers had difficulty finding the net - Rhys Forhan in the first and Ty Roberts in the final minute were the only Panther scorers - while the Cougars threaded the needle on almost all of their opportunities. Pickering was 0-5 on their power play attempts while Burlington was 4-7.

FRIDAY NOV 8 - ORANGEVILLE 7 PICKERING 1 - the long drive to Collingwood must have taken its toll as the Collingwood Colts had their way with the Panthers, scoring five goals in the third to breeze to a 7-1 victory. After a scoreless first, the Colts got their first goal early in the second and then another on a Panther giveaway in their own zone in the final minute of the period to lead 2-0 going into the second intermission. The Colts blew it apart in the third with five consecutive goals, three of them within one minute. Rocco Andreacchi got the lone Panther goal on a power play with three minute remaining in the game. Shots on goal were 30-19 for Collingwood.

WEDNESDAY OCT 30 - BUFFALO 4 PICKERING 2 - the Panthers shuffled off to Buffalo to play the Jr Sabres, but came home on the wrong side of a 4-2 game. Buffalo scored one minute into the game but Curtis Shukster tied it up with a blast from the point to make it 1-1 at the first intermission. The Jr Sabres got two goals in the second and Pickering one on a patented shot from the circle by Rocco Andreacchi. The third period was spirited, with three separate fights and lots of penalty minutes. Buffalo managed one power play goal to make it 4-2. The Panthers were 1-9 on the power play and Buffalo was 1-4.

SUNDAY OCT 27 - PICKERING 3 MARKHAM 2 - the Panthers didn't waste any time in this the second of back to back games against the Markham Royals as Brenden Sirizzotti tipped in on a shot from the point 40 seconds into the game. Markham responded with two of their own, but Patrick Demaio tied it up on a power play blast from the point. It was four goals in the first 10 minutes of the game and then nothing until Demaio got his second of the game on another Panther power play early into the third  to give Pickering a 3-2 lead. This time, the Panthers were able to hang on to the lead, thanks to an excellent penalty kill and solid goaltending from Tanner Sheppard. Markham went 0-5 on their power play and missed several open nets in the third period. 

FRIDAY OCT 25 - MARKHAM 5 PICKERING 3 - the Panthers played a solid 55 minute game last night but then coughed the game up in the final 5 minutes as the Royals scored three times in the final 5 minutes to escape with a 5-3 victory. Markham took a lead in the first but the Panthers responded with two of their own by Rocco Andreacchi and Rhys Forhan to take a 2-1 lead into the intermission. After a scoreless second, Adam Grein buried one on a great shot from the circle to put the Panthers up by two. The Royals got a weird one to pull within one - the shot deflected off the glass behind the net, bounced high in the air and hit off of Curtis Bell's back into the net.

Then came the last five minutes of the game. As has happened a few game in the past, Pickering fell into a defensive shell, collapsing around the net, allowing the Royals to control the puck in the Pickering zone and fire away at the Panther net. They scored the tying goal at 16:18, got the winner with a minute and a half remaining in the third and then an insurance goal at 19:57 with the goalie pulled. This was a game that the Panthers will look back on as one they should have won. The two teams go at each other again Sunday afternoon.

WEDNESDAY OCT 23 - PANTHERS 6 TIGERS 4 - the Panthers made it three in a row in a rare afternoon game, as they came back from two goal deficits twice, scoring three power play goals on the way to an important North Division victory. Pickering had problems in their own end with giveaways and missed checks that lead directly to Aurora goals, but they managed to make it up with relentless forechecking and pressure in the Tiger's end. Kevin Stiles scored twice (one on a power play), his fifth and sixth of the season and added an assist. Brenden Sirizzotti also had a pair, one on a power play tip in and the other into an empty net with 31 seconds left in the game. The other goal came from Rhys Forhan (power play) and Curtis Shukster on a blast from the point. Rocco Andreacchi counted four assists in the game. Tanner Sheppard gave up the net to Darius Bell midway through the game.

SATURDAY OCT 19 - PICKERING 3 STOUFFVILLE 2 (OT) - in the second of back to back weekend games, Pickering defeated their North Division rivals the Stouffville Spirit to bank an important two points in the standings. Nathan Gooch scored his fourth of the year in the last minute of the first period to give Pickering a 1-0 lead at the intermission. The Spirit tied it up in the first minute of the second on the power play, but Nicholas Papadopoulos tipped one in front of the goal a couple of minutes later to restore Pickering's lead. 

The Panthers buzzed the Stouffville net for long stretches in the rest of second period, but a couple of posts and some highlight reel saves prevented them from adding to their lead. There is something about the last five minutes of the game that seems to spook the Panthers, as Stouffville tied it up at 16:56 to send the game into OT (shades of the Jr Canadiens game). One minute into OT,  Nathan Gooch feathered a perfect pass across the ice to Braydon Leeking who tapped in into the corner of the net for the winning goal .Tanner Sheppard got his third win of the season, making 30 saves.

FRIDAY OCT 18 - PICKERING 4 BUFFALO 2 - the Panthers looked solid tonight as they scored three first period goals, gave up two early in the third and then came back to life to prevail 4-2 over the Jr Sabres. Ty Roberts got things going mid-way through the first as he stole the puck at the boards near centre ice and used his speed to break in alone and score a short handed goal to put the Panthers up 1-0. Kevin Stiles added two more before the period ended, the second on a power play.

It remained 3-0 until early in the third. Buffalo came out of the intermission fired up and scored two to get within one goal as the Panthers seemed listless. Pickering took a timeout that appeared to right the ship, as the Panthers got back to work and got the insurance goal from Rocco Andreacchi on a terrific wrist shot. Tanner Sheppard was again solid in net making 34 saves. The Panther penalty kill was perfect on the night thwarting seven Buffalo power plays.

FRIDAY OCT 11 - TORONTO JR CANADIENS 1 PICKERING 0 - the Fans were treated to a great game tonight as the 6-3 Canadiens took on the 3-6 hometown Panthers, who were looking for their third prevail 4-2 over the Jr Sabres.consecutive victory. This fast-paced game featured great passing, hard hitting and terrific goal tending at both ends. It was a shame someone had to lose this game but the Jr Canadiens didn't get the message. The game was scoreless until Ryan Tverberg split the Panther defense, broke in alone and with a great deke, deposited the puck into the corner of the Pickering net with about four minutes remaining in the third. 

Tanner Sheppard was outstanding in the loss, stopping 29 shots, including a number of what looked like sure goals while the Panthers were shorthanded.

FRIDAY OCT 4 - PANTHERS 4 AURORA 2 - the cat fight continued in the Den tonight.  The Tigers scored seven minutes into the second period in a back and forth contest. Pickering had several good chances but couldn't find the net. Something changed in the third as the Panthers applied more pressure that paid off as Michael Urtis tied it up with his first as a Panther and his first in the OJHL. Adam Grein picked the top corner from the slot after a perfect feed from Ethan Lindsay in the corner to put Pickering ahead 2-1 a few minutes later. Then  Kevin Stiles made a heads up play, intercepting an outlet pass attempt and passing it to Rocco Andreacchi in front of the net who calmly scored his 7th of the season to make it 3-1 Pickering

The Tigers closed the gap to 3-2 with just over 5 minutes remaining and made Panther hearts flutter as they blasted shots at the Panther net with the extra attacker in the final minute. Newcomer Brett Benham got his first as a Panther into the empty Tiger net with 2 seconds left to put the game on ice for Pickering. Darius Bell got his second win of the season in the Panther net stopping 31 shots. 

SATURDAY SEPT 28 - PANTHERS POUND STOUFFVILLE 7-2 - The first period was pretty even, as both teams scored, with Rocco Andreacchi getting the Pickering marker. The Panthers broke loose in the second, led by recently signed Brenden Sirizzotti, a second round Ottawa 67's draft pick. Sirizzotti fed Eli Pilosof and he tucked in, Sirizzotti buried his own goal on a power play and then got a beautiful assist on Panther's fourth goal by Nathan Gooch to make the score 4-1 at the second intermission.

Pickering ran into a couple of penalties early in that third that gave the Spirit some life as they controlled play in the Panther end and were finally rewarded with a goal. However, the Panthers got back on track as Pilosof got his second of the night on a great passing play by Kevin Stiles, Andreacchi scored on a screened shot past a Spirit defender, and Braydon Leeking put the nail in the coffin to give the Panthers a much needed 7-2 win.  Sirizzotti ended with a goal and four assists, Pilosof had two goals and Andreacchi had two goals and two assists.

TUESDAY SEPT 24 - TRENTON 4 PICKERING 1 - Eli Pilosof got the only Pickering marker in the first, his first of the season, to put the Panthers ahead 1-0 at the first intermission. Pickering was badly outshot for the remainder of the game as the Golden Hawks scored two in the second and the third. Shots on goal were 31-17 in favour of Trenton.

MONDAY SEPT 23 - PICKERING 5 BRAMPTON 3 - The Panthers finally broke out of their scoring slump, scoring 5 goals ... almost as many as in their first five games. Adam Grein got his first Jr. A goal to start things off and Kevin Stiles added one more in the first for a 2-0 lead. Nathan Gooch made it 3-0 before Brampton got their first to make it 3-1 at the end of the second. Both teams scored two in the third, with Connor Olsen getting his first OJHL goal and Rocco Andreacchi adding another on a Panther power play to make it a 5-3 final score.

FRIDAY SEPT 20 - BLADES SHUT OUT THE PANTHERS 5-0 - this game was closer than the score would indicate. Oakville led 1-0 after the first with a power play goal and added another mid-way through the second. The Panthers had numerous scoring opportunites in the later half of the period but were unable to find the net. Things fell apart quickly in the third following a giveaway and a couple of unfortunate bounces and the Blades pounced on their chances to score three more times. Pickering was 0-5 on the power play and has scored only 6 goals in their first 5 games.

SUNDAY SEPT 15 - TRENTON 3 PICKERING 1 - Newcomer Darius Bell was hot in the Panther net in the first period as Pickering was outshot 14-4. Trenton finally found the net in the second, scoring two unanswered goals to lead 2-0 at the second intermission. Rocco Andreacchi got one back for the Panthers on the power play very early in the third, but Trenton responded a couple of minutes later and that was the game ... a 3-1 final.

FRIDAY SEPT 13 - STOUFFVILLE 2 PICKERING 1 - Friday the 13th wasn't kind to the Panthers in this game of special teams. Pickering dropped their third in a row as they found the net only once, even though they outshot the Spirit 32-24. Stouffville opened the scoring with a power play goal mid-way through the first and then added another in the middle of the second for a 2-0 lead. Rocco Andreacchi got the lone Panthers goal early in the third. That gave the team some additional jump as they dominated the remainder of the game, but were unable to score,  even with some excellent chances in the final minute with the extra attacker. 

SUNDAY SEPT 8 - MISSISSAGUA DEFEATS PICKERING 5-2 - Not exactly the way you want to open the season at home ... now two games, two loses. The Panthers jumped ahead in the first on a goal by Nathan Gooch and then added another in the second by Rocco Andreacchi for a 2-0 lead. The Chargers kept plugging away and scored three in the second as the Panthers got bogged down in their own end and couldn't bury their opportunities at the other end. Mississauga added a couple more power play goals in the third to ensure the win. Pickering has more work to do to gel as a team before next weekend.

FRIDAY SEPT 6 - PANTHERS FALL 4-2 TO MARKHAM IN SEASON OPENER - Another season underway as the Panthers visited the Royal with only five returning players from last year. Markham opened the scoring early in the first on a breakaway, but Kevin Stiles tied it up late in the period for Pickering. Rookie Matthew McCullough put the Panthers ahead seven minutes into the second and it stayed that way into the second intermission. Markham tied it up early in the third and then jumped ahead 3-2 three minutes later on a Panther giveaway in their won end. The final goal was into an empty net after the Panthers had several chances to tie the game with their goalie pulled. Newcomer Darius Bell was solid in the Pickering net after the first Markham goal.

 

 

SUNDAY FEB 24 - GEORGETOWN ELIMINATES PICKERING WITH 5-4 OT DECISION - And so it ends ... that sudden death loss that feels like sudden death. The Panthers came so close to moving on to a playoff series with the Markham Royals, but couldn't shake off the Georgetown Raiders last night. Special teams were going to play a key part in this matchup as the Raiders came into the game with the number one power play in the league. However, it was Michael Cimini who notched the first Panther goal on the power play for the only goal of the first period. After Georgetown tied the game, Cimini got another power play goal to make it 2-1 for Pickering and Ethan Doyle got another about a minute and a half later to put Pickering up 3-1. The Panther penalty kill was excellent in holding off the Raiders a couple of times in the period, but Georgetown finally broke through with a power play goal in the final minute of the second to pull within one goal.

The Raiders jumped ahead with two quick goals early in the third for a 4-3 lead, but Nathan Gooch tied it up with an unassisted goal at 8:04 to send the game into overtime. Overtime was quick, with Georgetown jamming one in the side of the net about one minute into the OT period.

The Panthers would like to thank our graduating players - Micheal Cimini, Ben Sellars, Adam Wheaton and Dustyn McFaul (who will be attending Clarkson University next fall) for their contributions to the Panthers and wish them success in all of their future endeavours.

 

SATURDAY FEB 23 - TORONTO 4 PICKERING 3 (2OT) - The Toronto Patriots hosted Pickering in the final game of the regular season, with the Panthers again resting a number of regulars. Nolan Burke scored his 6th of the season to give Pickering the lead in the first but the Patriots got two of their own before Andrew Polias (his 11th) evened it up before the first intermission. Toronto jumped ahead in the first minute of the second but Ethan Cardwell got a short-handed goal later in the period to make it 3-3.

There was no scoring in the third or in the first OT and the Patriots got the winner early in the second OT for the 4-3 victory. And now on the crossover game where the Panthers face the Georgetown Raiders to determine who continues on into the playoffs .....

FRIDAY FEB 22 - PICKERING 3 STOUFFVILLE 1 - Not a lot of excitement in the final regular season home game as the Panthers rested five of their regulars in anticipation of the pending crossover game. Ethan Doyle got things rolling for Pickering scoring his 14th of the season. Stouffville tied it up later in the period. Ben Sellars notched his 11th of the season and 9th as a Panther to give Pickering a 2-1 lead in the second. It remained a one goal game until Ethan Doyle scored again into the empty Stouffville net in the final stages of the third period. 

SUNDAY FEB 17 - NORTH YORK 2 PICKERING 1 - You didn't know what to expect today as the Panthers took on the North York Rangers, rated the number seven team in the country. Pickering was playing their third game in four days, but came out firing on all cylinders as they played the Rangers even until North York got the first goal with only 15 seconds remaining in the second. The Panthers tied it up early in the third when Nathan Gooch scored on the power play, tipping in Matthew Altomare's shot from the point. Shortly after the Panthers rang one off the post, North York got the winner from a scramble at the side of the Panther net.

Blair Coffin was very solid in the Panther net, turning aside 30 North York shots. Pickering has only two more regular season games to gain points to try to avoid a sudden death crossover elimination game.

SATURDAY FEB 16 - AURORA 3 PICKERING 1 - You had a feeling right from the opening goal that things might not go well for the Panthers in this game. Tanner Sheppard tried to deflect an innocent looking shot into the corner, but instead, it bounced off his stick into the corner of the net for a 1-0 Aurora lead. Pickering wasn't sharp in this game - the passing was off, they were stick checking instead of taking the body and they didn't have their usual jump. Sheppard atoned for the first goal by settling down and stopping a penalty shot mid-way through the period.

The Tigers jumped ahead 3-0 later in the second and Daniel Ebrahim got the lone Pickering goal in the middle of the third (short handed and his 4th against the Tigers in the past two games), but that was as close as the Panthers would get. Although Pickering won five of seven games against the Tigers this season, this loss sealed their fate of ending up in fourth place in the North Division and potentially playing a sudden death cross-over game to secure a playoff spot.

THURSDAY FEB 14 - PICKERING 3 BRANTFORD 0 - Pickering won their fifth game in the last six as they traveled to the home of Wayne Gretzky to take on the 99ers. Ben Sellars is proving to be a real sniper on the power play as he moved to the top of the circle in the first period and picked the top corner on a power play to notch his 8th of the season. The Panthers were fortunate to hang on to the slim lead until early in the third, relying on Blair Coffin to stone Brantford on several good scoring chances including a breakaway.

Adam Wheaton finally gave Pickering some breathing room, as he took a pass from behind the net from Ethan Cardwell and snapped it home at 6:34 of the third period. Joseph Franzin scored an insurance goal into the empty net with 1:40 remaining to make it a 3-0 final.

SATURDAY FEB 9 - PICKERING 6 BRAMPTON 3 - The Panthers registered their third win in a row as they traveled to Brampton to take on the Admirals. Nathan Porter got them going early with a seeing-eye shot from the point but they gave up the lead as the Admirals scored two to make it 2-1 at the first intermission. Ethan Cardwell tied it in the second with a beautiful power play goal and Joe Franzin put the cats ahead to stay with only five seconds remaining in the second,

Michael Cimini (power play) and Nolan Burke added two more in the third and Kevin Stiles hit the empty net to make it a 6-3 win for Pickering. Tanner Sheppard got his 15th win of the season making 30 saves in the Panther net.

FRIDAY FEB 8 - PICKERING 4 COBOURG 2 - another battle of the cats today in the den as the Panthers welcomed the Cobourg Cougars, but showed no hospitality as they jumped ahead 2-0 then held on to the lead to defeat the top team in the east division. Kevin Stiles scored both goals in the first period, the first on the power play and the second on a beautiful pass from Ethan Doyle. Tanner Sheppard was excellent in the Pickering net, holding off periodic pushes by the Cougars and maintaining the two goal lead until early in the third when Cobourg made it 2-1.

Adam Wheaton gave the Panthers some breathing room midway through the third, scoring with a nice breakaway move. Cobourg made it close, scoring on the power play with their goalie pulled with 31 seconds left in the game. Nathan Gooch got the clincher for the Panthers with an empty net goal in the dying seconds. The Panthers are now nine points behind Aurora with six games remaining in the regular season.

TUESDAY FEB 5 - PICKERING 7 AURORA 2 - a battle of the cats today as the Panthers travelled to Aurora for a very rare late morning makeup game. Pickering was firing on all cylinders again and the penalty kill needed to be sharp as the Panthers took 30 penalty minutes to the Tiger's 12 minutes. It was a big game for Daniel Ebrahim as he got the hat trick and an assist ,with one of his goals short-handed and another on the power play in the first period. Pickering jumped ahead 3-1 in the first, with the other goal coming from Ethan Doyle. There was no scoring in the second as the Panthers played half the period short-handed and were outshot 12-2.

Ebrahim got his third seven minutes into the third on a pretty pass from Ethan Cardwell, then Ethan Doyle (his 12th), Poulias (shorthanded) and Nolan Burke made it 7-1. Aurora got another with about a minute and a half to go in the game. Tanner Sheppard was excellent in the net making 21 saves. This was the fifth win in six meetings for the Panthers over the Tigers this season.

SATURDAY FEB 2 - MARKHAM 2 PICKERING 1 - the final and 7th meeting of the regular season was a tight game from start to finish. Markham scored a goal in the first and it stayed that way until the first minute of the third when the Royals scored what proved to be the winning goal. Ben Sellars got the Panthers to within one six minutes into the period and despite outshooting the Royals 20-9 in the third, Pickering couldn't get the equalizer. The Panthers were missing their captain, Adam Wheaton, who was serving the first game of a two game suspension.

SUNDAY JAN 27 - MARKHAM 4 PICKERING 3 - the boys played very, very well today despite missing three regulars, but went down to defeat 4-3 at the hands of the Markham Royals. The story of the game - Markham capitalized on their chances while Pickering didn't. A defensive miscue led to the first Markham goal but the Andrew Poulias tied it up. The Royals pounced on a rebound to add another before the first period ended. Markham got the only goal of the second on a power play and the Panthers missed a couple of breakaway chances.

Ethan Doyle notched his thirteenth early in the third bit Markham got the killer shortly after. Kevin Stiles pulled Pickering to within one with the goalie pulled but it would end 4-3. Shots were about even at 36-34. The same two teams meet again two times next weekend.

FRIDAY JAN 25 - PICKERING 6 AURORA 4 - the Panthers came out flying in the first, ran into penalty problems in the second but weathered the storm and then pulled away in the third for their fourth victory in five games versus the Aurora tigers this year. Special teams played especially well for the Panthers in this game. Ethan Doyle got his twelfth of the year on a power play to get things rolling in the first as the Panthers outshot the Tigers 15-7. Adam Wheaton put the home team up 2-0 mid way through the second but then Pickering fell into penalty problems taking six penalties to Aurora's two. Aurora scored a power play goal late in the period and it was 2-1 at the second intermission.

Aurora tied the game early in the third but Andrew Poulias responded with a power play goal 24 seconds later to regain the lead. That goal gave the Panthers momentum as Noah Burke, Kevin Stiles and Ben Sellars (short handed) gave Pickering a comfortable 6-2 lead. When Pickering took another penalty with about 8 minutes remaining, The Tigers pulled their goalie giving them a two man advantage. The Panthers held on and killed the penalty but Aurora scored twice more before the game ended to make the score a bit more respectable.

FRIDAY JAN 18- OAKVILLE 3 PICKERING 0 - the home team was in tough tonight as they faced the top team in the league and the number three team in the country. The Panthers held their own in the first and even tough they were badly outshot in the second, they held the Blades off the scoreboard until about a minute and a half remaining in the period. The Blades smothered the Panthers, limiting their scoring chances and then went ahead 2-0 early in the third. A frustrated Pickering team took 24 minutes in Penalties to Oakville's 6 and Oakville capitalized on one of those with a power play goal to make it 3-0. The Blades outshot the Panthers 37-16.

SUNDAY JAN 13 - BURLINGTON 4 PICKERING 3 - a tough loss for the Panthers as they clawed back to tie the game in the middle of the third only to lose it with just over a minute remaining in the game. A promising start for Pickering as Ethan Cardwell notched his second goal in two games with the Panthers and then Adam Wheaton scored his 11th with a toe drag and a bullet to the top corner to give Pickering a 2-0 lead at the first intermission. The Cougars responded in the second with two of their own, one on a power play. Burlington took the lead near the eight minute mark of the third and it looked grim for Pickering at that point, but Nathan Gooch tied it up with a power play backhander five minutes later.

The Panthers drew a tripping penalty at 16:51 of the third and seemed to weather the storm until a clearing pass from the corner was deflected to a Burlington player all alone in front of the Panther net for the winning goal. Pickering outshot Burlington 34-30.

FRIDAY JAN 11 - PICKERING 4 NEWMARKET 2 - another close game where the Panthers pulled out a win in the last half of the third period. Newmarket got the game rolling with a power play goal near the middle of the first period but the Panthers responded less than a minute later when Ben Sellars (6th) moved in to bury a rebound. Daniel Ebrahim put Pickering ahead mid way through the second (his 8th) but the Hurricanes took advantage of a giveaway at the blueline less than a minute later to score on a breakaway.

With a tight 2-2 game early in the third, newcomer Ethan Cardwell buried his sixth of the season and his first as a Panther on a beautiful shot from the right circle to give Pickering the lead. Nathan Gooch got the insurance marker (5th) into and empty Newmarket net with one minute to go. Credit Dustyn McFaul for doing some excellent defending and freezing the puck behind the Panther net while Newmarket had a two man advantage and then getting the puck up to Gooch for his goal. Tanner Sheppard got the win making 22 saves. This was Pickering's fifth win in the past seven games.  

SUNDAY JAN 6 - PICKERING 4 AURORA 2 - the Panthers were full value for their third win over the Tigers in four meetings this season. They played a tight checking positional game and took advantage of their opportunities when they came. Much like the previous game, this was an exciting tied game until the middle of the third period.

Matthew Altomare and Adam Wheaton notched power play goals for Pickering. It was the first of the year for Altomare and the tenth for Wheaton. Nathan Gooch scored the winner in the third and Joseph Franzin sealed it into an empty Aurora net with nine seconds remaining in the game. Tanner Sheppard had another strong game in the net making 29 saves and getting his 12th win.

FRIDAY JAN 4 - WELLINGTON 3 PICKERING 1 - the score was certainly not an indication of the play as the Dukes and the Panthers were two evenly matched teams for two and a half periods last night. Wellington broke the scoreless tie with a goal midway through the third and followed up with their second four minute later. An empty netter made it 3-0 before Riley Girard got the only Panther goal with fifteen seconds left in the game. Shots on goal were 26-24 for the Panthers. Tanner Sheppard played well but took the loss making 21 saves.

FRIDAY DEC 21 - PICKERING 5 STOUFFVILLE 1 - a good way the finish the year! In an important four point divisional matchup, the Panthers came up big against the Spirit earning their third win in a row, despite missing three regulars. Riley Girard got Pickering started mid-way through the first. Pickering had a huge territorial advantage for most of the period and outshot Stouffville 14-3 but couldn't add to their lead. Then they gave up a short handed goal late in the period to make it 1-1 at the intermission.

The Panthers put on a bit of an offensive show in the second period as they scored four unanswered goals. Jacob Sutton, Kevin Stiles, Nolan Burke (short handed) and Riley Girard (his second of the game) were the goal scorers. Stouffville had 32 penalty minutes to Pickering's  8, but there were no power play goals in the game. APs Joshua Currie, Tyler Deline and Anthony Lamanna filled in well for the Panthers in the last couple of games.Tanner Sheppard got the win turning aside 20 shots ... on to 2019.

THURSDAY DEC 27 - PICKERING 4 LINDSAY 1 - the Panthers earned an important two points this afternoon as they defeated the Lindsay Muskies in the first of two back to back Christmas week matinee games. Ex Panther Noah Vandervinne put the Muskies ahead midway through the second but Ethan Doyle got his 11th on a power play shortly after to tie it up. In the middle of the third, Lindsay rang one off the Pickering crossbar and the Panthers went ahead soon after when Nick Prestia scored. Michael Cimini gave Pickering a two goal lead a little more than a minute later with another power play goal. Joseph Franzin added an empty netter with about a minute remaining for the 4-1 victory. Tanner Sheppard played a strong game in the Panther net making 27 saves.

FRIDAY DEC 21 - PICKERING 1 BRANTFORD 0 - the Panthers shut out the 99ers and gained an important two points in what proved to be a very strange game. The only goal of the game was scored in the first period by Ethan Doyle on a shot from behind the goal line that found its way into the net. Both teams had their chances after that, but a post, a crossbar, a lot of shots wide of the net and good saves at both ends kept it scoreless. Blair Coffin got the shutout and had a terrific game in the Panther net and Pickering played well defensively throughout the game, but particularly in the third period when Brantford had a 5 on 3 power play and then the goalie pulled for an extra attacker. Brantford went 0 for 4 on the PP while Pickering was 0 for 3. On to Stouffville for a key matchup tomorrow.  

SUNDAY DEC 16 - MARKHAM 11 PICKERING 1 - Ethan Doyle scored a short-handed goal for the only Panther score. Matthew Altomare exited from behind his own net and fed a perfect heads-up pass to Doyle just over centre ice. Doyle streaked in on the Markham goalie, faked a shot and potted a backhander into the empty net. Pickering has scored only 2 goals in their last 3 games.

FRIDAY DEC 14 - NEWMARKET 4 PICKERING 0 - the Hurricanes scored three in the first and then shut the door as the Panthers dropped a 4-0 decision in their first game back home in the past three weeks. It not that Pickering wasn't playing hard - this team just doesn't spend much time in the zone in front of the net and has difficulty scoring goals. The Panthers are second last in the league in shots on goal and goals scored per game and have no players with double digits goals. Tanner Sheppard took the loss. The Panthers are back in action Sunday night as they host the Markham Royals.

SATURDAY DEC 8 - STOUFFVILLE 4 PICKERING 1 - the Stouffville Spirit put an emphatic stop to the Panther's modest win streak Saturday night. This game was determined by two factors: Damon Beaver, the Spirit's goalie, and; the fact that the Panthers were playing their second back to back game missing five of their regular skaters. Pickering had their chances in the first half of the game but were stoned time and time again by a hot goalie. Then, playing with only three lines caught up to the Panthers as they started to tire and started to take penalties - penalties in large part due to not being able to use their speed and also due to frustration.

After a scoreless first period, Stouffville scored three in the second, two on power plays, while Ben Sellars scored Pickering's goal also on a power play. Stouffville added one more in the third for the win. Tanner Sheppard took the loss making 31 saves.

FRIDAY DEC 7 - PICKERING 6 AURORA 3 - the boys managed their highest scoring output of the season Friday night despite missing a few regulars, as they downed the division-leading Aurora Tigers 6-3. The goals came from forwards Kevin Stiles, Nathan Gooch, Eli Pilosof, Riley Girard and Ethan Doyle and from defensemen Ben Sellars and Michael Cimini. Two of the goals came on power plays as the Panthers scored four goals in the second period to take a 5-3 lead. Tanner Sheppard made 39 saves for the win as Pickering was outshot 42-34. Pilosof and Ethan Doyle both had three point nights for Pickering.

SUNDAY DEC 2 - PICKERING 3 NEWMARKET 2 - the Panthers visited the Hurricanes Sunday afternoon and came away with a close 3-2 OT victory as they edged closer to the Hurricanes and the Royals in the division standings. Pickering got goals from Riley Girard and Ethan Doyle (short-handed) and then the game winner from captain Adam Wheaton in the first OT period to edge Newmarket. Shots on goal were even at 34 as Tanner Sheppard picked up his fifth win of the season in the Panther net.

FRIDAY NOV 30 - OAKVILLE 5 PICKERING 2 - the Panthers were never really in this game as the league-leading Oakville Blades used their speed, puck control and passing to jump ahead 1-0 with a power play goal five minutes into the first and then added another early in the second for a 2-0 lead. Pickering got one back as Michael Cimini scored on a power play shot from the point, but the Blades scored again to lead 3-1 at the second intermission.

Oakville got their fourth goal early in the third and Ben Sellers got his first as a Panther before the Blades finished it off with an empty netter for the 5-2 win. Pickering was outshot 34-24 as Blair Coffin took the loss, making 29 saves.  

SUNDAY NOV 25 - PANTHERS LOSE 4-1 TO NORTH YORK - the boys travelled to North York Sunday afternoon to play their third away game in four days, and took it to the Rangers for two periods, before giving up two key goals in the third due to defensive miscues in their own zone. Riley Girard potted the only Panther goal in the first period on a nice pass from Eli Pilosof. Pickering was even up with the Rangers for two periods in a game highlighted by speed, hits and tight checking. Unfortunately, the Rangers tied it up with one second left in the second on a long shot from the left circle that seemed to surprise Blair Coffin as it caught the top corner. 

North York got a power play tip in in the third along with their two other goals for the 4-1 victory. Pickering played a disciplined game, taking only four minutes in penalties (although the second proved costly). Coffin took the loss in the Panther net making 25 saves as Pickering was outshot 29-27.

FRIDAY NOV 23 - BURLINGTON 6 PICKERING 2 - the Burlington Cougars jumped ahead in this matchup, but Michael Cimini tied it up on a point shot shortly after. Burlington scored two quick goals early in the second but Ethan Doyle pulled the Panthers to within one but that was as close as thy would come in this game. The Cougars added two more before the end of the second for a 5-2 lead and then added one more in the third for the 6-2 win.

THURSDAY NOV 22 - PICKERING 3 NEWMARKET 2 - The Panthers grabbed an important north division victory in double OT tonight but let a single point slip away as the Hurricanes scored two goals 15 seconds apart in the final minute of the third period to send it into overtime. Pickering played a strong, disciplined game and got goals from Nick Prestia early in the first and Ethan Doyle early in the third to lead Newmarket 2-0. Doyle got the game winner in the second OT period, his second goal since coming to the Panthers two weeks ago. Blair Coffin got the win in the Panther net, stopping 30 shots.

SATURDAY NOV 17 - GEORGETOWN 3 PICKERING 0 - the Georgetown Raiders avenged an OT loss to the Panthers a couple of weeks ago, with a 3-0 victory on the strength of two power play goals and an empty netter. The Panthers were playing their second of two weekend games with five regulars out of their lineup through either injury or suspension: Dustyn McFaul. Andrew Poulias, Davis Teigen-Katsumi, Mitchell Doyle and Nolan Burke. The Panther call-ups played well (as they did on Friday night) as Pickering held their own for the first period. The boys faded as the game wore on and Blair Coffin faced 40 Raider shots while the Panthers mustered only 23. Pickering did have a couple of unsuccessful, clear-cut breakaways that might have changed the complexion of the game if they had succeeded in scoring.

FRIDAY NOV 16 - PICKERING 3 MARKHAM 2 - After the past two blowout losses to the Royals, no one knew what to expect in this one, but the Panthers came back with two goals in the third period to defeat Markham and gain two points in the standings on the second place Royals. Pickering played an energetic, structured game - one of the better games they have played in the past several weeks. Markham led 2-1 on the strength of two power play goals. Joseph Franzin got the first Panther goal.

Newcomer Cameron Snow (AP) tied it up in the third and Kevin Stiles then got the game winner about one minute later. Blair Cofffin robbed Markham with about one minute left with a highlight reel stop on a lone Markham forward to preserve the win. This was a spirited contest on both sides and the referees seemed to favour the Royals on several questionable calls. Pickering took 36 penalty minutes to Markham's 16.

FRIDAY NOV 2 - ST MIKES 6 PICKERING 2 - the Panthers started off well in this one, leading 2-1 after two periods, but fell apart in the third as the Buzzers scored five unanswered goals for the 6-2 win. Adam Wheaton and Davis Tiegen-Katsumi got the Panther goals and Blair Coffin took the loss in net, stopping 36 of 42 shots.

SATURDAY OCT 27 - AURORA 4 PICKERING 0 - In their second weekend game, the Panthers dropped a 4-0 decision to Division leading Aurora Tigers. Pickering fell behind 1-0 in the first and Aurora scored three more unanswered goals in the third. Pickering seemed to lack cohesion, perhaps as a result of a number of roster changes in the past couple of weeks. Scoring one goal in the past games doesn't help. Pickering is 21st in the league in points per game. The Panthers meet St Mikes and Buffalo next weekend.

FRIDAY OCT 26 - MARKHAM BURIES PICKERING 8-1 - Wow! For the second time these teams have met this season, the Royals have had the Panthers number, winning big tonight with a decisive 8-1 decision. Nick Prestia opened the scoring for Pickering in the first, but that was the only scoring for the Panthers as Markham added three in the first, one in the second and four more in the third. The Panthers were outshot 52-40 in the game and didn't have as much jump as usual throughout the contest. Newcomer Blair Coffin took over from Tanner Sheppard in the Pickering net for the final 12 minutes of the game.     

SATURDAY OCT 20 - PANTHERS DEFEAT SPIRIT 5-2 - The Panthers took a while to get rolling in this one. Daniel Ebrahim notched his 7th of the season on a shorthanded breakaway in the last minute of the first period. Stouffville tied it up later in the second before Mason Dreger got his first Jr A goal shortly after to put Pickering up 2-1 at the end of the second.

Dreger added his second early in the third and Andrew Poulias scored twice, as the Panthers posted a 5-2 win. Andrew Viglaitore got his third win in the Panther net making 23 saves.

FRIDAY OCT 19 - BRAMPTON 3 PICKERING 2 - The Panthers feel behind early and their comeback attempt fell short as the Brampton Admirals took a 2-0 lead in the first and added another in the second to jump ahead 3-0, The Panthers got two early goals in the third from Davis Teigen-Katsumi and Dustyn McFaul to make it exciting, but were unable to get the all important tying goal, despite outshooting the Admirals 14-6 in the third period.

SUNDAY OCT 14 - PANTHERS DOWN TRENTON 4-1 - A solid effort all around tonight. The Golden Hawks got on the board mid-way through the first but Adam Wheaton tied it up later in the period (his 6th) on a great move to beat the defender and then the goalie.The Panthers scored three more in the second on goals by Daniel Ebrahim (his 6th), Nick Prestia (his first as a Panther) and Michael Cimini on a blast from the point. Pickering played solid defensive hockey for the remainder of the game to preserve the 4-1 score. Tanner Sheppard was solid in goal making 37 saves.

FRIDAY OCT 12 - NEWMARKET PREVAILS IN 4-3 DOUBLE OT WIN - Kats is back! Davis Teigen-Katsumi returned to the Panthers tonight and was instrumental in all of the Panther goals, scoring one and assisting on the other two. This game was as close as the score and shots indicated.The Hurricanes scored late in the first but Andrew Poulias responded just over a minute later to end the first period 1-1. Nathan Porter got the second goal and Teigen-Katsumi got his late in the second as Pickering led 3-2 after two.

A Panther penalty late in the third led to Newmarket's tying goal with the extra attacker to send the game into OT. Pickering survived a penaly in the first OT, but the Hurricanes scored on the three on three in the second OT for the 4-3 win.

SATURDAY OCT 6 - PANTHERS EDGE MISSISSAUGA 3-1 - we didn't know what to expect on the third road game in three nights, especially after the Markham game, but the boys gutted out a 3-1 win against the Chargers. The game was tight checking and scoreless until Jacob Sutton got his first as a Panther with 5 seconds remaining in the second. Mississauga tied it up mid-way through the third, but Joseph Franzin put Pickering back in the lead with a power play goal shortly after. Daniel Ebrahim got his fifth of the season, an empty net insurance goal with two minutes to play, to seal the victory. 

FRIDAY OCT 5 - MARKHAM HAMMERS PICKERING 9-1 - the Panthers were down 3-0 late in the second before Andrew Poulias scored on a power play on a nice setup from Nathan Gooch. That was it as the floodgates opened and the Royals added six more (two on the power play). Pickering had 33 minutes in penalties to Markham's 18 as frustration set in, The Panthers have scored just five goals in their past five games while allowing 22 goals and have been badly outshot in most of those games, this time 40-28.

THURSDAY OCT 4 -  PANTHERS EDGE HURRICANES 1-0 - in a tight contest, newcomer Kevin Stiles scored his first as a Panther and the only goal of the game late in the second period. Pickering could have added to the score if they had converted any of their four breakaways, two of which came on the penalty kill. Tanner Sheppard recorded the shutout for Pickering stopping all 34 shots he faced.

SUNDAY SEPT 30 - NEWMARKET 5 PICKERING 2 - not much to say about this game ... a number of Panther defensive lapses and not enough offense. The game got off to a rocky start for the Panthers as the Hurricanes scored just 18 seconds into the game. Adam Wheaton scored his fifth of the season late in the first period to tie it at one. Wheaton is becoming a penalty kill threat - that was his third short-handed goal this young season. Newmarket scored another in the second to take a 2-1 lead and then two more quick goals early in the third to make it 4-1. The Hurricanes outshot the Panthers 14-4 in that period.

Newmarket added one more before Nathan Horton got his first of the season in the final minute of play with a nice solo rush. Newcomer Tanner Sheppard took the loss in the Panther net making 29 saves. Pickering was outshot 34-19. The teams go back at it again on Thursday night.

WEDNESDAY SEPT 26 - COBOURG 5 PICKERING 0 - what is happening in Panther land?  The Panthers dropped their third game in a row, 5-0 to the Cobourg Cougars. The Cougars scored two power play goals - one in the first and the other in the second to take a 2-0 lead into the third period. Pickering gave up three more early before the middle of the third. The Panthers were outshot 42-34 and were 0-6 on the power play. 

TUESDAY SEPT 25 - KINGSTON 2 PICKERING 1 - the first game for the Panthers in the Governor's Showcase in Buffalo saw Kingston jump out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, with two quick goals in the final two minutes of the period. The game remained scoreless from that point on until Dustyn McFaul got the only Pickering goal with 28 seconds remaining in the game. Pickering outshot Kingston 32 to 24 and had a decided advantage in the third period, but couldn't find the net. The Panthers were 0 for 4 on the power play.

SUNDAY SEPT 23 - JR CANADIENS HUMBLE PANTHERS 7-4 - this is a game that the Panthers need to put way at the back of their memory banks. Pickering actually had a bit of an advantage in the first ten minutes of play but it fell apart quickly after that. Toronto scored three before the period ended, the third on a power play. Nothing that Panther goalie Andrew Vigliatore could do on any of them - the first a deflection and the other two resulting from nice passing plays. Toronto added another in the second to make it 4-0 before Adam Wheaton got a short-handed goal back for Pickering shortly after.

The Jr. Canadiens put the game on ice with two more later in the second and another on the power play midway through the third for a 7-1 lead. However, the Panthers didn't quit. Nolan Burke, Riley Girard and Adam Wheaton (with his second short-handed goal) made the score a bit more respectable, as it ended 7-4. Newly acquired goalie Tanner Sheppard took over in the Panther net for the third.

FRIDAY SEPT 21 - PANTHERS DEFEAT TIGERS 3-2 - a big divisional game tonight as the Panthers staged a huge come from behind win handing the Aurora Tigers their first loss of the season. The first period was uneventful, as both teams checked closely and couldn't find the net. Michael Cimini got his first as a Panther early in the second on a power play and that seemed to give Pickering a bit of jump. However, the Tigers got the next two and took a 2-1 lead into the second intermission.

Pickering was under fire for a good part of the third, but Andrew Vigliatore came up big in the net, holding Aurora off the board. Adam Wheaton tied it up at the fourteen minute mark and the Panthers held on until Joseph Franzin got the winner on a nice pass from Jacob DiDanieli with just 30 seconds remaining in the third. Pickering survived the remainder of the period as the Tigers pulled the goalie for the extra attacker. Pickering was 1-7 on the power play while Aurora was 0-4.

FRIDAY SEPT 14 - BUFFALO EDGES PICKERING 4-3 - special teams played a large role in this penalty-filled game. Buffalo stuck first with the only even strength goals of the game in the first period, but Daniel Ebrahim continued his hot streak with a power play goal to pull the Panthers to within one before the intermission. Nathan Gooch tied it up midway through the second with another power play goal, but the Sabres scored short-handed to soon after to make it 3-2.

Buffalo got another power play goal early in the third to make it 4-2 and it stayed that way until Adam Wheaton scored on a Panther Power play with the goalie pulled to get Pickering close with just under two minutes to play, but they couldn't get the equalizer as it ended in a 4-3 Panther loss.  

SUNDAY SEPT 9 - PICKERING 4 STOUFFVILLE 2 - although the Panthers had most of the shots (16) and controlled much of the play in the first period, this looked very much like the previous game, where the Spirit picked up a couple of lose pucks near Pickering's net and scored on two of their six shots on net to jump ahead 2-0 before the end of the first period. Pickering's persistence finally paid off as Daniel Ebrahim connected on a power play with a quick snap shot from the slot into the top corner. Adam Wheaton crashed the net with the puck and Jacob DiDanieli tapped in the lose puck to tie the game at 19:04 of the second. Daniel Ebrahim scored a huge goal fourteen seconds later to give Pickering a 3-2 going into the intermission.

The third period was relatively even, but the Panthers took three penalties in the last five minutes to make it exciting. The Pickering penalty kill was solid, holding off the Spirit until Jacob DiDanieli scored his second of the game into an empty net to seal the first victory of the season. Pickering held a 40-28 shot advantage and Andrew Vigliatore got the win in the Panther net.