Oct 28, 2014 | SScott | 679 views
Strong Start for our Pelham Panthers!!
The Pedlar Funeral Home Bantam Panthers got their season off to a strong start picking up 7 points in their first four games.
Zach Baltrusiunas netted the team’s first goal from Jacob Gula in the Panther’s Oct 18th opener against their cross-town rivals, Pelham #3. Gula put a beauty to the back of the net from an end to end rush set up by Joe Natale and Matt Vandenhaak, while Vandenhaak added one of his own with the help of Elliot Song. With seconds left in the game, Spencer Reynolds toughed out a goal from Natale and Baltrusiunas to cap off a strong shut-out victory for goalie Ross Michalko.The Panthers hosted NOTL #1 on Oct 19th. Ben Roptus went in unassisted to post the first point of the game and Dan Durkin unleashed a bullet from the point to add the insurance goal from Zach Baltrusiunas and Ethan Wellman. In a game that tested the prowess of both goalies, Tyler Scott emerged with the shut-out win.The Panthers then were off to face Grimsby #1 on Oct 25th. The strong Grimsby team scored early to take the lead while Panthers’ fans were treated to a nail-biting battle for the game’s second goal. With just over a minute left in the game, Mitchell Karnay levelled a tricky backhander surprising the Grimsby netkeeper and evening the score. Joe Natale and Zach Baltrusiunas picked up the assists and goalie Ross Michalko earned the hard-fought tie.On Oct 26th, the Panthers hosted Grimsby #2. Grimsby scored first but Matt Vandenhaak knotted it up by netting a juicy rebound with the help of Ben Roptus and Blaise Zantinge. Joe Natale picked up his own rebound for the go-ahead goal with the help of Vandenhaak and Jacob Gula, before the Panthers put the game out of reach in the 3rd period: Blaise Zantinge put a slapper past the netminder for a powerplay goal from Vandenhaak and Zach Baltrusiunas, Gula scored with the help of Mitchell Karnay and Vandenhaak, Karnay determinedly zoned in on the Grimsby net to score from Elliot Song and Gula and Dan Durkin dropped the puck off the crossbar for the final goal of the 6-2 game assisted by Ethan Wellman and Charlie Devries . Tyler Scott manned the pipes for the victory.