Silver medal Panthers skate in COSSA championship Monday
Administrator | Feb 28, 2016 | Comments 3
PECI Panthers Bay of Quinte Championship silver medalists: Back Row, from left: student manager – Michaela Arnold, Sarah Young, Morgan Clark, Alex Staley, Sam Ward, Celina Fox, Abby Terpstra, Chloe Marshall, Brittany Payne. Front Row, from left: Coach Laurie Spencer, Kelli-Anne Maycock, Tynika Williams, Taylor Snider, Kim Pothier, Kendra Marion, Assistant Coach – Michelle Beaudette.
By Mike Pothier
The PECI Panthers girls hockey team needed over time to get into the AA COSSA (Central Ontario Secondary School Athletics) Championship by winning silver at the Bay of Quinte Final Four Tournament. The Panthers beat the ENSS Blue Dragons 3-2 in the semi-final game.
Captain Alex Staley and goalie Taylor Snider played fantastic defense in the two and half minutes of the 3 on 3 overtime.
The Blue Dragon’s offense came out hard and fast looking to end the contest quickly but was shut down by Snider’s management of both their shots and rebounds. Finally, Panthers caught a break from the unrelenting Blue Dragon pressure when a loose puck squirted free and an adrenaline-fueled Staley marched down on a breakaway and cleanly beat the Blue Dragon goalie with a deadening rang of the bottom of the net.
The exhausted, but jubilant, Staley was then mobbed by her very relieved COSSA-bound teammates.
Staley’s punctuated goal completed her hat trick for the game. Kendra Marion assisted on two of Staley’s goals while Kim Pothier and Kelli-Anne Maycock provided the other helpers.
The Panthers received their silver medal after the finals with the #1 ranked Saint Theresa Titans. Final score was 8-0 for the Titans.
The elimination round game of the AA COSSA Championship is set for Trenton on Monday, Feb. 29th at 10am. If all goes well for the Panthers, the finals are at 1pm.
Photos by Rebecca Juby
Abby Terpstra making a play before the Blue Dragon blue line.
Sam Ward driving puck to Blue Dragon’s net.
Taylor Snider pouncing on a Blue Dragon rebound.
COSSA bound Sam Ward (left) and Kim Pothier (right) mob Alex Staley after she buried the OT breakaway puck in the Blue Dragon net.
Alex Staley on breakaway march to COSSA Championship.
Filed Under: Featured Articles • Hastings & Prince Edward District School Board • PECI - It's a Panther Thing • Sports & Recreation
“Its not that you won or lost but how you played the game” *Grantland Rice*…It sounds like you tried your best and that’s all anybody can ask, hold your heads high Ladies you played like Champs and that’s all that counts. Your Coach summed it up well “The girls played very well. They left everything they had out on the ice. I’m very proud of the team.” *Laurie Spencer* Way to go Ladies, Go Panthers Go !!
Congratulations PECI girls hockey ! No shame in losing to St T’s, the only team in the league that’s roster is made up of students from all over Quinte who are drawn to the ice hockey excellence program offered at that school. Suffice to say they should have a competitive advantage over the other schools.
Way to go Panthers. Good luck in your game this morning….we are so proud.