The Peninsula Panthers refused to go quietly in Game 6 of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) finals, clawing their way back from a two-goal deficit to stun the Campbell River Storm 4-3 in front of 1,125 fans at Rod Brind'Amour Arena.
With the Storm just one win away from hoisting the Brent Patterson Memorial Trophy on home ice, Peninsula struck first.
Joe Marranzino opened the scoring early, netting his third of the postseason to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead. But Campbell River responded in dominant fashion, scoring three consecutive goals to take control of the game. Jacob Kulas buried a pair, while Dylan Toth added his first of the playoffs, putting the home side in prime position to seal the championship.
Then, the comeback began.
The Panthers鈥� power play proved to be the spark they needed, as Oscar Aitken Salmons brought his team back within one, tallying his 10th goal of the postseason. Just over two minutes later, he struck again, tying the game at 3-3 and silencing the Campbell River crowd.
Salmons, a Victoria native and former Peninsula Minor Hockey standout, has been a force in the finals, amassing eight points in six games. His heroics set the stage for yet another local product to play the role of game-winner.
Early in the third period, Lucas Preweda delivered the decisive blow, finding the back of the net to put Peninsula ahead for good.
From there, Hunter Farrer took over, shutting the door with a 33-save performance. The Panthers鈥� netminder has been nothing short of spectacular in the playoffs, leading all VIJHL goalies with a .935 save percentage and a 2.08 goals-against average through 14 games.
With their season on the line, the Panthers delivered under pressure, forcing a winner-take-all game seven.
The final battle for the Brent Patterson Memorial Trophy is set for Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Panorama Recreation Centre.