The Recorder
MANITOULIN—The Manitoulin Panthers pee wee hockey team won the prestigious Soo Pee Wee Minor Hockey championship tournament this past weekend.
Joel Lock, whose son Eli plays on the team, told the Recorder on Monday, “the (Panthers) peewee team finished second in their division of the round robin. Then they won the semi-final 3-2 in triple overtime. The Panthers were behind 2-0, but came back to tie things up with Centre Ice (a Sault Ste. Marie based team squad).”
The two teams fought through two, two-minute five-on-five periods. Then they went on to a three-on-three, 20-minute period and about halfway through the stanza Brodie Pennie notched the game winner for the Panthers to win 3-2.
In the championship final, the Panthers were pitted against the West Nipissing team. Manitoulin was up by a close 1-0 score after two periods, then broke out with three goals in the final frame to win 4-0. Eli Lock notched one of the goals as did Corbin Best and Campbell garnered the shutout.
The Panthers defeated the Sudbury Wolves earlier in the tournament by a 7-2 score, then dropped the West Nipissing Sting 3-0. They tied Blind River Thunder 1-1 and that led to their semi-final game against Centre Ice.
The Panthers roster includes Gavin Bebamikawe, Cody Campbell, Annie Balfe, Corbin Best, Keannu Bisschops, Aiden Case, Davin Deschenes, Liam Gray, Noah Grenier, Cole Hughson, Gage Hughson, Eli Lock, Jake Patreau, Brodie Pennie, Camryn Ramsey and Zacharie Seguin. The team is coached by Jamey Gray, with Nelson Deschenes and Jason Hughson as assistant coaches, trainers Jamie Ramsey and Jason Patreau and co-managers Lisa Pennie and Tina Balfe.
The Manitoulin Panthers Novice team lost out in the semi-finals and the Panthers Atom team posted a one win and two loss record in their division at the tournament.
