The Kerry Park Islanders didn’t trail the Peninsula Panthers until the final 45 seconds of their Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League game in Mill Bay last Saturday, but the Panthers made their only lead of the night stand up.
The Isles carried a 3-2 lead into the third period of the game and led 4-3 midway through the final frame, but the Panthers evened the score at 4-4 on a powerplay with 2:30 left, then added another with 45 seconds to go.
Colten Thompson had a goal and an assist in the game, his first with the Isles since Oct. 30 as he has been skating with the junior A Cowichan Valley Capitals, and Logan Walker added three assists to his team-leading point total. Cole Sloboda, Reid Fitzpatrick and Mateo Sjoberg also scored for Kerry Park. It was the first career goal for Sloboda and the fifth of the season for both Fitzpatrick and Sjoberg.
Dryden DeMelo stopped 40 of 45 shots for Kerry Park, while Ashton Lukan made 30 saves on 34 shots in the Peninsula net.
The Isles sit fourth in the South Division with 10 wins and nine losses, four points back of the Panthers, but with three games in hand.
After two weeks in a row with just one game, the Isles will play three in three days this weekend. They visit the Panthers on Friday, then play at home against the Victoria Cougars Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and the Comox Valley Glacier Kings Sunday at 3 p.m.
