Round two just one win away for Aurora Panthers

March 4, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Jake Courtepatte

It may be too early to deem the Aurora Panthers a Cinderella story, but they’ve got the makings of being one in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League. (PWHL)

After falling to the Toronto Aeros 3 – 0 in the first game of a best-of-five first round series, the junior team has rallied for two straight wins and now sit just one away from returning to round two – something not many would have predicted in a matchup that pits the third-seed Aeros against the fourteenth-seed Panthers.

However, fans, parents, and coaches alike watching lately have been privy to a resurrection of success in Aurora. The month of February seemed to have seen a determined Panthers squad, winner of three of their final four games to prove themselves contenders in the prestigious PWHL.

They scored their first goal of the series early in the second period of Game 2 on Saturday, as Becca Chilvers put the Panthers up 1 – 0.

It was clear from the onset of the series that if the Panthers were to stand a chance, the goaltending tandem of Taylor Lemmon and Melissa Black would need to play their strongest hockey of the season.

Black let just one puck slip past her through the first two periods, making 19 stops along the way.

As they have all year, the team rallied behind their goaltending, earning their second lead of the game just one minute into the third off the stick of assistant captain Claudia Black.

Melissa Black made ten more saves in the frame to tie the series at one heading home.

In their first playoff game at home in two years, it was Lemmon’s turn to put on a goaltending clinic.

The Aeros dominated offensively throughout all sixty minutes of regulation, outshooting the Panthers 34 – 10 on their way to a scoreless tie.
In the extra frame, only two shots were needed by the Panthers as Jaden Head scored the winner just over two minutes in.

After booking a spot in the quarterfinal round in 2013 with a four-game win over the Nepean Wildcats, the Panthers failed to reach the postseason last year after tying for the worst record in the PWHL with only seven wins.

Their chance to put away the series will come Thursday at the Stronach Aurora Recreation Complex.

Puck drops at 8.40 p.m.

For stats, schedules, and more information, visit www.pwhl.pointstreaksites.com.