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Junior Panthers split weekend homestand with 2-1 shootout loss to Waterloo and 8-0 win over Cambridge

November 12, 2026   ·   0 Comments

The Junior Panthers—ranked 2nd in the 25-team OWHA U22 Elite Division—lost a 2-1 shootout to the Waterloo Ravens on Saturday, but rebounded from their offensive doldrums to defeat the Cambridge Rivulettes 8-0 in a display of the club’s raw power at the Aurora Recreation Centre.

On Saturday, the narrow loss to the Ravens was an exceptional result for the Panthers.  Prior to the shootout loss to Waterloo, Central York had rolled to an impressive 12-2-0-0 record.

However, the Ravens received stellar goaltending from Danica Averill who frustrated Central York shooters all afternoon. She turned aside 36 of 37 shots she faced in regulation to force the game into overtime.

The only Panther to beat Averill was Anastasia Trifon who finished a tidy two-on-one play with Elizabeth Shapira to pull Central York into a 1-1 tie. With two minutes remaining in the first period, the Panthers finally capitalized on numerous scoring chances when Shapira slid a perfect pass to Trifon—catching her teammate in stride towards the left edge of the crease. Trifon swept the puck in one motion between Averill’s pads, through the five-hole, and into the back of the net.

Trifon described her tying goal: “We were caught on a line change and I saw her going down the right wing so I drove the net.  I was hoping it was going to go into the net when it left my stick.”

The Ravens—expressing their patriotism in off-white Remembrance Day jerseys with red poppies encircling their black sleeve stripes and Canadian soldiers as black silhouettes depicted beside a black cross below their black-trimmed gold numbers—struck nine minutes into the first frame.

Aoife Scase’s shot from the right point flew through a maze of blue and white jerseys into the lower left corner of the net past Panthers’ goaltender Claire Hicks to spot the visitors a 1-0 lead.

After a scoreless second period, the Panthers took the game to the Ravens, but Averill repelled two slot shots to preserve the tie. Hicks flashed the leather twice and surrounded another shot to keep the rollicking Ravens from securing the lead. The 18U Team Canada goaltender preserved the point for the Panthers with 1:46 remaining in another plus scoring opportunity by Waterloo. 

Trifon praised Hicks’s efforts versus Waterloo: “She definitely saved us in there. She was tracking well all game. She’s been solid all year. We have lots of confidence in both our goalies—Claire and Kallee.  They’re always on their A-game.”

Averill continued her A-game in the waning minutes of regulation. With 83 seconds left, the Panthers were awarded a power play and with eight seconds on the clock Central York generated two more scoring opportunities. However, Averill repelled the home side’s furious final efforts to seal the deal and get a regulation three-point win.

Hicks made a pair of blocker saves at 3:23 and 2:23 of OT and Averill held the fort with 7.7 seconds left to force a shootout.

In the shootout, Averill surrounded the puck and made a stick save on Audrey Martone as the Panthers shot first. On the Ravens’ first breakaway, Madelyn Davies deked Hicks and slid the puck five-hole for a 1-0 shootout lead.  The goal held up as Averill repelled Lily Paisley’s shot with a left pad save. Demi Lazarou’s scoring attempt was foiled by Averill when the puck slid off the prodigious goal scorer’s stick and past the left post.

Trifon offered insights into the tough loss: “I think we took the game to them today. We created way more scoring opportunities than they did, but we lacked finish out there. We need to focus on burying pucks.”

On cue, the Panthers buried many pucks and capitalized on their chances on Sunday afternoon by erupting for eight goals in their shutout win over the Rivulettes.

In transitioning from shootout loss to shutout win, Central York built a 3-0 lead after one period of play. It was the defense corps who created offensive momentum against Cambridge. Panthers’ defender Adela Fromova fired a pair of goals to stake the home side to an early 2-0 lead and fellow blueliner Mackenzie Coty scored in the final seconds of play to generate a three-goal lead over the Rivulettes.

Second period goals by Panthers’ leading scorer Lazarou and the playmaking Shapira built a comfortable five-goal lead heading into the second intermission.

Teagan Gloyne made it 6-0 to open the third period and Lazarou and Shapira continued their strong offensive performance by firing their second goals of the game to close the scoring. Martone dished out three assists in the one-sided win while Zoe Ordanis and Lily Paisley earned two helpers each.

Trifon commented on her club’s great start to the season: “Our mindset has been to pick up from last year when we were #4 in the province. We want to keep improving this year and bring our A-game every time.”

By Jim Stewart

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