Panthers finish season as Junior C runners-up

Posted By JEFF GARD  

Napanee won Game 5 of the league championship series 4-1 at home on Saturday night to advance to the Ontario Hockey Association junior C quarterfinals.

Muir, though, would liked to have seen how the Panthers -with a lineup at full strength -would have matched up against the Raiders.

The Panthers had key injuries to players like Kyle Giroux, Trevor Sweetland and Jon Hull, while the entire team was banged up after having just battled through a tough semifinal against Amherstview.

"They were a deeper team," Muir said of the Raiders.

On Saturday night, Napanee led 1-0 after the first period and 3-1 by the end of the second. Team captain Adam Vandertoorn scored the lone goal for Port Hope, which trimmed the deficit to one at the time.

Port Hope racked up 104 minutes in penalties compared to Napanee's 31.

Muir was not pleased with the officiating, though he reiterated his belief that Napanee was the deserving winner.

"I think the league and the OHA should be embarrassed," he said. "It was the worst refereed game I've ever been a part of."

Paul Henry, the Panthers general manager, did not comment on the officiating, but did state that he would be sending a letter to the OHA on behalf of the club. 

With the exception of a 6-0 blowout by Napanee in Game 1, the series was closely contested.

Of the five games in the series, three of them were decided by a goal, including a 5-4 overtime win by Napanee on Thursday night in Port Hope, which gave them the commanding 3-1 advantage heading home.

"I've got to give kudos to the guys. They played hard,"

Henry said. "There were some tears in the room after the game and that tells you how much these kids really cared."

Watch for more on the Panthers first season back in Port Hope.