Delta Ice Hawks rebound with 12-2 win over Port Moody Panthers
The Delta Ice Hawks wasted no time in putting Friday night's debacle in Abbotsford behind them as they returned home on Tuesday to thump the Port Moody Panthers 12-2.
The Ice Hawks managed the win with much of their lineup serving suspensions for their part in a line brawl with eight minutes left to play in their 8-1 loss to the Abbotsford Pilots Friday night on the road.
Both goalies got involved, three Delta players left the bench to join the melee, and 37 games' worth of suspensions were handed down in the aftermath.
In all, 12 game misconducts were doled out – five to Pilots players and seven to the Ice Hawks. Delta's damage included a match penalty to Ryan Rana for sucker-punching Abby forward Brady Lawlor; additional minors to Brent Chreptyk, Grange Gordon and David Rudin for leaving the bench; and a penalty to goalie Scott Lapp for crossing the centre red line to get involved.
On Monday, Rana was suspended nine games by BC Hockey, which handles all match and gross misconduct penalties. Additional Delta suspensions from the PJHL included six games for Chreptyk; three apiece to Gordon and Lapp; two each to Rudin and Jeremy Gossard; and one to Anthony Brito.
Five Pilots – Allenby, Ryan Parmar, Luke Venema, Eric Wieking and goalie Aaron Oakley – were banned two games apiece for being multi-fight participants in the last 10 minutes of the game. Ryan Hotner was suspended one game after picking up a game misconduct at the end of regulation.
Delta general manager Peter Zerbinos pointed out that the brawl occurred while his team was shorthanded, and that after one Ice Hawks player was escorted off, Chreptyk hopped over the boards because his teammates were outnumbered. Gordon and Rudin followed.
"Obviously you don't want to see the players jumping over the boards and getting involved in that, so that player has been talked to," Zerbinos said.
"The officiating, I think, struggled in that game, but ultimately we have to be responsible for our players."
Friday's game was billed as a marquee match-up – whichever team emerged victorious would leapfrog the Richmond Sockeyes for first place overall in the Pacific Junior Hockey League standings.
But the contest was only close for one period. After Schipper and Delta's Matthew Dawson exchanged goals in the early going, Abbotsford exploded for seven unanswered.
Tuesday night's game was different story, however, as the Ice Hawks dominated the lowly Panthers from the outset, scoring three goals in the first period.
The Panthers got on the board early in the second to make the score 5-1, but the Ice Hawks buried Port Moody goalies Daniel Oordt and Brenden Sharp under 41 shots in the first two periods alone.
Aaron Merrick led Ice Hawks scorers with four goals, and was named the game's first star. Ryan Cuthbert and Mak Barden both had four assists, while Mark Trotman, one of five affiliate players in the lineup, had a pair of goals.
The Ice Hawks return home to the Ladner Leisure Centre on Tuesday, Jan. 8 for a rematch with the Abbotsford Pilots. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
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