Panthers Edge Jets in Thrilling Shootout Victory

PORT HOPE, ON – The Port Hope Panthers battled the Amherstview Jets in a tight, low-scoring contest on Saturday night, ultimately grinding out a 3–2 shootout win after 65 minutes of hard, disciplined hockey.

Amherstview opened the scoring late in the first period when Carter McKee capitalized on a power play at 15:26, giving the Jets a 1–0 lead heading into the intermission.

Port Hope responded early in the second. At 7:05, Zach Naherne buried his fourth of the season off a crisp passing play from Christian Sokoljuk and Spencer Eriksson to draw the game even. The Jets regained the lead just over two minutes later with a shorthanded marker from Brad Wilson, but the Panthers answered back before the frame ended. Luca Damiani-Reis found the back of the net at 17:49 after a strong shift, with Naherne and Sutton Scheck picking up the helpers to send the teams to the room knotted 2–2.

The third period and overtime saw no scoring despite several power-play opportunities both ways. Goaltending and defensive structure became the story as both sides tightened up and limited high-danger chances.

In the shootout, the difference-maker was Zach Naherne, who delivered the lone goal of the skills competition to secure the victory for Port Hope. Panthers goaltending shut the door on all three Amherstview attempts, sealing the extra point.

With the win, the Panthers pick up a valuable two points in a tightly contested stretch of the schedule. They’ll look to build on the momentum as they return to action later this week.