TEMPERS GET HOT IN CLOSE CONTEST WITH RAIDERS

PORT HOPE, ON – The Port Hope Panthers were edged 1–0 by the Napanee Raiders in a tightly contested afternoon matchup at home, as goaltending and discipline defined a hard-nosed defensive battle.

After a scoreless opening period that featured several penalties and a lengthy five-minute major assessed to Napanee midway through the frame, both teams settled into a physical, structured game. The Panthers generated chances during the extended power-play time but were unable to solve Raiders goaltender Jacob Brown, who was sharp from start to finish.

The game’s lone goal came late in the second period at 19:27, when Napanee’s Spencer Cranley capitalized on an opportunity to break the deadlock with an unassisted marker, sending the Raiders into the second intermission with a slim 1–0 lead.

The third period saw continued pressure from Port Hope as they looked for the equalizer, but strong defensive play and timely saves kept the Panthers off the scoreboard. Tempers flared at times, with multiple penalties in the final frame, but neither side was able to add to the scoring.

Braden Henderson was strong in goal for Port Hope, stopping 29 of 30 shots in the loss, while Brown turned aside all 28 shots he faced to earn the shutout for Napanee.

The Panthers will head into the holiday break looking to make key changes ahead of the trade deadline set for January 10th at 7:00 PM.