Panthers rally from early deficit as St. Peter, Maracle lead comeback win over Mounties

By Thomas Becker

The UPEI Panthers stormed back from an early two-goal deficit to secure a 4-2 win over the Mount Allison Mounties Wednesday night.

Kierra St. Peter and Kaiya Maracle each scored twice, leading the Panthers' impressive comeback. 

The Panthers (4-5-2) took a while to find their rhythm, allowing the Mounties (0-11) to capitalize early and seize momentum in the opening period. Mount Allison struck first at 2:54 when Alisha Donovan fired a shot that goaltender Erin Cabaday managed to block. However, the puck lingered in the crease, creating a prime opportunity for Kate Nechwediuk, who swiftly buried the rebound to put the Mounties ahead.

Mount Allison then doubled their advantage at 10:26, as a point shot from Emily Foster deflected off Cabaday and landed near the side of the net, where Dallis Mackenzie skillfully squeezed a wrist shot past Cabaday from a tough angle. 

With a two-goal deficit going into the second period, the Panthers were determined to shift the momentum. St. Peter began chipping away at the Mounties' lead at 6:27, scoring on a power play by knocking in a loose rebound. Just over two minutes later, Maracle forced a turnover near the Mounties' net and wasted no time firing a quick wrist shot past Mount Allison goaltender Skye McDonald for a shorthanded goal, evening the score at 2-2.

After the game, head coach Sean Fisher praised his team's resilience in rallying from a 2-0 deficit but emphasized the importance of bringing that energy from the opening puck drop.

"We were fortunate it was only 2-0. My message to the group after the first was clear: we needed a much stronger effort to turn things around," he said. "The team responded, and we played with a lot more intensity the rest of the way." 

The Panthers continued their strong play into the third period, finally taking their first lead of the night at 2:36. Off a well-executed faceoff play, the puck cycled to Julia Cey, who sent a pinpoint pass to St. Peter. Positioned in the high slot, St. Peter released a quick wrist shot that found its way past McDonald, giving UPEI a 3-2 advantage. 

With the game winding down, Maracle sealed the victory with a dazzling goal in the final 1:15. On the scoring play, Maracle skated up the left side and cut toward the net before faking out McDonald and slipping a backhand past her to make it 4-2. 

"Honestly, it was all about keeping the positive energy," Maracle said. "When we returned to the dressing room after the first period, we reevaluated our performance and came out a different team. Every single player went out there with extra effort, and that's what turned it around for us."

With the win, the Panthers will look to keep up their momentum as they prepare to face the St. Thomas Tommies Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, the Mounties will head to Halifax Friday night to take on the Dalhousie Tigers.

Photo Credit: Janessa Vanden Broek