The Chatham Maroons dropped a 5-4 decision to the LaSalle Vipers in Junior B hockey action on Wednesday.
Devin Panzeca drew first blood for Chatham with a goal 5:09 in the first period, but Cale Allen, Tyler Russell and Frank Zak were able to put the Vipers in the lead with a goal each. Nolan VandenBoorn tacked on a goal for the Maroons before the end of the first to make it 3-2.
After no scoring in the second, Liam MacDougall extended LaSalle's lead to 4-2 early in the third. Kevin Gursoy scored at 6:57 into the period for Chatham to cut down LaSalle's lead. Panzeca then scored his second of the night to tie the game at 4-4 with just over 11 minutes left to play. However, LaSalle's Brett Banwell scored less than a minute later to give the Vipers the lead and, eventually, the win.
Panzeca says he's looking on the bright side despite the loss.
"Losing by a goal is always tough but it's definitely better to lose by a goal, than it is to lose 6-2," he says. "So we're taking it with some positives along with some negatives."
The Vipers will take on the Lambton Shores Predators next on Saturday at 7:30pm. Then on Sunday, the Maroons are back at home to battle the Leamington Flyers at 7pm.
