Sumarah shines as Huskies spoil Panthers’ home opener in 5-1 win

By Thomas Becker 

The UPEI Panthers' 2024-25 season home opener ended in disappointment Wednesday night as the Saint Mary's Huskies surged to a convincing 5-1 victory, powered by stellar goaltending and an offensive outburst led by rookie Connor Trenholm.

The veteran presence of Huskies (1-0) goaltender Justin Sumarah was instrumental, as he turned aside 34 shots, keeping the Panthers (0-1) at bay during key moments, particularly in the second period when the home team had Saint Mary's on their heels. 

The game began with both teams shaking off the offseason rust. Neither squad found much rhythm in the opening period as they worked to regain their competitive edge. The first breakthrough came at 12:08 of the first period when Saint Mary's capitalized on a Panthers' miscue. UPEI's Ben McFarlane attempted a cross-ice pass to Derek Pys, but the puck deflected off Pys' skate, creating a turnover. Huskies defenceman Dennis Busby seized the opportunity, chipping the puck off the boards to Derek Gentile, who broke in alone and slipped the puck past goaltender Jakob Robillard for a 1-0 lead.

The Panthers responded with a surge of energy to start the second period, dominating the play for the first 16 minutes, as they outshot their opponent 19-3. They were rewarded when a holding penalty against the Huskies at 6:57 gave them a power play. The Panthers' special teams unit cycled the puck efficiently before it found its way to McFarlane, who took a stride and fired a lethal wrist shot that beat Sumarah to tie the game at 1-1. 

However, Saint Mary's soon regained their footing and made the most of their limited chances.

The Huskies struck again with just under four minutes remaining in the second. Ben Allison carried the puck toward the net, forcing Robillard out of position. Allison then calmly passed it back to Busby, who fired a wrist shot into the open net, restoring the lead at 16:34.

Just over a minute later, the Huskies extended their lead to 3-1. Cedric Ralph chipped the puck ahead to Trenholm, who snuck behind the defence and beat Robillard on the glove side, sending them into the second intermission with a two-goal lead. 

UPEI had a chance to close the gap but failed to convert on a late double-minor power play, allowing Saint Mary's to put the game out of reach. Trenholm added his second of the night with an empty-net goal with 68 seconds to spare. Matthew MacDonald scored 20 seconds later on a rebound off an Allison shot in front of the net, sealing the Huskies' 5-1 win.

The Panthers won't have to wait long for redemption as they face the visiting Acadia Axemen on Friday night, while the Huskies prepare to take on the Axemen a day later.

Photo Credit: Janessa Vanden Broek