FIXTURE LIST & GAME SHEETS    CHALLENGE CUP   SUPERLEAGUE

 AHEARNE TROPHY    PLAY-OFFS    PLAYER-STATS     HONOURS    SUMMARY

The Superleague is to revert to having overtime in an attempt to decide tied games. All Superleague, Challenge Cup and Play-off games, if there is a tie at the end of regulation time, sudden-death overtime will be played. This sudden-death OT will be played four on four, for a period of five minutes. The winner in regulation or overtime will receive 2 points, the loser one point, with one point for each team if scores are still tied after 65 minutes. 
The rule which saw players suffer a game suspension after each fight following their sixth fighting penalty in 2001/02 had been amended to a game penalty after each three fights following their sixth fighting penalty.
There were changes to the Challenge Cup format. In previous seasons, league games were designated towards a Challenge cup table, with the top four teams entering the semi-final and final stages. This season the Challenge Cup would operate as a stand-alone competition with the addition of BNL side Coventry Blaze. The competing teams were to be divided into two groups consisting: Scottish Eagles, Belfast, Manchester, Sheffield & Bracknell, Coventry, London, Panthers. Each team was to play one home and one away game in their respective group, the top two teams in each group to qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled to take place at one venue in December. The winners of the semi-finals to meet in January.
A new format for the 2002/03 Play-offs was scuppered when Manchester and Ayr went out of business and the play-offs qualifiers became two home and two away against the remaining clubs .

CHALLENGE CUP

Panthers 1st Cup game was against BNL side Coventry who with several ex Panthers in their ranks put up a spirited display before going down 6-3. Although uninspired, Panthers displays were good enough to see them through to the semi-finals. Panthers closed their group stage with another game against the Blaze, this time 6-1 victors with Barry Nieckar the unlikely hat-trick scorer. In the first semi-final at Sheffield Arena, Panthers came back from 2-1 down to defeat the Giants 3-2 and book their place in the final in Manchester on Jan 12th. Rather predictably considering the season's results between the two sides, Panthers lost the final 3-2. However the 2 to 1 shots tally shows the impact Steelers goalie, Joel Laing, had on the outcome of the game.

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SUPERLEAGUE

TABLE GP W D L OL GF GA PTS GD 32 18 5 8 1 86 57 42 29 32 17 6 8 1 111 78 41 33 32 15 4 13 0 92 92 34 0 32 11 8 12 1 87 90 31 -3 32 5 5 20 2 71 130 17 -59

Panthers started the league campaign with 4 away games on the trot. The 1st was a 7-2 drubbing in Sheffield. Panthers, minus injured Allison and banned Nieckar had only 7 forwards, nuff said. The 2nd was at the Champions, Belfast. Despite a much improved display Panthers went down 5-2, as Belfast scored 2 empty netters in the closing seconds. The 3rd was at the Bee Hive where, after 2 close periods, Panthers ran out 7-4 winners. The 4th was a rare 3-1 win over the Eagles, playing out of their new Braehead Arena near Glasgow.
The first visit of the Steelers resulted in a 3-0 defeat. Two crucial 10 minute penalties reduced Panthers to 2 D men in the 3rd period and in addition to an empty netter, Steelers took full advantage. Next up were the Knights and the Panthers won 3-1. Despite the success, Panthers were worryingly outshot by a fair margin.
Panthers next game was away in Belfast, where once again penalties cost us dear as the Giants ran out 3-2 winners, scoring all their goals on the PP, with 2 of them at 5 on 3.
The following game followed a similar pattern as the Panthers lost 5-2 away at the Steelers, who also notched 2, 5 on 3 PP goals.
Panthers finally hit the goal trail against bottom spot occupying Scottish Eagles, winning 7-3, Jinman & Purves getting a brace each. I then missed some games after being laid low with a bad back.
Somewhat fortunately I missed a new low point, for what was already rapidly becoming a season to forget, as the Panthers went down 4-1 at home against the Knights. Perhaps the players thought the league had already closed?
Panthers then showed their season's dominance over the Bees with a 7-2 home success. This was followed by a 1-1 tie in London and another win against the Bees, this time 6-3 away. In the latter game, Todd Wetzel was icing, being able to play for the Panthers when not required by Solihul in the BNL. 
Finally on November 23rd the Panthers managed to scrape a 2-1 win over the Steelers at the NIC, but it was desperate backs to the wall stuff at times. An outstanding display from Mika Pietila, and two blazing slap-shots from Briane Thompson were key to the success.
The next game at home against the Giants was almost identical in that the Giants dominated the early stages, but Panthers edged in front, with a Jason Elders shot/cross that went in off the back of goalie Ryder, and a John Purves PP rebound. Once again Mika Pietila was outstanding.
Panthers unbeaten streak ended at 7 when they went down 3-1 in London just before Christmas.
On Boxing day Panthers went to Sheffield, where they managed a shock 3-3 tie after being 3-0 down at the end of the 1st period. Purves, Thompson & Elders were also absent, but super-sub Todd Wetzel had been drafted in from Solihul.
This was followed by a hard fought 3-1 home success over the Knights, enabling Panthers to leap-frog the Londoners and go back to 2nd.
The next night the Giants went down 3-2 in Belfast, a notable success.
The crunch game of the season so far, on Jan 4th, saw the Panthers go down 4-1 at home to the Steelers after being totally out-skated. After this result surely there's nobody left who's deluded enough to believe that Panthers can win the league title?
At least the Panthers bounced back the following night at bottom side Bracknell. With several players missing they defeated the Bees for the sixth consecutive league game 5-1.
When the Giants came to town looking to make up ground on those above them in the table who had played more games, they dominated the Panthers with their quick skating and smart inter-passing for long spells. How Panthers managed to win 5-3 is a bit of a mystery? Except to say that we scored 2 PP goals, most unusual and an empty netter. In the process Greg Hadden notched 2+2 and broke the ISL individual all time scoring record.
This was followed up the following evening with a 6-4 win at the Bees. Once again Greg Hadden starred with 2+2.
Panthers next game was in Belfast. Missing Wood & Purves the Panthers competed until the 54th minute when the Giants scored on the power-play and sealed the win four minutes later with an empty netter.
The night before the Challenge Cup final, Panthers scraped a 3-2 ot win over the Knights. For me referee Carson spoiled the evening, letting all sorts of interference go off the puck, but calling some innocuous penalties on it. 
Any lingering delusions that Panthers might win the league were surely well and truly buried in London on Jan 31st following an 8-3 drubbing. At least we shouldn't pick up the wooden spoon!! 
In an improved display in Sheffield, Panthers went down 4-2. The Steelers icing yet another signing, ex-NHL centre Ian Fraser, who had a huge impact on the game with 1+2. But once again Steelers goalie Joel Laing starred as Panthers outshot their hosts.
Panthers ultimately lost any mathematical chance of their first ISL title when they went down 4-1 at home in their penultimate league game against the Giants.
The final league game was against the good old Steelers. The result was a 3-1 loss. I was on holiday fortunately.

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After some delay it was announced that this year's Ahearne Trophy would be competed for by the remaining ISL teams along with Coventry from the BNL against teams from Norway. Owing to the late arrangements Panthers, short of free dates at the NIC, would face only Sparta Sarpsborg. The Sparta Bears were despatched 11-3. During the 2nd period Panthers played some of the best attacking hockey I'd seen all season. 

TABLE GP W OW D L OL GF GA PTS GD 10 8 0 0 2 0 50 27 16 23 10 2 0 0 8 0 27 50 4 -23

TEAMS GP W OW D L OL GF GA PTS GD 2 2 0 0 0 0 8 4 4 4 2 1 0 0 1 0 6 5 2 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 6 10 0 -4 2 2 0 0 0 0 11 6 4 5 1 1 0 0 0 0 11 3 2 8 2 1 0 0 1 0 8 6 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 6 3 2 3 2 1 0 0 1 0 8 14 2 -6 2 0 0 0 2 0 5 13 0 -8 2 0 0 0 2 0 3 9 0 -6 2 1 0 0 1 0 5 4 2 1

Sparta Bears, Frisk/Asker Tigers, Storhamar Dragons
Trondheim Panthers, Valerengen Vikings

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PLAY OFFS

TABLE GP W OW D L OL GF GA PTS GD 16 12 0 1 2 1 65 36 26 29 16 7 3 2 4 0 55 42 22 13 16 10 0 1 5 0 55 42 21 13 16 2 0 1 10 3 28 52 8 -24 16 3 0 1 12 0 41 72 7 -31

Play-offs:
The first play-off game resulted in a 4-4 tie at home against the Knights, while I was in Portugal. A 6-3 defeat in Belfast followed. Three days later Panthers turned in an abject third period display at home against the Giants, finally going down 3-1. Five or six of the squad might as well not have bothered to turn up. Despite being out-skated by the Giants Panthers may well have been on top after two periods, but with Ryan Bach in inspired form and Panthers finishing inept, the Giants 3rd totally deflated all but a few. Panthers bounced back from this atrocious show in London 2 days later with an impressive 3-0 win. Obviously the away game-plan is much more effective than that employed at home. Panthers next game was at home against a severely depleted Steelers who iced only eleven skaters. In truth if the Panthers could finish, they'd have buried the Steelers in this game such was their dominance. But a mixture of desperate defending, inspired goaltending from Laing and Panthers poor finishing, saw a final SOG tally of 33-19 and a 1-0 scoreline in favour of the Panthers. They followed this up the following evening with a come from behind 4-1 victory at the Hive. A game in Belfast was next and the Giants scored their customary empty netter as they ran out 3-1 winners. Panthers then turned in one of their better performances of the season winning 2-0 in Sheffield, where the Steelers lost their composure for a change and Panthers scored both on the PP. Next up were the Bees at the NIC. In an entertaining, end to end game, the Bees went down 6-3 after causing a scare coming back from 3-0 at the end of the 1st to 4-3 mid way through the 2nd before the Panthers pulled away. The next game was against the old enemy. A scintillating 1st period saw the back of Steelers goalie Joel Laing after 8 mins, with Panthers ending the period 5-0 up. The game degenerated toward the end with Clarke, Allison & Wood all thrown out. But I've waited many years for a scoreline like Panthers 8 Steelers 2. Rather predictable a short benched Panthers went down 6-3 in London the following night. The next game at home to the Giants was billed as a grudge match. However Andy Carson spoiled yet another game in Nottingham as the Giants notched 4 PP goals and another 1 second after the Panther left the penalty box, before running out comfortable 7-2 winners. In truth Panthers were out-skated and out-passed for long periods, although the final scoreline was a bit harsh. The following evening Panthers, minus Nieckar, Thompson, Clarke & Wetzel, travelled to the Hive and hung on for a 4-3 success to clinch a semi-final place. Still minus this quartet, Panthers then entertained the Knights. As both had already qualified it was a low key affair, with Panthers running out 2-1 winners. Panthers penultimate play-off game was away at arch rivals, Sheffield and they came away with a creditable 1-0 win, despite missing Hadden, Charron & Wetzel and being outshot 29-13. The Panthers final group game was against the Bees, who needed a win in the hope of overhauling the Steelers for the final play-off spot. It was an open even game until Panthers blew it open with two PP goals to move into a 4-1 lead, As the Bees pushed forward they suffered, finally going down 10-3. In the semi-final Panthers faced the Knights and lost 4-3 as the Knights scored the winner at 59.59! But once again Panthers achiles heel was the penalty kill as 2 of the Knights 4 goals came on the PP.

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PLAYER STATS

+/- Stats only include home games starting with the Bees on 16/11 as do face off win%.

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SUMMARY

In early October Manchester Storm hit trouble. The MEN Arena owners barred the Storm amid accusations of unpaid rent. Storm games began to be postponed both home and away. Soon after rumours surfaced that players were going unpaid. By the end of the month Storm's British forward, David Longstaff had joined the Newcastle Vipers in the BNL. Early in November the Storm went into liquidation and the ISL was down to 6. Furthermore there were rumours that the Eagles would soon follow. By mid November this had come to pass and the league was reduced to 5 to struggle on to season's end. Early in December Bracknell announced they would be applying to join the BNL for 2003/04. Just before Christmas the Panthers announced the signing of English defenceman James Morgan, who had previously been with the Bees.
As far as the Panthers were concerned, it was a bit of an up and down year. The highlight was obviously the 8-2 play-off victory over the Steelers. In truth the team had too many players who racked up the penalties and that being the case we weren't good enough at killing them off. The team was big and tough with some talent, but as a team we probably didn't skate well enough for a big ice surface.

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2002/03 HONOURS