Senior Night is the annual salute to the players who have put in countless hours of work over their last four high school years. For the Elder Ice Panthers the seniors were recognized on Saturday January 10 against one of their top GCL rivals, LaSalle.

The game started out with the introduction of the seniors and their parents. After the introduction, all 11 seniors went to the corner of the rink to stand underneath their jersey number handing on the glass.

After the parents had cleared the ice, it was time for the puck to drop.

This was not the first time the Panthers have faced off against the Lancers this year. Senior night was the fourth encounter of the teams this season, with the Panthers leading the series 2-1-0. With Elder already familiar with the LaSalle’s game plan, it was easy to say they were ready for the game.

The game was physical from the start. With one of the biggest crowds in Elder hockey history, it’s easy to say, the Panthers wanted their fans to remember the game.

“The atmosphere was intense,” said senior center Eric Mazza. “It was the biggest crowd I had ever played in front of and I’m glad we could give them a show.”
They came out of the gate hot. With seven goals scored total, it is easy to say Elder dominated the game.

The seniors made sure the fans knew whose night it was. Evan Erpenbeck and Grayson Holmes both found the back of the net for the Panthers. The seniors were also big in the assist game. Brady Schultz and Sam Coffaro both had two, and Charlie Sehlhorst added one. All in all, the seniors had a part in every goal scored.

Now what’s hockey without a little hitting? Elder has always been a physical team on the ice, and senior night was no exception. Some of the big hits of the night all belonged to seniors. Evan “Goon” Deller, is always ready to lay down the big. Other big hits belong to Eric Mazza and Brady Schultz. With every hit, the crowd rose to their feet.

When I asked Deller about the big hits during the game, he told me the ice was like the Fourth of July. Kids were just getting lit up.

The Panthers won the game 7-1 giving one heck of a performance for their fans. It is easy to say, they ended the game with a bang.