Junior Capitals Fall to Panthers

The Washington Junior Capitals saw its four-game unbeaten run end on Day 103 in a 3-2 loss to the Florida Junior Panthers. The setback drops Washington to 22-25-5, three points out of the playoffs.

After a scoreless opening period, the game picked up in the second. Washington got on the board first when Greg Mauldin netted from Jean-Claude Sawyer and Ryan MacMurchy at 5:35, but it was Florida that would lead at the end of 40 minutes. Nielsen and Korpikari scored the goals late in the perid, but before the goals there were a pair of fights to entertain the crowd. In the first, Igor Shadulov and McNeill fougth to a draw at 7:28. Just less than seven minutes later, Branko Radivojevic beat up Enstrom and knocked the Panther out of the game. The bout energized the Panthers, and the two goals game in the next 4:01. Fleischmann and Korpikari assisted on Neilsen's goal at 16:28, and Nielsen and Paetsch got the helpers on Korpikari's goal at 18:26.

The Capitals pulled even near the mid-point of the second period when Kotary scored an unassisted goal, but once again a fight would spark a Florida tally. This time it was Mauldin battling Borodkin to a draw at 10:20, and 31 seconds later the Panthers netted the game-winner. Stonkus was the scorer from Korovkin and Southern.

Daniel Taylor made 22 saves in the loss for Washington and fell to 10-9-2. Lukas Mensator stopped 23 shots to earn the win for Florida and improved to 11-13-0.

The Junior Capitals return to action on Day 105 in Chicago.