Chapman Falls to CLU 6-5 in Home Opener

 

The Chapman Panthers opened up their 2017-2018 campaign in the friendly confines of KHS Arena during homecoming weekend at the school. The game was the dawn of a new era for the program, as , essentially, a brand new team full of young talent took the ice. A few players remained from seasons' past, but a majority of the team was coming together for the first time. 

 

The squad finally has the numbers to compete with the strong teams that are part of the WCHC, of which this is Chapman's first season being a member. Coaching duties transitioned back over to Sam Uisprapassorn, with the help of Chapman Hockey alumnus Tradon Reid. 

 

The first period of the game belonged to Chapman, as they scored three times with contributions from Jake Greif (2) and Alex Richter. Noel Zuccaro stopped all 11 shots in nets and handed the net over to Jack Friedman for the second period. The second period took a turn for the team when Cal Lutheran scored twice early in the period. The Panthers answered back by picking up another goal from Jake Greif (3) and Jason Gomez. The third period continued to roll Cal Lutheran's way as they found the back of the net 4 times, including an empty net goal to end it. 

 

Chapman's relative inexperience for so many new faces will be its primary challenge this season, but the potential is there to do some impressive things. If you are around, come see the Panthers take the ice on a Friday or Saturday night at KHS Arena and cheer on the boys. While they might not be NCAA, this self-funded/self-organized team puts in a lot of work both on and off the ice to represent the school in great fashion and showcase why they play the game they love.