Matt Panetta scored five goals for New Jersey on Saturday night, but it was Joe Teatro's only goal of the game which put the Storm past the host Columbus Landsharks, 13-12, at Nationwide Arena.

The victory was the first for the expansion team from East Rutherford. It also spoiled the season opener for the rebuilt Landsharks, who barely survived an attempt to move the team to Montreal. The Quebecois investors did, however, raid the Landsharks' roster for its expansion team, causing massive turnover and creating one of the youngest, most inexperienced teams in league history.

After playing all square in the first period, 2-2, the Landsharks put some separation between themselves and the Storm in the second quarter, leading at intermission by an 8-5 score.

After dropping another goal behind their hosts to start the third quarter, something strange happened to the Storm. They figured out how to win. Goals from Panetta, Joe Finstad, Scott Stewart, and Dallas Squire levelled the scoring at nine apiece after forty-five minutes of play.

Momentum swings, indeed. The Storm's string of four goals extended into the fourth quarter, where it evetually became an eight-goal run. A natural hat trick from Panetta was followed by the goal from Teatro, and like that, a 9-5 deficit became a 13-9 lead with just under eight minutes to play.

This being a game of momentum swings, as Roy pointed out, the Landsharks had one last good push left in them and they used it. Bill Greer scored shorthanded to cut the gap to three goals, Gewas Schindler completed his hat trick with two-and-a-half minutes to play, and Kyle Jamieson followed just seconds later to trim the deficit to one, at 13-12.

Storm goaltender Matt Roik stopped the 'Sharks dead in their tracks, though, denying every last-minute Columbus attempt to tie the game, claiming his first professional win in the process.

The outcome might have been different if Columbus had not shot itself in the foot time after time in the second half. In addition to permitting eight straight Storm goals, the Landsharks committed key penalties and had two goals disallowed due to crease violations.

The Landsharks also had a goal erased when Roy called a timeout right just before a shot on goal zipped past Roik.

And you thought your day at the office was rough.

"To lose a game like this, it's very disappointing," said forward Gewas Schindler, the 25-year-old senior citizen (relatively speaking) who led the 'Sharks in scoring with three goals and two assists. "We had chances, but we couldn't put them away. We made rookie mistakes. For our first game, when I think about it, you know, I like it. It could have been a lot uglier."

BOX SUMMARY
                                      1  2  3  4     TOT
New Jersey Storm (1-2)                2  3  4  4  --  13
Columbus Landsharks (0-1)             2  6  1  3  --  12

NEW JERSEY STORM              COLUMBUS LANDSHARKS
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
Panetta        5 - 1     6    Schindler      3 - 2     5
Ca Bomberry    0 - 6     6    S Martin       4 - 0     4
T Kilgour      2 - 1     3    Powless        2 - 0     2
Teatro         1 - 2     3    Steenhuis      1 - 1     2
Finstad        2 - 0     2    Beirnes        0 - 2     2
Leigh          1 - 0     1    Greer          1 - 0     1
D Squire       1 - 0     1    Jamieson       1 - 0     1
Stewart        1 - 0     1    Dawson         0 - 1     1
Hanford        0 - 1     1    D Suddons      0 - 1     1
Nadelen        0 - 1     1    Warder         0 - 1     1

Shots on goal           47    Shots on goal           61
Saves made by           49    Saves made by           34
   Roik              49          Wetherup          34
Penalties                7    Penalties                7
Penalty Minutes         14    Penalty Minutes         17
Power Play Chances       5    Power Play Chances       4
Power Play Goals         2    Power Play Goals         3
Loose Balls             65    Loose Balls             85
Faceoffs Won            16    Faceoffs Won            13

*** STATS OFFICIAL BY VERIFY WITH COLUMBUS LANDSHARKS ***