Prowlers Topple Dragons

A night after beating the Empire Division leaders, the Port Huron Prowlers avenged Thursday’s loss to the Continental Division leaders by defeating Columbus 6-5 at McMorran Place on March 30. Liam Freeborn scored the game winner with 1:38 on the clock in the third.

Justin MacDonald opened the scoring just over five minutes into the first, putting home a rebound after a shot by Hugh Anderson. The Prowlers tied things up 1:10 later when Tucker Scantlebury made a chip play in his own end to set up a two-on-one where he found Freeborn for his first of the night.

Just over three minutes later, Bryan Parsons walked the middle of the ice and picked his spot to give Port Huron the lead. The score was tied again when Ryan Hunter ripped a power-play one timer later in the frame. Frank Schumacher made sure the Prowlers ended the period ahead as his wrister deflected off of Hunter Bersani and past Breandan Colgan.

Early in the second, Schumacher sent another shot in from the blue line, this time on Vincent Dekumbis’ tape, and he tapped it home for his second goal in as many games. 

Columbus battled back as Hunter ripped home his second of the night on a rush and then he set up MacDonald for a one-timer that knotted the game at four. Less than a minute later, Ross Bartlett found the puck after a missed shot and centered it to Evan Foley who tapped the puck home and restored the Port Huron lead.

The score stayed 5-4 through much of the third before Hunter completed the hat trick with another hard wrister and the score was tied with under five to play.

With overtime looking imminent, Freeborn stole a pass at center and sent Scantlebury into offensive territory. His shot leaked through Colgan and Freeborn cleaned up the puck in the crease to put the Prowlers back ahead for good with 1:38 to go.

12 different Prowlers found the scoresheet led by Frank Schumacher’s three points. Scantlebury, Austin Fetterly and Dalton Jay each chipped in two assists while Chace McCardle and Jeromey Rancourt picked up their first pro helpers. Oscar Wahlgren got the win in his first pro start after a 33 save performance.

Hunter led the Dragons with five points while MacDonald had four. No one else on Columbus had more than one point. Colgan stopped 28 shots in the loss.

The Prowlers travel to Baton Rouge on April 5 and 6. Both games will be streamed live on the PHP Network YouTube channel.

Photo courtesy of Delta Imaging