Jay Scores 200th but Prowlers Fall to Binghamton

The Port Huron Prowlers returned home but fell to the Binghamton Black Bears 5-3 at McMorran Place on Nov. 25. Dalton Jay scored twice, including his 200th FPHL goal, but it wasn’t enough for Port Huron.

After a scoreless but entertaining first period, the Black Bears got on the board first with a power play goal. Cam Yarwood knocked in a rebound chance to open the scoring. He was named the game’s second star. Late in the period, Colan Fitzgerald picked off a pass at center ice and beat Wyatt Hoflin and the buzzer to extend the lead to 2-0 with 0.9 seconds on the clock. It was Binghamton’s FPHL-leading sixth shorthanded goal of the season. 

The Prowlers found the back of the net early in the third when Austin Fetterly’s wrist shot from the point leaked through Joseph Sheppard for a power-play goal just 1:51 in. 2:08 later, Tyson Kirkby caught the Prowlers on a change and fed Tyler Gjurich who scored on the two-on-one chance to bring the lead back to two goals at 3-1. 

Jay got his first of the night during four-on-four action with just over six minutes to play, picking the corner from the top of the left-wing circle. Binghamton responded quickly again with Gjurich fitting the puck over Hoflin’s shoulder from the goal line to make it 4-2 with under five minutes to play.

The Black Bears got into late penalty trouble with a high-sticking call against M.J. Maerkl and a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty on the same play. Jay became the fourth player in FPHL history to hit 200 goals with a wrist shot from the right-wing circle. The Prowlers pulled Hoflin for an extra attacker but Kirkby nailed the empty net from his own goal line to seal the deal.

Jay was named the second star of the game with his two goals. Sam Williams picked up an assist in his Port Huron debut and Liam Freeborn notched his first pro point with a helper on Jay’s second tally. Hoflin made 25 saves on 29 shots. The Prowlers outshot the Black Bears 36-30. They sit at 5-6-2.

Gjurich and Kirkby each notched three points in the victory. Jiri Hajda contributed a pair of assists while Yarwood added an assist for a two-point night. Sheppard made 33 stops for his third win of the year. Binghamton moves to 9-3-2 and a potential tie atop the Empire Division pending a Danbury loss.

These two teams tangle again on Saturday, Nov. 26 with a 6:05 P.M. puck drop scheduled at McMorran Place.

Photo courtesy of Delta Imaging