Power Play Leads Prowlers Past Columbus

Behind a strong third-period power play, the Port Huron Prowlers defeated the Columbus River Dragons 7-3 on teddy bear toss night at McMorran Place on Dec. 10. The Prowlers scored five man-advantage goals within the first 3:46 of the third period to blow the game open.

Much like the first three contests between these teams this season, the River Dragons jumped out to a multi-goal lead. Thomas Aldworth scored in the first and Cody Wickline got one early in the second to make it 2-0. Bailey MacBurnie took away a few sure goals for the Prowlers but couldn’t hold them down for long.

Dalton Jay sent the teddy bears onto the ice with a breakaway goal late in the middle period. That put Port Huron within striking distance heading into the third. Near the end of the second period, MacBurnie picked up two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties which put the Prowlers on a four-minute power play. After time expired, punches were thrown in the tunnel as Port Huron tried to leave the ice. The result was a five-minute major and game misconduct for Columbus’ Edgars Ozolinsh.

Starting the third period with a long five-on-three power play, the Prowlers went straight to work. Joe Deveny found Tucker Scantlebury, who was on the other end of the punches from Ozolinsh, in the slot for the tying goal 18 seconds into the stanza. Still up two men, Scantlebury scored again, this time on a pass from Evan Foley, to give Port Huron its first lead against the Dragons this season at 3-2.

Sam Marit tapped in a backdoor pass from Jay to double the advantage before Matt Graham and Jay scored the fourth and fifth power-play goals of the period.

Alex Storjohann answered back with a man-advantage goal of his own but that’s as close as Columbus got. Foley hit the empty net to seal it and send the fans home happy.

Officially, the Prowlers were five-for-nine on the power play against the FPHL’s top-ranked penalty kill. Foley’s empty-net goal was the first short-handed goal of the season for Port Huron. Jay finished with a game-high four points and Foley added three. Deveny and Liam Freeborn chipped in a pair of assists while Graham and Marit also had multi-point efforts. Joe Noonan dressed for the first time this season and made 40 saves.

Paul Fregeau picked up two assists and was the only River Dragon with multiple points. MacBurnie stopped 45 shots and allowed a season-high six goals. It was just the second regulation loss of the season for Columbus.

The Prowlers head to Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Thursday, Dec. 15 for a neutral site game with the Mississippi Sea Wolves. Puck drop for that game is scheduled for 7:00 P.M. The two teams will play the following two nights in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Photo courtesy of Delta Imaging