Prowlers Clinch Playoffs with Shootout Win

The Port Huron Prowlers officially punched their ticket to the 2026 Commissioner’s Cup Playoffs with a 5-4 shootout win over the Watertown Wolves in Watertown on March 14. The win coupled with the Danbury Hat Tricks’ loss against Binghamton gave Port Huron the points it needed to clinch.

After killing a penalty for the first two minutes, the Prowlers got to work. 17 seconds after it expired, Luke James took a drop pass and ripped the puck low to open the scoring. The Wolves responded when Marquis Grant-Mentis fired a shot right off a faceoff.

Port Huron built a big lead in the second on goals by Austin Fetterly, Brett Lockhart and Blake Anderson. A late one from Yefim Mishkin gave Watertown life heading into the third.

“I hated the way we played in the second period,” said Prowlers associate head coach Chris Paulin. “The second period was as bad of a period as I’ve seen us play. We talked about it after, I didn’t care that we won the period, that makes no difference to me. A couple good finishes doesn’t take away all the looping and undisciplined behavior.”

With just over five to play, Egor Flippov pulled his team within one and then he tied it with 46 seconds to go.

The Prowlers had two power plays in the extra session and couldn’t convert despite five shots so the game went to a shootout. Lockhart and Filippov both scored in round one. James converted in the second and Fetterly sealed it in the third to officially send his team to the playoffs.

“I’ve been doing similar things in practice,” James said. “I actually missed, not going to say where I missed, but it all worked out.”

James got credit for the shootout winner as Port Huron won the skills competition 3-1. Bailey Huber made 25 saves and went 1-2 in the shootout.

“It was a no-brainer to put Lockhart and James out there and then Fetterly, eh, I don’t know,” Paulin joked. “Obviously I’m joking, Fetts was a lock. [Assistant coach] Alex Johnson was very adamant about Lockhart going, he saw something he liked. I really liked James for this particular matchup with the goalie and then Fetts is as automatic as it gets in the shootout.”

Filippov and Mishkin each added an assist to their goals. Hlib Varava picked up a pair of assists. Grant Linville got the start and gave up four goals on 20 shots in 37:31 before he was replaced by Ricardo Gonzalez who was a perfect 17 for 17 until the shootout where he went 0-3.

The Prowlers and Wolves wrap up their three-game weekends with a late Sunday afternoon matchup in Watertown. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:30 P.M. and the game can be seen live on the PHP Network YouTube channel.

Photo courtesy of Lakewind Photography