Prowlers-Dashers Weekend Preview

Port Huron - The Port Huron Prowlers (3-5-2-0) will play a home and home series against long time rival, the Danville Dashers (5-6-0-0). Friday’s matchup will be at home with faceoff scheduled for 7:30, while Saturday will be played in Illinois where the puck will drop at 8:05 EST.

*Records are listed as (regulation wins - regulation losses - overtime wins - overtime losses)

Game Storylines - The Dashers are currently in second place in the FPHL Western division, just two points ahead of the Prowlers. The Dashers have also played one more game (11) than the Prowlers (10).

After starting off the season 4-0-0-0, Danville has lost five out of its last six contests. The lone win coming last weekend in the form of a 2-1 victory over Watertown. 

This will be the first weekend that the Prowlers play a home and home series.

Scouting the Dashers - Danville is lead by leading scorer Fred Hein, whose eight goals and nine assists put him at 10th on the points list in the FPHL. The Dashers also have all time leading goal and point scorer, Justin Brausen on their roster. Despite only being listed as playing in six of the 11 games, Brausen has been able to rack up seven goals and an assist, placing him third on the Dashers in scoring. Brausen also leads the team this season in plus minus, with a plus four to this point in the season. 

Last Time Out - Last weekend the Prowlers went 1-1-0-0 while in Mentor. Port Huron was able to win the first contest 4-2, but dropped Saturdays matchup 6-3. In that game, Mentor goaltender Austyn Roudebush set a franchise record with 54 saves.

The Dashers were in New York last weekend, where they also posted a 1-1-0-0 record against the Watertown Wolves. Similar to the Prowlers they took the first game of the set 2-1. However they would drop the second game 5-2.

Tending the Twine - The Prowlers will likely face Dasher goalie Jesse Gordichuk, who has been in net for four of the five Danville victories. Gordichuk sits at fourth in the FPHL in save percentage, standing at .932 going into Friday's game. 

The Prowlers have had three different netminders play this season, Chris Paulin, Cory Simons, and Ville Kaukkila have all had started at least a game for the Prowlers. Paulin leads Port Huron in wins with three. Although he has started only two games so far this season, Simons has yet to be defeated when he is between the pipes. 

Season Series - This will be the first time the Dashers and the Prowlers meet this season. The Prowlers did take the series last season, finishing with and 8-6 record against the Dashers in 2018-19. 

Picking Up the Split - The Prowlers have split the last three weekend series, last weekend with Mentor, and the previous two with Columbus. They have yet to take more than four points from a weekend. The last time that Port Huron came away with a weekend sweep, was the opening weekend in which they defeated the Danbury Hat Tricks twice in overtime.

300 For Robertson! - With an assist during their 11-23 contest against the Mentor Ice Breakers, Matt Robertson recorded his 300th career point in the FPHL. Robertson is far and away the Prowlers all time leading scorer, scoring 126 goals, while assisting 174 times. Robertson is currently tied for seventh in points in the FPHL with 19. He is tied with Watertown’s Deric Boudreau.

Third Line Production - Last weekend the line of Justin Portillo, Austin Fetterly and Haytham Oeid combined for seven points. Portillo netting three goals, Fetterly recording assists on three separate occasions, and Oeid getting a single assist in last Friday’s contest. Zach Zulkanycz also posted a very strong weekend, netting three goals to push his season total to four. 

Change of Venues - So far this season the Prowlers have tallied a 1-3-2-0 record away from McMorran Ice. While at home the Prowlers are sitting at an even 2-2-0-0.

The Dashers on the road are 3-4-0-0, while at David S Palmer Arena, they share a home record with the Prowlers of 2-2-0-0.

By: Brady Beedon