Prowlers Down Sea Wolves to Open 2024

The Port Huron Prowlers won the first FPHL game of 2024 6-3 over the Mississippi Sea Wolves in Biloxi on Jan. 2. A five-goal explosion in the second period put Port Huron ahead for good.

“Great team win,” said Prowlers assistant coach Chris Paulin. “I thought it was an excellent overall game. I thought we gained a little momentum from banding together last game in Motor City when all the craziness happened and we showed that tonight.”

Justin Barr scored the only goal of the opening period on a breakaway after a steal at his own blue line.

The Prowlers got to work early in the second as Sam Marit sent Alex Johnson into offensive territory. The Port Huron defenseman pulled the puck in and fired it past Anthony D’Aloisio’s glove to tie the score.

Hugo Koch answered back on the power play a few minutes later with a long-range wrister through traffic but the 2-1 lead lasted just 16 seconds for Mississippi as Matt Graham caused a turnover and found Austin Fetterly coming down the back side for the tying tally.

Graham found the back of the net himself on a power play just past the midway point of the period. Tucker Scantlebury sent the puck into the crease, D’Aloisio tried to swipe it to the corner but put it right on the Port Huron head coach’s tape and he roofed it to give his team its first lead of the night.

Sam Turner tied the score again later in the period but then the Prowlers power play went to work on a full two-minute five-on-three. Dalton Jay found Sam Marit in the slot for a one-time goal and then, just as the second penalty was expiring, the puck came to Frank Schumacher who slammed home the back-door opportunity.

“With the schedule lately, it’s been a little bit challenging to work on the ice with the guys,” Paulin said. “We were able to do a little bit in morning skate today, had a couple of power play meetings and changed a couple of things personnel wise and a little bit of the strategy as well and I think it paid off for us tonight.”

That 5-3 score held into the third before Adam Heinzl floated a pass to Dan Chartrand on a rush that Chartrand sent to the back of the net to round out the scoring.

Graham led all scorers with three points on a goal and two assists. He was the game’s first star. Chartrand, Marit and Johnson had a goal and an assist apiece while Evan Foley picked up two helpers. Makar Sokolov made some big saves in the third and finished with 32 in the win.

“He had a few big saves the whole game,” Paulin said. “I thought he was excellent for us, timely saves including the two-on-oh save he made in the second period. It was an unbelievable game for him, I know it wasn’t the game he wanted last game but we wanted to get him right back in there”

Barr was the third star with a goal and an assist for Mississippi. Koch also had a goal and a helper while Joakim Nilsson dished out two assists.

The teams battle again on Jan. 3 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum with puck drop scheduled for 8:05 P.M. eastern. The game will be broadcast live on the PHP Network YouTube channel.

Photo courtesy of Delta Imaging