Prowlers Overcome Eight Penalties, Top Enforcers 4-3

By: Brady Beedon

The Port Huron Prowlers faced 52 shots Friday night. 

The Port Huron Prowlers only mustered 28 shots of their own.

The Port Huron Prowlers found themselves on the penalty kill on eight seperate occasions and never having a powerplay themselves.

But despite all that, the Port Huron Prowlers came out with a 4-3 shootout victory over the Elmira Enforcers.

Zach Zulkanycz scored in the opening minutes when he found the back of the net after a Dalton Young shot rebounded right to his stick.

Justin Portillo would extend the Prowlers lead when he beat Elmira goaltender Troy Passingham over his right shoulder.

In the second period the Enforcers would cut the lead in half when Brandon Tucker would finally beat Cory Simons.

The score would hold until the third period when Andrew Harrisoin bean an out-stretched Simon to tie the game at 2-2.

During the Prowlers sixth penalty kill, Dalton Jay intercepted a neutral zone pass and would score top shelf for his 20th goal of the season, and put the Prowlers up 3-2.

Cameron Yarwood netted a one timer to tie the game at three and thats where the score would stay until the clock hit triple zeros.

The Prowlers had their eighth penalty carry over into the extra frame, but like the seven that came before it, they managed to kill it off too. 

The overtime period wouldn’t be enough to decide the game, leading to the Prowlers first shootout of the season. 

Larri Vartianen would shoot first for the Prowlers, going top shelf.

Gjurich would answer back immediatly tying the shootout at one a side. 

After a pair of misses from both sides, Vartianen was back up to shoot, where his attempt left Passingham sprawled out on the ice and the puck in the back of the net.

Two more saves from Simons would seal the Prowlers victory.

“I just wanted to keep my mind clear.” Vartianen said of the pressure of shootout shots. “I hoped there was nothing going on. It felt good in front of those boys.”

This game flipped the script of Wedenesday nights loss, where the Prowlers out shot the Dashers in the loss.

“Just have fun and keep smiling,” said coach Joe Pace when asked about how to keep the team focused for tomorrow nights game. “Get a good meal in us tonight and tomorrow and get ready for another battle.”

The Prowlers will play again tomorrow night in First Arena in Elmira. Puck drops at 7:05