Series Preview: Back to Blue Ridge

For the second time in three weeks, the Port Huron Prowlers and Blue Ridge Bobcats will battle at Hitachi Energy Arena in Wytheville, Virginia. The teams split one-goal games on November 7 and 8. The trip begins a stretch where Port Huron plays 7 of their next 8 games away from home.

Last weekend, the Prowlers welcomed the winless Indiana Sentinels to McMorran Place. On Friday, Indiana broke through to get its first win in franchise history. Bohdan Zinchenko and Ryan Glazer’s hat tricks were the offensive catalysts in the dominant 9-3 win. Port Huron bounced back with a 4-3 victory the next night to stay perfect on Saturdays this season. The Prowlers are 8-4-0 with 24 points and sit second in the Empire Division. 

The Bobcats are coming off of a home-and-home with the Twin City Thunderbirds. Friday night in Wytheville, Michael Mercurio’s four assists led Blue Ridge to a 6-3 win. The Bobcats scored five times on the man advantage. The next night in Winston-Salem, it was the Thunderbirds’ turn to take advantage of power plays. All three of their goals came a man up in a 3-1 win to earn the split. Blue Ridge is an even 5-5-0 and stuck in fourth in the Empire with 15 points, just one behind third-place Danbury and three ahead of sixth-place Watertown.

SEASON SERIES (TIED 1-1)

Nov. 7 @ Blue Ridge: Bobcats 4, Prowlers 3

Nov. 8 @ Blue Ridge: Prowlers 4, Bobcats 3

LAST MEETING

The first period took over an hour to complete between fights and other scuffles. At one point, each team had more skaters in the box than on the bench. The Prowlers had a 2-0 lead but Blue Ridge scored three unanswered to make it 3-2. Nick Favaro’s hat trick goal tied it to set the stage for Lukas Lacny’s game winner with 6.7 seconds left in regulation. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Prowlers - Lukas Lacny (F) - The Slovak found his goal scoring groove when these teams matched up a couple weeks ago with three goals in two games. He’s registered multiple points in four-straight contests.

Bobcats - Brandon Reller (F) - The big forward will be returning from a two-game suspension he incurred following the last meeting between these teams. He finished with a goal and two assists in the series two weeks ago.

STAT CENTRAL

The Prowlers have 5 players (Nick Favaro, Matt Graham, Arttu Heikkilä, Alex Johnson and Lukas Lacny) tied for the team lead with 5 goals apiece … 5 of the 7 goals the Bobcats scored last weekend were power play goals … 3 FPHL teams have yet to reach overtime this season including both the Prowlers and Bobcats

SERIES SCHEDULE

Nov. 21, 7:30 P.M. at Hitachi Energy Arena (Wytheville, VA)

Nov. 22, 7:30 P.M. at Hitachi Energy Arena (Wytheville, VA)

Both games will be available live on the PHP Network YouTube channel.