Series Preview: Country Roads

The Port Huron Prowlers will take their first ever trip to Wytheville, Virginia this weekend as they visit the Blue Ridge Bobcats. The third-year Bobcats visited McMorran twice over their first two seasons.

The Prowlers are coming off a battle with the top team in the Empire Division, the Binghamton Black Bears, at home. On Friday, the Bears scored three times in two minutes early in the second period to break open the game. Port Huron’s comeback fell short in a 5-3 loss. The next night, penalty minutes racked up and the Prowlers grabbed a 4-1 win. Port Huron sits second in the Empire at 6-2-0 with 18 points.

The Bobcats had a rough trip to Florence, South Carolina to take on the Pee Dee IceCats. On Friday, the IceCats dominated, more than doubling Blue Ridge in shots. They got four points from Eli Rivers to lead the 8-2 win. The next night was closer in the final score, but five unanswered goals from Pee Dee in the second period put it out of reach and they eventually took it 6-3. The Bobcats have lost three straight and are 3-3-0 with nine points, good for fifth in the Empire.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Prowlers - Bobby Price (F) - Price returned this week after beginning the season with the SPHL Macon Mayhem. A collegiate signing last year by Port Huron, he finished last season’s playoffs tied for the league lead in goals with five.

Bobcats - Brandon Reller (F) - In his first full season as a Bobcat, Reller has come out of the game with a hot stick, scoring five times in the first five games. 

STAT CENTRAL

Reid Cooper (PHP) leads the FPHL in wins (5), is tied for the lead in shutouts (2) and sits second in goals-against average (1.67) and save percentage (.948) … Nikita Kozyrev (BRB) is tied with Columbus’ Alex Storjohann for the most assists without a goal (7) in the FPHL this season … The Prowlers have given up the fewest goals in the Empire Division this season (17), six fewer than the next fewest (Binghamton, 23) … The Bobcats are 0-3 against Pee Dee and 3-0 against all other opponents

SERIES SCHEDULE

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

Nov. 8, 7:30 P.M. at Hitachi Energy Arena (Wytheville, VA)

Live game broadcasts can be found on the PHP Network YouTube channel.