Series Preview: New Year Opens in Mississippi

After playing a three-in-three on New Year’s Eve weekend with Motor City, the Port Huron Prowlers travel to Biloxi to face the Mississippi Sea Wolves for a pair of mid-week games on Jan. 2 and 3. These games are the middle portion of Port Huron’s seven-games-in-nine-days stretch.

The Prowlers took one of three games against the Rockers over the weekend. They got a late tying goal on Friday from Sam Marit before Mitch Jones clapped home the overtime winner. The next night, the game was tied through the first and second periods, but Motor City scored twice on the power play in the third for a 5-3 win. The rubber match in Fraser got out of hand on the scoreboard and penalty sheet. The result was an 8-4 win for the Rockers. Port Huron is 8-10-3 with 25 points, fourth in the Continental and four points behind the Sea Wolves for third place.

Mississippi hosted the Baton Rouge Zydeco for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday. The Sea Wolves battled back from a 3-1 deficit in the second to win 6-4 behind Yianni Liarakos’ three goals and one assist. The next night, Hugo Koch scored the only two for Mississippi in a 5-2 loss as the Zydeco earned a split. The Sea Wolves are 10-11-1 with 29 points.

SEASON SERIES (PORT HURON LEADS 3-1)

Oct. 27 @ Port Huron: Prowlers 7, Sea Wolves 6

Oct. 28 @ Port Huron: Prowlers 5, Sea Wolves 4 (OT)

Nov. 24 @ Mississippi: Sea Wolves 4, Prowlers 3

Nov. 25 @ Mississippi: Prowlers 6, Sea Wolves 3

LAST MEETING

Tucker Scantlebury scored a hat trick as the Prowlers bounced back from a loss the previous night to win the first multi-goal game with Mississippi this season. Liam Freeborn chipped in two goals and two assists while Makar Sokolov got the win after a 23-save performance.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Prowlers - Tucker Scantlebury (F) - As mentioned above, the last time he was in this building, he scored a hat trick. He’s had his opportunities and will try to get some pucks to hit the back of the net.

Sea Wolves - Yianni Liarakos (F) - The offense runs through the top line led by Liarakos, the FPHL’s leader in goals, assists and points. He’ll be the key guy to stop in this series.

STAT CENTRAL

55 of the Sea Wolves’ 89 goals this season have been scored by 3 players (Yianni Liarakos, Hugo Koch and Joakim Nilsson)…The Prowlers have dropped five of their last six games…The Sea Wolves faced Baton Rouge in each of their last four games and after this series, they’ll battle with the Zydeco in four of their next five

SERIES SCHEDULE

Jan. 2, 8:05 P.M. at Mississippi Coast Coliseum (Biloxi, MS)

Jan. 3, 8:05 P.M. at Mississippi Coast Coliseum (Biloxi, MS)

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