Series Preview: Prowlers Head South

The Port Huron Prowlers will leave the state of Michigan for the first time this season when they head south this weekend to visit the expansion Mississippi Sea Wolves. This will be the first meeting between these two teams but not Port Huron’s first time playing at Mississippi Coast Coliseum after two neutral-site games last season with the Columbus River Dragons.

The Prowlers saw their losing streak extended to four games with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Motor City Rockers on Nov. 5 in Fraser, Michigan. Port Huron tied the game two separate times in the third period but couldn’t nab the extra point. Matt Graham posted his second consecutive game with a goal and an assist while Tucker Scantlebury extended his FPHL career-opening point streak to five games. Ian Wallace made 30 saves. Joe Deveny scored his team-leading sixth goal of the year in his return to the lineup but Larri Vartiainen remained out for the third straight contest. 

Mississippi has played its last four games at home against the River Dragons. After shutting out Columbus on Oct. 28, Mississippi gave up double-digit goals in the next two games and fell 5-4 in overtime in the last matchup on Nov. 5. The Sea Wolves held the lead for over half the contest before falling in the extra session. Chris Hunt scored twice and leads the team in goals and points. 2016 Commissioner’s Cup champions with Port Huron Chris Leveille and Joe Pace Jr. are both Sea Wolves and serve as assistant coaches with Pace also the CEO and Director of Hockey Operations. Pace was the head coach and general manager of the Prowlers from 2018-22.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Prowlers - Wyatt Hoflin (G) - A new signing for the Prowlers this week, Hoflin will make his pro hockey debut this weekend. His name is in the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice’s record books multiple times after a busy 2014-15 season.

Sea Wolves - Joe Pace Jr. (D) - The Prowlers’ former head coach and general manager will face his former team for the first time and will try to lead his new squad past his old one.

STAT CENTRAL

The Prowlers have outshot their opponent in each of the last 5 games (1-2-2 in that span)…Mississippi is the first FPHL team to give up double-digit goals in back-to-back regular season games since the 2015-16 Berlin River Drivers…Five Prowlers are averaging at least one point per game (Vartiainen, Deveny, Scantlebury, Graham, Jay)…Jake Raleigh (MISS) is the only player in the FPHL with multiple short-handed goals (2)

SERIES SCHEDULE

Nov. 11, 8:05 P.M. at Mississippi Coast Coliseum (Biloxi, MS)

Nov. 12, 8:05 P.M. at Mississippi Coast Coliseum (Biloxi, MS)

Tune in to both games on the Port Huron Prowlers YouTube Channel