Series Preview: Prowlers Host Sharks For First Time

After visiting Elmira last week, the Port Huron Prowlers will welcome the River Sharks to McMorran Place for the first time. The two-game set begins a five-game home stand for Port Huron.

The Prowlers swept the Thursday-Friday doubleheader last week at First Arena. In the first game, Mitch Jones scored twice in the second and Alex Johnson added insurance in the third to help Port Huron squeak out a 3-2 win. The next night, the Prowlers held a 2-1 lead heading into the third and scored twice in the first 3:31 of the final frame to blow it open en route to a 5-1 victory. Port Huron maintains third place in the Continental at 16-12-4 with 50 points, two points ahead of Mississippi and eight points behind Carolina.

The River Sharks played two more times on Saturday and Sunday, losing both. The Saturday game in Binghamton was non-competitive as the Black Bears opened up a 6-0 lead 5:33 into the second and cruised to a 9-2 final. Davide Gaeta and Larri Vartiainen scored for Elmira. The next night in Watertown, the River Sharks offense was silenced by Eloi Bouchard who made 44 saves to pick up a 4-0 win. The losses send Elmira’s skid to five and the Sharks still sit in the basement of the Empire at 9-21-0 with 25 points, nine behind the Wolves for the final playoff spot.

SEASON SERIES (PORT HURON LEADS 2-0)

Jan. 25 @ Elmira: Prowlers 3, River Sharks 2

Jan. 26 @ Elmira: Prowlers 5, River Sharks 1

LAST MEETING

Alex Johnson and Evan Foley scored 92 seconds apart early in the third to turn a 2-1 lead into a 4-1 score. Sam Marit’s first-period shorthanded goal turned out to be the winner while Tucker Tynan made 32 saves in the 5-1 game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Prowlers - Alex Johnson (D) - Johnson had five points in two games last week in Elmira including factoring in on all three Port Huron goals in the first game.

River Sharks - Sammy Bernard (G) - Bernard started three of the Sharks’ four games last weekend and saw action in all four. Despite his team losing all of them, he still put together a respectable 3.76 goals-against average and .913 save-percentage.

STAT CENTRAL

Tucker Tynan (PHP) has won each of his last five starts…Dionne Demke (ELM) leads the River Sharks in +/- (-2)…The Prowlers have 7 shorthanded goals this season. 4 of them are also game-winning goals…The River Sharks were outscored 21-5 in four games last weekend and have the FPHL’s worst goal differential (-52)

SERIES SCHEDULE

Feb. 2, 7:05 P.M. at McMorran Place (Port Huron, MI)

Feb. 3, 7:05 P.M. at McMorran Place (Port Huron, MI)

Tickets to both games are available at phprowlers.com/tickets or by calling the box office at 810-985-6166.