Series Preview: Prowlers' Road Trip Ends in Carolina

The Port Huron Prowlers face their first three-in-three of the season as they wrap up their seven-game road trip against the Carolina Thunderbirds. This will be Port Huron’s first visit to the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex since its season ended there in last year’s playoffs.

The Prowlers split their series in Biloxi with the Mississippi Sea Wolves last weekend. They held a 3-0 lead in the second period of the first game before Mississippi came back to score the game’s final four goals to steal it 4-3. The next night, Tucker Scantlebury’s hat trick led Port Huron to a 6-3 win and helped Makar Sokolov improve to 3-0-0 on the season. The Prowlers are 5-4-1 with 15 points and sit fourth in the Continental Division. 

The Thunderbirds drew closer to the top spot in the division with a sweep of the Continental-leading Columbus River Dragons. Jiri Pestuka tied the first game in Columbus with under a minute to go and then won the shootout with a third-round tally to give Carolina a 2-1 victory. The next night in Winston-Salem, Dawson Baker tied the score with under five minutes to play before Gus Ford scored the overtime winner in a 3-2 victory. Mario Cavaliere was the third star of both games making 70 total saves on the weekend and allowing three goals. The Thunderbirds are 8-2-0 with 21 points and rank second in the Continental.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Prowlers - Tucker Scantlebury (F) - Scantlebury found his scoring touch with a hat trick in Port Huron’s last game in Mississippi. The last time he was in Winston-Salem? A hat trick in game 2 of the Prowlers and Thunderbirds’ first round playoff series.

Thunderbirds - Gus Ford (F) - Ford has scored nearly a third of all Thunderbirds goals this season (11 of 35) and assisted on six others as he defends his FPHL MVP title.

STAT CENTRAL

Alex Johnson (PHP) and Gus Ford (CAR) are tied for the FPHL lead in power-play goals with 4…Mario Cavaliere (CAR) leads the FPHL in goals-against average (2.08) and save percentage (.932)…The Prowlers played two three-in-threes last season going 5-1 in those games…The Thunderbirds have the most wins beyond regulation in the FPHL this season with 3 (1 overtime, 2 shootout)

SERIES SCHEDULE

December 1, 7:35 P.M. at Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex (Winston-Salem, NC)

December 2, 6:05 P.M. at Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex (Winston-Salem, NC)

December 3, 4:05 P.M. at Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex (Winston-Salem, NC)

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