Williams, Wallace Signed by Prowlers

The Prowlers have announced the signings of forward/defenseman Sam Williams and goaltender Ian Wallace. Williams continues his professional career at age 29 and Wallace is the third rookie goaltender signed by the team this offseason.

Williams played the entirety of last season in the SPHL spending all but two of his 37 games played with the Hunstville Havoc where he was teammates with recent Port Huron signing Bryan Parsons. Between Huntsville and the Birmingham Bulls, the Winnipeg, Manitoba native finished with five points, 55 penalty minutes and was a plus four.

“He’s a player that we have been trying to get here the last few seasons,” said Prowlers general manager and head coach Matt Graham. “We actually had him signed during COVID and it just didn’t work out with the shutdown. He brings a lot of SPHL experience to the locker room. We know he will have an immediate impact with us and are excited to get going.”

Although most of his professional career has been spent in the SPHL, Williams has suited up for parts of two seasons in the FPHL, most recently in 2019-20 when he picked up four points in six games with the Danbury Hat Tricks. The College of St. Scholastica graduate has recorded 22 points and 62 penalty minutes in 39 career FPHL games.

Wallace finished a five-year career at Franklin Pierce University at the NCAA Division III level where he was teammates with fellow new Prowler Sam Gagnon in 2019-20. This past season, Wallace started 15 of the Ravens’ 26 games and posted a 5-8-2 record with a 3.06 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage, which ranked second in the Northeast-10 (NE10) Conference. He was also named the NE10 Goaltender of the Week twice.

“We have heard nothing but good things about Ian,” Graham said. “His work and athleticism will transfer well to this level of play. When we heard he was looking to play professionally, we really prioritized making him a Prowler. I’m definitely ready to get camp started and get the team together.”

The West Islip, New York native made 58 starts in his college career with an overall 3.54 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. In 2019-20, he backstopped Franklin Pierce to its first NE10 Championship appearance in seven years. Before college, Wallace played for the P.A.L Junior Islanders in the USPHL and the New York Apple Core in the MetJHL.

“I am very excited to start my pro hockey journey with the Prowlers,” Wallace said. “I believe this organization is a great situation for me to develop as a player and I look forward to getting the season started.”

The season is just over a month away with the home opener set for Oct. 14. Season tickets are still available at the McMorran box office. Fans can purchase tickets in person, by calling 810-985-6166, or by visiting phprowlers.com/season-memberships.

Photos courtesy of the Hunstville Havoc and Franklin Pierce Athletics