Prowlers Dominated Early, Bears Force Game 3

After the Port Huron Prowlers shut out the Binghamton Black Bears in Game 1 of their semifinals series on Friday, the defending champs returned the favor with a 4-0 win to force a series-deciding Game 3. Connor McAnanama made 17 saves in his second shutout of these playoffs.

Gavin Yates stepped up to deliver the game winner in the opening period. Don Olivieri delivered a pass to the two-time playoff MVP and he slid home his second goal of the postseason. Port Huron almost escaped the first period, in which they were outshot 19-2, down just a goal but with 1:15 left, Tyson Kirkby touched home an Olivieri pass to make it 2-0 after 20 minutes.

“We knew they were going to come out hot with their backs against the wall,” said Prowlers assistant coach Chris Paulin. “We weren’t moving our feet early at all. I think our defensemen were a lot less predictable early. They were able to get a lead and then that goal at the end of the first gave them a little bit of life and we never found it.”

The Prowlers killed off a pair of penalties early in the second but just as they got back to full strength, Dan Stone walked through everyone and made it 3-0. Chris Mott, making his playoff debut, put the icing on the cake in the third with a shorthanded goal, Binghamton’s second shorty of the playoffs.

The Black Bears have yet to allow a goal in two playoff games at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena this season.

Valtteri Nousiainen made 32 saves in the loss.

Olivieri led the way with three assists for Binghamton.

The winner-take-all Game 3 is set for Sunday, April 27 at 6 PM at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena. The winner will take on the Carolina Thunderbirds in the Commissioner’s Cup Finals. The PHP Network YouTube channel will stream the game live.

“Tomorrow the game starts 0-0,” Paulin said. “The team that wants it the most, the team that’s going to win the races and the battles, that’s the team I think is going to win.”

Photo courtesy of Bob Howard