Prowlers Lose Lead in Exhibition Loss

After holding a two-goal lead heading into the third period, the Port Huron Prowlers settled for a 5-4 shootout loss to the Motor City Rockers in their exhibition game at Big Boy Arena on Oct. 12. Motor City scored in all four rounds to win the skills competition.

Port Huron opened the scoring 2:40 into the game when Daniel Chartrand’s long-range shot deflected off of Tucker Scantlebury on the doorstep and bounced home. Midway through the first frame, the Rockers answered when Clayton Hightower slid a loose puck over to Ryan Rotondi on the back door and he put home a one-timer. In the final minutes of the period, Scantlebury slid a pass to Gavin Fleck heading down the slot and his shot was partially stopped by Bryn Sommerfeldt but slipped just over the goal line to give the Prowlers a 2-1 lead through 20 minutes.

The lead went to 3-1 in the second as Isiah Parris found Chartrand in front and his backhander found the cage. A few minutes later, Mike Winn drove the net and powered the puck through Yoshihiro Kuroiwa to pull Motor City within one. Port Huron again pulled ahead by two when Elliot Van Orsdel put a turnaround shot through traffic and into the back of the net.

The third period belonged to the Rockers’ power play as they mounted the comeback. Wil Campbell made it 4-3 with a wrister from the point that found twine and then, with under five minutes to play, Hightower pushed home the puck on a net-mouth scramble to tie things up.

Overtime didn’t produce a winner despite Motor City beginning the extra session with 28 seconds of power play time. Hightower, Winn, Josh Colten and Rotondi scored for the Rockers in the shootout while Chartrand and Van Orsdel converted for Port Huron.

Chartrand and Scantlebury notched a goal and an assist apiece for the Prowlers. Kuroiwa played the first two periods and stopped 17 of 19 shots while Patrick Aalto played the rest of the way and took the shootout loss with 13 saves on 15 shots.

Hightower led the way for Motor City with a goal and a helper while being named the game’s first star. Sommerfeldt made 27 stops on 30 shots in just over 30 minutes of action while Noah Maikisch kept 13 of 14 Prowler shots out of the net while saving two shootout attempts to get the win.

Port Huron opens the regular season at home against the Carolina Thunderbirds on Oct. 18 and 19. Tickets are available at phprowlers.com/tickets.

Photo courtesy of Delta Imaging