Six Unanswered Goals Propel Prowlers to Game 1 Win

The Port Huron Prowlers scored six unanswered goals to take a 6-3 comeback win over the Danbury Hat Tricks in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. Four of the goals came in the third, the most Port Huron has scored in a third period this season.

Chase Harwell got the scoring started in the first when the puck appeared to be covered by Reid Cooper. Unfortunately for the Prowlers netminder, it sat in the blue paint and Harwell shoveled it home.

Port Huron came out hard in the second and dominated but Danbury scored the next goal when Josh Labelle sent a seeing-eye wrister through traffic and in. Seconds later, the Hat Tricks got a power play to try to add. Instead, Bobby Price took advantage of a bobble at the blue line by Jacob Ratcliffe and sent McMorran Place into a frenzy with a breakaway tally.

A couple minutes later, Braidan Simmons-Fischer found Drew Welsch for a one-timer in the slot on the rush and the game was quickly leveled.

The Prowlers got a power play at the end of the second and took advantage in the third. In the opening minute of the final stanza, Lukas Lacny sent a pass to Alex Johnson at the side of the net and he went top shelf to give Port Huron its first lead.

Then, the Prowlers looked like they iced the puck but Jamie Bucell hustled to beat it out. Connor McCollum went behind the net to play the puck but it got past him right on Bucell’s stick. He centered for Lukas Lacny who deposited it into the vacated cage. 37 seconds later, Tim Organ found Reggie Millette on a rush to blow the game open.

Millette tallied another before Ratcliffe got one back in the final minute on a power play.

Millette led the way with an assist added to his pair of goals. Lacny added an assist to his tally as well. Simmons-Fischer and Matt Graham dished out two assists apiece. Cooper made 23 saves in the win.

Labelle added an assist to his goal while Gleb Bandurkin finished with a pair of helpers. McCollum made 34 saves on 40 shots before getting pulled after Port Huron’s sixth goal.

The Prowlers have a chance to win the series on Saturday at Danbury Ice Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 P.M. and the game will be available live on the PHP Network YouTube channel.

Photo courtesy of Delta Imaging