Thunderbirds Use Special Teams to Defeat Prowlers

The Port Huron Prowlers fell in a low-scoring affair to the Carolina Thunderbirds 3-1 at McMorran Place on Dec. 16. All three Carolina goals were special teams goals.

“It was a good hockey game, low scoring,” said Prowlers assistant coach Chris Paulin. “They’re a good team and tough to play against. I thought we were plenty tough to play against and, ultimately, one goal short. I thought it was a very tight, competitive hockey game.”

Jan Salak opened the scoring in the first, taking a feed from Gus Ford for a power-play marker. It was his eighth of the year, third on the man advantage.

Dalton Jay put home a back-door feed from Dan Chartrand in the second to send the teddy bears on the ice and knot the score. Later in the frame, Ford walked the goal line and roofed an in-tight shot for his team’s second power-play goal of the game.

“The penalty kill was good,” Paulin said. “They did exactly what we thought they were going to do and what we planned for. We made one subtle mistake on their first goal, subtle but important, they had a good player make a good play. The second one, I like the way we played it. Ford has scored a couple goals in this league and he made a nice play.”

Neither team could solve the goaltenders in the third and Jacob Schnapp hit the empty net shorthanded. It was the Thunderbirds’ first shorthanded goal of the season, they were the only team without one.

Chartrand and Bryan Parsons picked up assists on Jay’s goal for Port Huron. Makar Sokolov made 37 saves in net.

Ford was the first star of the game with a goal and an assist. Frankie McClendon got third-star honors with 31 saves.

The Prowlers are back in action on the road against the defending champion Danbury Hat Tricks on Dec. 22 and 23. Both games will be streamed live on the PHP Network.

Photo courtesy of Delta Imaging