Weekend Preview: First Road Trip for Prowlers

The Port Huron Prowlers hit the road for the first time this season when they visit the Hudson Valley Venom and Binghamton Black Bears this weekend. The trip will be the Prowlers’ first ever to Ice Time Sports Complex and first since the 2022-23 season to Visions Veterans Memorial Arena.

Port Huron opened its regular season on Oct. 18 and 19 at home against the Carolina Thunderbirds, earning a split. After being shut out 4-0 in the first game, the Prowlers battled from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to get a shootout win on Saturday. Isiah Parris scored the first goal of the season for Port Huron while Austin Fetterly put home both of his shootout attempts and Valtteri Nousiainen stopped all four Carolina shooters in the victory. The Prowlers are 1-1-0 with two points and sit fifth in the Empire Division.

The Black Bears and Venom battled in a two-game set last weekend. For Binghamton, it was their second weekend of the season while Hudson Valley played its first regular season games since moving from Elmira in the offseason. The first game in Newburgh was a 9-6 barnburner that went the Black Bears’ way. It featured dueling five-point nights between Austin Thompson (BIN) and Dustin Jesseau (HDV) who each had three goals and two assists. The next night was all Binghamton as Connor MacAnanama’s 23-save shutout helped his team sweep the weekend. The final was 5-0 at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Prowlers - Ben Brockway (D) - Activated this week after being released from Macon (SPHL), the 6’3” left-handed defenseman is set to make his pro debut this weekend. 

Venom - Dustin Jesseau (F) - Through one game this season, Jesseau has racked up three goals, five points, 24 penalty minutes and a one-game suspension, which he served in Hudson Valley’s shutout loss on Saturday. 

Black Bears - Gavin Yates (F) - Last season’s playoff MVP is off to a hot start with three goals and six points in the first four games. 

STAT CENTRAL

Both the Prowlers and Venom have been shut out in a game this season…The Prowlers are the only team to finish last season with a winning record against the Black Bears (1-0-0)…Alex Johnson (PHP) is one point away from 200 as a Prowler…The Prowlers finished 5-1-0 and recorded their only two shootout wins of last season against the Elmira River Sharks (now Hudson Valley Venom)

SERIES SCHEDULE

Oct. 25, 7:00 P.M. at Ice Time Sports Complex (Newburgh, NY)

Oct. 26, 7:00 P.M. at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena (Binghamton, NY)

Both games will be streamed live on the PHP Network YouTube channel.