Game Recaps 1/31/25

TOPEKA (PROWLERS) ROADRUNNERS vs TOPEKA (DASHERS) SCARECROWS

Prowlers Outlast Dashers in Kansas

by Devin Dobek



Topeka, KS - Matchups 3 and 4 on tap in Topeka, this time with the 2nd seeded Port Huron Prowlers. In the previous two matchups, Port outscored the Dashers 16-1, who were eager for a chance at vengeance in front of a full neutral site crowd. In a low-scoring, goaltender battle, Tucker Scantlebury’s second period tally would prove to be the difference in a 2-1 Prowler win.

Another week inside the beautiful Stormont Vail Events Center provided an opportunity for revenge for the Dashers. Port came out fast in period 1, but Parker Rutherford seemed laser-focused for the early pressure they brought his way. Through the first 14 minutes, the shots were 10-2 Prowlers. The Dashers needed to turn up in a hurry, and they got an opportunity to do so when Ben Brockway was sentenced for a high stick. However, this opportunity was squandered when TJ Prexler played the puck with a broken stick and was given a delay of game call. On the abbreviated Port Huron power play, Austin Fetterly made a beautiful pass to Lukas Lacny who one-timed a howitzer over the shoulder of Rutherford to make it 1-0. With a taste for vengeance, TJ Prexler didn’t hesitate to correct his mistake on his next shift. Driving in above the circle with his angle dwindling, Prexler unleashed a bullet that seemed to shock Nousiainen as it sailed over his shoulder to tie the game at 1 exactly a minute later. So the teams headed off tied at 1 a piece with the shots 13-5 Prowlers. One thing for certain, the next goal would be a big one. 

Period 2 was another nail-biter. The Dashers seemed to come out with some extra motivation after tying it late in period 1. They led in shots 5-4 through the first 7+ minutes, until the tides turned following a Trey Bruggeman slash. On the ensuing powerplay, Rutherford stood tall, turning away shot after shot fueling his team to accomplish the kill. The Dashers used the momentum to establish some zone time, but the energy once again shifted when Colton Wiacek forced a shot from the point that was blocked and sent to Tucker Scantlebury who made a beautiful breakaway move on Rutherford to open the five-hole and break the deadlock. But the Dashers wouldn’t back down, drawing a pair of penalties opening up a 5 on 3 man advantage. Despite some high quality chances, they couldn’t find the equalizer. As time dwindled, Ludwig Thellstrom and Quinn O’Reilly got tied up in the corner. O’Reilly threw some haymakers without a response, similar to Aaron Shahin and Braydon Crowe’s bout last weekend. The verdict was the same, with Port earning a 5 minute man advantage that would carry 4:34 into period 3. The shots in period 2 were 13-7 Prowlers who also led 2-1 heading to period 3. 

A one-goal game heading into period 3, but a tall task lay ahead with still 4:34 left to kill. To the shock of many, the Dashers made the kill look routine, limiting the Prowlers zone time and blocking a plethora of shots. Unfortunately, the Dashers couldn’t mount any momentum from the effort, not recording a shot on net for the first 11 minutes of period 3. In the final 5 minutes, Jhuwon Davis and Bo Zinchenko each uncorked one timers but Nousiainen answered with even better saves. The Dashers pulled the goalie with around a minute to go, but had trouble setting up a play with an aggressive Port defense. The final buzzer rang with the score cementing at Prowlers 2, Dashers 1.

The Prowlers outshot the Dashers 34-18 in this goalie battle. Tucker Scantlebury was named the games’ first star after his game winning goal midway through period 2. The two teams will duke it out again tomorrow night at 7:30 CST inside the Stormont Vail Events Center.

Roadrunners Take Low-Scoring Win in Topeka

by Will Wiegelman



Topeka, KS - The Port Huron Prowlers, playing the part of the Topeka Roadrunners, squeaked out a 2-1 victory over the Dashers Hockey Club, playing the part of the Topeka Scarecrows, at Landon Arena in Topeka, Kansas on Jan. 31. A crowd of just over 3,000 showed up for the FPHL’s third of four neutral site games in Topeka this season.

The scoring didn’t start until there were under three minutes left in the first. Austin Fetterly held up on a rush and feathered a cross-ice feed to Lukas Lacny joining the play. He one-timed home the opening goal of his first game since being activated.

A minute later though, TJ Prexler entered the Roadrunners’ zone and sent a perfect wrister to the top shelf to tie things right up.

That lasted midway through the second period. Jamie Bucell blocked a shot up high and sent Tucker Scantlebury on a breakaway. The Prowlers/Roadrunners’ leading scorer made a move to the backhand and beat Parker Rutherford five-hole for the game-winning goal.

Valtteri Nousiainen made 17 saves in the win and is 5-0-1 in his last six starts.

Rutherford stopped 32 shots in net.

The teams meet up again for the final Topeka neutral site game on Feb. 1 with puck drop scheduled for 8:30 P.M. eastern. The broadcast will be available live on the PHP Network YouTube channel.

COLUMBUS RIVER DRAGONS at BINGHAMTON BLACK BEARS

Record Setting Night in Binghamton

by Brooks Hill



Binghamton, NY - The Binghamton Black Bears cruised to a 11-4 victory over the Columbus River Dragons. Multiple records were broken, as the Black Bears picked up their ninth win in a row, and three different players recorded hat tricks in the same game. 

Don Olivieri started the scoring just 39 seconds into the game. 

Binghamton outshot Columbus 10-0 in the first seven minutes, putting the pressure on early. The River Dragons went to their first power play, but it was Binghamton’s Dakota Bohn who was the one to score. Bohn was denied twice on the doorstep, but on his third whack, was able to find the back of the net. The Black Bears completed the trifecta of goals at 13:31 as Olivieri scored his second and recorded the first power play goal of the night. 

Columbus was able to answer quickly after the third Binghamton tally to cut into the lead, but Kyle Stephan would get the last laugh in the frame. Stephan scored his first with 1:04 remaining in the frame, and the Black Bears would carry a 4-1 advantage into the locker room for the first break. 

Not much changed in the second. Scott Ramaekers and Gavin Yates scored before the first media timeout in the frame. Again, after three Binghamton goals in a row, Columbus answered with another one. Almost 13 minutes went by before the next goal, the longest stretch during the game. Under two to play in the second, Yates found his second of the night, setting up what would be a monumental third period. After two periods, Binghamton led 7-2. 

Like the first, the third started with an Olivieri goal within the first minute. Olivieri’s third of the night would send the hats down on the ice, but they wouldn’t stop there. 12 seconds later, Stephan recorded his second, and minute after that, he would have his third goal of the night. The second player to record a hat trick on Friday. But the party wasn’t over yet; Yates tallied his third, and the final Binghamton goal on a Friday night victory for the Black Bears. All the hats ended up on the ice, as the Black Bears defeated on the River Dragons by a final score of 11-4. 

The win marks the ninth-straight victory for the Black Bears, setting a new all-time record. The team improves to 30-4-1, the first team in the league to reach the 30-win mark. Three different players recorded a hat trick for the first time in franchise history. 

Statement made

HC VENOM at DANBURY HAT TRICKS 

Hat Tricks Score Six Power Play Goals, Glide to 7-2 Win Over Venom

by Wyatt Kopelman

Danbury, CT - The Hat Tricks looked unstoppable on the power play, scoring a season-high six goals on the man advantage in a 7-2 win against HC Venom at the Danbury Ice Arena on Friday.

Jonny Ruiz potted two power play goals to lead Danbury to its fifth straight win on home ice and fifth in six games in the season series. The Hat Tricks converted on six of their eight power play chances (75%).

Ruiz tapped home his own rebound in the crease to give Danbury a 1-0 lead at 7:57 of the first period. Forty-five seconds later, Josh Labelle added another goal on the man advantage, his third of the season, to make it 2-0.

Labelle logged a season-high five points, supplying four assists.

Vadim Frolov scored for the second straight contest, also providing a power play goal to push the Hat Tricks ahead by three with 6:48 to go in the first.

Danbury’s dominant start only carried into the middle frame.

Chase Harwell buried his fifth power play goal of the season, providing the Hat Tricks a 4-1 advantage on a cross-slot pass from Dylan Hullaby. An odd-man rush later paid off for Gleb Bandurkin, scoring in the slot as Danbury surged ahead 5-2.

Hullaby extended his point streak to five games with four goals and four assists since joining the Hat Tricks.

Ruiz’s second goal with the man up came with 10 seconds remaining in the second. Danbury’s all-time leading goal scorer (159) moved the Hat Tricks ahead 6-2 with a wrist shot from the right circle.

Even Noah Robinson partook in the fun. The second-year winger sniped his eighth goal of the season from the right circle for the Hat Tricks’ final power play goal.

Dzianis Zaichyk got HC Venom on the board with 30 seconds left in the first with the man up, trimming the lead to 3-1. Connor Craig also scored on the power play to move HC Venom to within two at 13:06 of the second.

Frankie McClendon stopped 29 shots in his first start since Jan. 11 against Blue Ridge. The 31-year-old netminder is 3-1-1 this season.

Up next, the Hat Tricks are back home against HC Venom. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.

CAROLINA THUNDERBIRDS at BLUE RIDGE BOBCATS

Babik Shuts Out Bobcats 1-0

by Brett Wiseman



Wytheville, VA - Boris Babik was a brick wall in net for the Carolina Thunderbirds, who evened the season series at 5 wins aside with a tight-checking 1-0 victory before a Friday night crowd of 1,783 at Hitachi Energy Arena.

A late-first period backdoor tap in power play goal from Gus Ford served as the lone marker from either side in a playoff-style contest.

The Bobcats had chances throughout the night, but were met by stalwart netminding. Carolina was, too, as Hunter Virostek did everything he could in net to give Blue Ridge a chance. The Turner Valley, Alberta native stopped 32 of 33 Thunderbirds shots to earn third star honors on the evening.



The two teams resume the rivalry for round 11 in Winston-Salem tomorrow night. Puck drop is set for 7:35 from the Fairgrounds Arena, with coverage on BobcatsTV and 96.5 WCGX "The Cat" beginning at 7:20.



BATON ROUGE ZYDECO at ATHENS ROCK LOBSTERS 

Raucous Athens Crowd Fuels Rock Lobster Victory

by Matteen Zibanejadrad



Athens, GA - The Athens Rock Lobsters defeated the Baton Rouge Zydeco 4-1 to a fiery crowd of 5,317 Friday night in Akins Ford Arena.

Having taken an early penalty, the Zydeco opened up the scoring on a shorthanded 2-on-1 that was finished off by Narek Aleksanyan at the 5:30 mark.

Kayson Gallant had an excellent night of stickhandling and used that to his advantage later on in the first, toe dragging a puck around a defenseman and flipping one over Breandan Colgan. Less than a minute later, Orca Wiesblatt redirected a Carter Shinkaruk shot to take the first Athens lead of the night late on in the first.

Having assisted the first two goals, Shinkaruk tallied one of his own with a laser into the roof of the net in the closing minute of the second period.

The dagger was dealt to Baton Rouge, courtesy of Michael Greco, whose long-range effort with an empty net deflected off the well-meaning glove of Zydeco defenseman Nick Ketola and into the net.

The Rock Lobsters (20-4-2, 53 pts) return to Akins Ford Arena Saturday night to take on the Baton Rouge Zydeco. It will be Stick It To Cancer Night in Akins Ford Arena; the team will wear special jerseys that will be auctioned off after the game, with proceeds going to cancer research. Fans can also participate in awareness and fundraising activities.



MONROE MOCCASINS at MOTOR CITY ROCKERS

Motor City Comeback Bid Comes Up Short, Falls 3-2 to Monroe

by Brady Beedon



Fraser, MI - It’s cliche, but it’s cliche for a reason. You have to play a full 60 minutes of hockey to be successful.

The Motor City Rockers got off to a roaring start, lighting the lamp on a Tristan Wells deflection just 18 seconds into the contest.

Monroe evened it up just over five minutes later, when Moccasin defenseman Kalle Koivuniemi tapped in the puck sitting on the goal line, evening the game at 1-1.

The score would stay stagnant until the second period, when Monroe took their first lead of the game on a Declan Conway backhand, bringing the score to 2-1 Moccasins.

Just 36 seconds later, Monroe leading scorer Kyle Heitzner extended the Moccasin lead to 3-1 with his team leading 19th goal of the season.

Motor City would get one back five minutes later on their first power play of the night, as Wells pounded in a rebound from the left side of the crease bringing the Rockers within a goal, 3-2.

Going into the third and final frame, Motor City controlled the pace of play, but despite recording nine shots on net, Monroe goalie William Lavalliere stood tall, stonewalling every Rocker advance, ultimately giving the Moccasins the 3-2 win.

With the win, Monroe has won their third straight one-goal game over Motor City.



The Rockers and Moccasins will battle for the final time this season, tomorrow night at 7:05 at Big Boy Arena on Autism Awareness Night.