ATHENS ROCK LOBSTERS at PORT HURON PROWLERS
Prowlers Fight Past Lobsters to Earn Weekend Sweep
by Will Wiegelman
Port Huron, MI - The Port Huron Prowlers completed a two-game series sweep of the Athens Rock Lobsters to close out their three-in-three with eight of a possible nine points. Braidan Simmons-Fischer’s first pro goal was the game winner in the 3-2 Prowlers win.
“There was toughness throughout the lineup, the effort, energy and intensity,” said Prowlers assistant coach Chris Paulin. “Everybody is tired on a Sunday, both teams, and you saw today who had the legs, who had the energy, who had the will in the third period.”
Alex Johnson opened the scoring for Port Huron midway through the first as he wristed a shot past Josh Rosenzweig’s blocker from the left-wing circle.
A couple of minutes later, we got our first dust-ups of the afternoon and two players aside were escorted to the penalty boxes. Off the ensuing faceoff, Matt Graham and Malik Johnson fought and more penalties were handed out beyond that. Johnson was ejected from the game as the parade to the sin bins continued.
Filip Virgili got a chance at a penalty shot but Valtteri Nousiainen turned him away.
In the period’s final seconds 6’ 7” Simmons-Fischer squared off with 6’ 6” Kyle Pow.
Athens got even just over a minute into the middle frame when Filip Virgili scored in his first game back from suspension. A few minutes later, Matt Graham poked in a loose puck at the crease to put the Prowlers back ahead with a power-play tally. Kayson Gallant responded with a man advantage goal of his own to make it 2-2 heading into the third.
The second wasn’t without fisticuffs as Alex Johnson and Carter Shinkaruk dropped the mitts.
Things settled down in the third and Port Huron scored the only goal. Matt Graham found Simmons-Fischer jumping into the play down the right wing. His tally stood up as the game winner as the Prowlers played to a 3-2 final for the fifth-straight game and won their third straight.
“He’s learning and he’s growing very fast,” Paulin said of Simmons-Fischer. “Obviously, he can contribute offensively but he’s so valuable in the locker room. He plays an honest game, he plays hard and when we needed someone to answer, he did that.”
Graham finished with a goal and an assist while Nousiainen made 28 saves.
Virgili had a goal and an assist and Rosenzweig stopped 31 shots.
The Prowlers grabbed eight of a possible nine points out of the weekend and return to the ice with a home and home against the Motor City Rockers on March 14 and 15. Tickets to the Saturday game are available at phprowlers.com/tickets.
Athens’ Battle Back Comes Up Short
by Matteen Zibanejadrad Port Huron, MI - The Athens Rock Lobsters fell 3-2 to the Port Huron Prowlers Sunday afternoon in McMorran Arena.
The visitors battled back from a deficit twice, starting in the first period after Alex Johnson opened the scoring 11:12 into the game.
Filip Virgili would answer for Athens in the second period, making his return from suspension with aplomb. The Swede shoveled a centering pass from Carter Shinkaruk past Valtteri Nousiainen.
Power-play goals became a part of the storyline in the middle 20 minutes, as Kayson Gallant netted his league-leading 12th power-play goal of the year after Matt Graham had a man-advantage tally of his own for the Prowlers.
The go-ahead goal was scored in the opening minutes of the third period, as the Rock Lobsters couldn’t find their third equalizer after Braidan Simmons-Fischer’s game winner.
The Rock Lobsters (33-8-3, 92 pts) continue their road trip against Baton Rouge, taking on the Zydeco in Raising Cane’s Arena for a two-game set. The series starts on Friday, March 14 at 8:30 p.m..
| 
FPHL 
