SERIES PREVIEW: PROWLERS VISIT EMPIRE'S BEST

The Port Huron Prowlers hit the road this weekend and visit the Empire Division leading Danbury Hat Tricks. These are the first meetings between the two teams this season.

The Prowlers earned a split in a home-and-home with the Motor City Rockers on Feb. 17 and 18. After being shut out at McMorran Place in the first matchup, Port Huron responded with a 5-3 victory the next night on the road. Frank Schumacher and Gino Mini each scored to break 25-game goal droughts while Bryan Parsons netted the game-winner which was his first of the year. Danick Rodrigue made 41 saves in the win which preserved the Prowlers’ third-place spot in the Continental Division. They are 21-16-3 with 64 points, four ahead of the fourth-place Rockers.

Danbury visited Binghamton and Watertown last weekend and came away with two tight victories. The Hat Tricks trailed late against the Black Bears on Feb. 17 but John Macdonald tied the game with 2:16 to go in regulation and Lucas DeBenedet potted the game-winner in the final seconds of the third. Leads of 2-0 and 3-2 weren’t safe the next night against the Wolves as Larry Yellowknee tied the score with 11 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime. A shootout was needed and Zachary Pamaylaon scored the only goal in the third round. Brian Wilson made 90 saves between the two games. The Hat Tricks sit atop the Empire Division at 28-6-5 with 82 points, four points clear of second-place Binghamton.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Prowlers - Frank Schumacher (D) - Schumacher got back in the goal column with a tally in the Prowlers’ last game, his first in 25 games. This weekend, he returns to the place he spent two seasons as a Whaler and a Titan from 2014-16.

Hat Tricks - Brian Wilson (G) - Wilson is one of the top goalies in the FPHL, leading the league in wins (20) and sitting second in goals-against average (2.78) and save percentage (.916). He’s started seven of Danbury’s last eight games.

STATE CENTRAL

Danick Rodrigue (PHP) has won each of his last four starts…Jarod Yau (DHT) leads Danbury with 22 assists but his 24 points are 7th on the team…Danbury has the second-fewest goals against in the FPHL (114)…Danbury is the only team in the FPHL with more than 1,100 penalty minutes (1,139) while Port Huron is the only team with fewer than 800 penalty minutes (764)

SERIES SCHEDULE

Feb. 24, 7:30 P.M. at Danbury Arena (Danbury, CT)

Feb. 25, 7:00 P.M. at Danbury Arena (Danbury, CT)

Both games will be available live on the Port Huron Prowlers YouTube channel