By David Dell
PORT HURON- The Prowlers kicked off a seven-game home stand with a commanding seven-goal night against the visiting Elmira, New York, Mammoth. Dan Chartrand (8th of the season) started things off in the right direction on a pass in the slot from Evan Foley deep in the corner behind Mammoth goalie Harley White. The play originated in the right-wing corner of Dustin Henning. The red light came on at 1:33 of the first period, with the Prowler’s first shot on goal. Port Huron’s second shot on goal gave them a two-goal lead when Matt Stoia (3rd of the season) sniped the short side corner over White’s shoulder, popping the bottle at 5:00. Sam Gagnon and Sam Marit picked up the assists. Joseph Deveny (24th of the season) put the Prowlers up by three with his first of three goals on the night at 12:48. Matt Graham controlled the puck behind the Mammoth cage shooting it over to newly signed Zach Olen. Olen brought the puck out and got it to Deveny close in on the left wing, who got it past White who was being effectively screened by Graham. Port Huron headed to the locker room up leading in shots on goal 12 – 9 and with a 3-0 score.
Joe Deveny (25th of the season) stayed hot during the intermission and doubled up his goals just seventeen seconds into the second frame. Zach Olen fired a shot that Harley White stopped but when he couldn’t contain the rebound, it flipped right out in front of Deveny who easily lifted it over the sprawling netminder. On the ensuing face-off, Gino Mini took on Justin Schmit for the second time this season. Schmit who fought for Columbus (Georgia) Riverdragons in November was just recently traded to Elmira. Both players received 5-minute majors for Fighting at 00:18 of the second. Dalton Jay (28th of the season) chased White at 3:32 on his goal fed from Evan Foley who stole a pass behind the Mammoth net, got it to Jay deep in the slot who went upstairs above White’s stick side shoulder. Danick Rodrique, whom, Port Huron recently traded to Elmira came in on relief. Scoring would hold for the remaining 16:28 with the Prowlers killing a penalty at 15:22 on Dan Chartrand’s minor for Hooking. After 20 minutes Port Huron was up 5-0 again on 12 shots.
The final frame had Zach Olen and Matt Graham helping Joe Deveny (26th of the season) with his hat trick at 5:59. Olen picked up a weak clearing attempt just inside the Mammoth zone, guided it to Graham in the slot. Graham stopped it and deflected it to Deveny who shot on goal. Rodrique was able to squeeze the 5-hole tight enough and the puck slipped across the goal line. Port Huron continued to pepper Rodrique with shots until 13:11 when Gino Mini picked up a minor for Tripping. Right after his penalty expired he intercepted a pass in the Port Huron zone and could skate unopposed into the Elmira end. Evan Foley took a centering pass in the slot but his shot was easily stopped. Continuing in on the net, Mini was able to scoop up the loose change and cash it in for the Prowlers’ seventh goal of the night. The Mammoth broke the stranglehold shut out with six minutes in regulation when Luke Richards lifted a rebound over Wyatt Hoflin, laying flat on his back after a mad scrum just in front of the Port Huron crease. Thomas McGuire added a goal for Elmira at 16:25 doing it all alone. Hoflin had gone behind his cage to play the puck that had been rimmed around on a dump-in when the puck took a strange carom off the endboards near the Zamboni doors. Deflecting right in front of the gaping maw of the net, the puck was ripe for the picking. The Prowlers took control of the game after that and ran out of the clock, keeping the puck in the offensive zone.
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Joe Deveny got Port Huron’s first hat trick of the season and they finished the game with 40 shots on goal to Elmira’s 28 and picked up 3 points with the win. They sit 2 points behind Fraser’s Motor City Rockers in fourth place in the Continental Division. Port Huron will try to sweep the season against Elmira with another game Saturday night.
