By David Dell
PORT HURON- H.C. Venom traveled to town after a thrashing by cellar dwelling Dashers Hockey Club in Danville, Illinois. The Dashers have won just two games this season and Thursday game in the Land of Lincoln stopped a 43-game losing streak for the Deer. The Prowlers extended the Venom’s pain for another night.
Just 2 minutes after puck drop, Adam Heinzl took on a much taller Isaac Embree to fire up the home crowd of 1,305 as Port Huron looked to extend their five-game win streak. The tactic worked for the crowd and for the rest of the boys wearing home black sweaters that night. Both players drew Fighting majors.
Captain Austin Fetterly (14th of the season) got things going at 8:30 with assists from Tucker Scantlebury, recently released from the Southern Professional Hockey League’s Peoria Rivermen and Vincent Dekumbis who came back to town from playing in the Swiss League since the beginning of the season. Dekumbis fired a shot from the left point was stopped initially. Scantlebury got a whack on the puck that then squirted out behind the net. Fetterly always on the spot, banked the puck off net minder John Moriarity for the first tally of the night. A few ticks beyond one minute later, Tristan Simm (8th of the season) found pay dirt with Reggie Millette and Lukas Lachy helping out. Millette ripped his shot that went wide, caromed off the back boards and Simm was there to reel in the juicy rebound for the second score in the period. Both teams were afforded power play chances only to go back to even strength as they drew penalties of their own. Shots favored the Prowlers 14-8 at the end of 20 minutes.
Camden Winters and Tucker Scantlebury tangled for a pair of Interference minors which seemed to set the stage for Scantlebury. He would be whistled for a Double minor Roughing and a misconduct for Continuing an Altercation while getting involved with Nathan Butler. Dylan Marty added to the Prowlers woes with a Kneeing minor. With the Venom on the power play Stavros Solis took the puck end to end and split the lead in half with a flip of the wrist putting the puck over Reid Cooper’s shoulder at 10:21 of the middle frame. Gareth Steinway gave the Prowlers a power play opportunity with a High Sticking minor at 13:29 and Player Coach Alex Johnson (18th of the season) restored the two-goal lead at 14:05. Austin Fetterly and Lukas Lacny played keep away along the left-wing boards before Fetterly dragged it to the top of the slot along the blue line. His rising shot was knocked down by Johnson waiting on the doorstep. Trey Fischer added to the Venom’s score at 18:54 to close again with in one goal, 3-2. Port Huron dominated the shots on goal 16-6 for the period.
Player Coach Matt Graham (20th of the season) restored the two-goal margin at 12:19 when Reggie Millette took an Alex Johnson pass from the left-wing wall and fired it on John Moriarity, the puck was redirected by Graham behind Moriarity who wasn’t guarding the post. Two handfuls of minor penalties often being doled out to both teams simultaneously resulted in no change of score, where the Venom broke into the double-digit shots on goal for first time in the match, 11 to 8. When it was all said and done Port Huron secured three more points in solidifying the third spot in the standings ahead of the Watertown, NY Wolves who are running a four-game losing streak.
The Prowlers are nine points back of second place Danbury (Connecticut) Hat Tricks in the division. Port Huron plays again Saturday night against the last place Mississippi Seawolves at McMorran Place Arena.
The Prowlers play in the Empire Division of the Federal Prospects Hockey League, now in its’ 15th year.
