Prowlers Comeback Cut Short by Ice Breakers First Win

By DJ Palm

Port Huron, MI - The Mentor Ice Breakers won for the first time this season on Saturday night, avoiding a weekend sweep and ending a rough start to their inaugural season. They defeated the Port Huron Prowlers, 6-4. 

Mentor netted three goals in the first period. Two of them came from the stick of Mark Essery, and the third from Drake Hunter. Port Huron finally got on the board with two minutes left to go in the first frame on a goal by Zach Zulkanycz. Mentor would take a 3-1 lead into the first intermission.

A Mentor goal by Gordy Bonnel's put the Ice Breakers up 4-1 early in the second period, but Port Huron would fight back. Goals from Yianni Liarakos and Dalton Jay cut the lead to one at the end of the second. 

The first two minutes of the final period is time that the Prowlers wish they could get back. Declan Conway would extend Mentor's lead to at 1:16 into the frame. 34 seconds later Mark Essery would net his hat trick goal to make it a 6-3 lead. Liarakos netted his second goal of the game at 3:23 into the third, but it was too little too late. Derek Moser's 50 save night on 54 shots was more than enough to secure the victory for the Ice Breakers. 

The Prowlers will play at home against Danville on Wednesday at 7:00 PM, and will be on the road to Elmira next weekend. Mentor will play 1st place Carolina for a home and home series starting Wednesday in Mentor and in Carolina on Thanksgiving. Puck drops for both games at 7:35 PM.

Photo credit: Delta Imaging