Thunderbirds Shutout Prowlers for Second Time This Season

By Zak DeBeaussaert 

Winston-Salem, NC - The much anticipated pre-game shootout didn't go the Carolina Thunderbirds' way on Friday night, but that was the only thing to go wrong, as they shutout the Port Huron Prowlers, 4-0 in front of a crowd of 2,326.

The pre-game shootout to decide a potential winner at the end of a potential overtime period was met with ire and mixed reviews. It fell flat for Carolina as they went 1/3 against netminder Cory Simons. Meanwhile, Port Huron went 4/4 against Christian Pavlas to secure the tiebreaker, should it be needed.

The Thunderbirds made sure it wasn't needed at the end of the night as Jan Salak recorded the sixth hat trick in Thunderbirds history over the course of the game. He scored twice in the second period and put the empty netter home to seal the game and send the hats onto the ice at the Fairgrounds Annex. Chase Fallis also tallied his fourth goal of the season in the win.

Christian Pavlas had a historic night, himself. His 20-save shutout is his first as a Thunderbird and is the fourth shutout in Carolina Thunderbirds history. In the win, Pavlas also tied Kelly Curl for the most wins in Carolina Thunderbirds history with nine.

The Thunderbirds start their weekend off on the right foot with this win and now look ahead to Saturday night with a rematch on tap against the Port Huron Prowlers. The first shot of the pre-game shootout is at 6:05 PM, with a 5:40 pregame show on the Carolina Thunderbirds Radio Network.

3 Stars of the Game:
Jan Salak
Christian Pavlas
Chase Fallis 

Attendance: 2,326

Photo credit: V. Khouri