Bobcats Stun Prowlers Late, Escape With 4-3 Win

WYTHEVILLE, VA-

Before a crowd of better than 1,500 fans at Hitachi Energy Arena on Hometown Heroes Night, the Blue Ridge Bobcats broke a 3-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Port Huron Prowlers thanks to stalwart netminding from Anthony Shrum and late-game shorthanded heroics from Filip Hlavac.

Port Huron's first ever visit to Hitachi Energy Arena treated the crowd to a thrilling, physical back-and-forth affair. Both teams took the first half of the first period to feel each other out in just the 5th all-time meeting between the franchises. Just under halfway through the opening frame at the 9:45 mark, Alexei Kulikov forced a turnover on the near side half wall and sauced a beautiful tape-to-tape pass to Mike Mercurio, who walked into a slap shot and blasted it past Reid Cooper to put Blue Ridge in front 1-0. Lukas Lacny's first of two on the night tied the game on the power play less than 4 minutes later.

Kyle Heitzner wasted no time with the Bobcats' response, coming right out of a media timeout and snapping a rebound on a shot from Denis Radchenko past Cooper to make it a 2-1 game just 2:19 after Lacny's goal.

Both sides played a tight-checking, physical and ultimately scoreless second period. Just over six minutes into the final frame, Bobby Price sniped home a shot past Shrum out of a wild net-mouth scramble to tie the game at 2. 4:20 later, Heitzner potted his second of the night on a tic-tac-toe power play goal to briefly put the Bobcats ahead 3-2. Lacny almost immediately responded, tying the game again just 34 seconds later. 

While killing off a 1:40-long 5-on-3 power play for Port Huron, Anthony Shrum stood on his head to keep the game tied at 3. Hlavac exited the box with his club still shorthanded, outmuscled and outhustled a Prowler for the loose puck at center and powered home his first career game winning goal with 49.4 left in regulation to cap the 4-3 win.

Hlavac earned third star for the GWG, while Heitzner's pair of tallies earned him second star. Shrum's masterful performance in net earned him first star on the night, swatting aside a grand total of 50 of Port Huron's 53 shots on the night.

Both teams meet again tomorrow night for Military Appreciation night. Tickets are available at the Hitachi Energy Arena box office, by phone at 276-335-2100, and online at blueridgebobcats.com/tickets.