STUCKLESS SINKS OVERTIME WINNER, BOBCATS WIN 4-3 TO TAKE 1-0 SERIES LEAD

WYTHEVILLE, VA-

The Blue Ridge Bobcats prevailed over the Port Huron Prowlers in Game 1 of Round 1 of the 2026 Commissioner's Cup Playoffs, thanks to a game winning goal from Nick Stuckless at 12:58 of the first overtime.

Nikita Kozyrev opened the scoring within the first minute, sniping a shot past Reid Cooper from the high slot just 55 seconds into the contest to put Blue Ridge ahead 1-0, a lead they would hold for the remainder of the opening period.

Denver Craig converted on a great forecheck effort started by Robin Eriksson and Carson Gallagher, stickhandling Cooper into submission and putting the puck home behind him on the doorstep to double the Bobcats advantage at the 5:20 mark of the middle frame. Port Huron responded on the man advantage at the 11:54 mark of the second, when Grayson Dietrich one-timed a shot that was redirected off the shinpad of Reggie Millette and in behind Anthony Shrum.

With just 41 seconds left in the middle frame, Vincent Dekumbis took advantage of a Blue Ridge defensive zone turnover and snapped a shot through the five-hole on Shrum to even the score at two after 2 periods of play.

While on a major penalty power play after Ben Brockway was given a 5 minute major and game misconduct for boarding Craig, Demid Podrezov sniped home a wrist shot from the near side just inside the faceoff circle to put the Bobcats in front 3-2 at the 6:36 mark of the third. Tim Organ tied things once more for Port Huron at the 11:04 mark of the final frame of regulation, and both teams remained tied into sudden death 5-on-5 overtime.

Nick Stuckless found a loose puck out of a netmouth scramble and backhanded it off the leg of a defender and into the back of the net for the game winner to earn his squad a 4-3 win and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 series.

The series now shifts to Port Huron for Game 2, set for Friday night at 7:05 PM EST. Pregame coverage begins at 6:50 EST on the Blue Ridge Hockey Network. If a Game 3 is necessary, it would be played Saturday night at the same time.