Warriors Hold off Fighting Falcons
October 13, 2011 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Port Huron Fighting Falcons News Release
PORT HURON, MI - The Port Huron Fighting Falcons fell to the Michigan Warriors Thursday, 5-2 in a game much closer than the final score would indicate.
Martin Gruse netted the game's first goal 5:58 into the first period. Matus Matis and Chris Eckler assisted on the play. Zak Thompson's goal five minutes later from Joseph Ferriss and AJ White gave the Warriors a 2-0 lead.
The Fighting Falcons controlled the second period, and Logan Lemirande lit the lamp for the second time in as many nights on a power play goal that cut Michigan's lead in half 1:38 into the period. Bret Lewandowski, who played 14 games for the Warriors last season, earned an assist on the play.
Goalie Max Milosek made a great stop on a Fighting Falcons penalty kill, and then Easton Powers took advantage of a Michigan turnover and rifled one past Brach Tiller to tie the game at two. Powers' third of the season came just nine seconds after he got out of the penalty box.
The game remained tied at two heading into the third period.
Gruse got his second score of the night 3:53 into the third period to put the Warriors up for good. Bobby Bodette and Eckler assisted on the play.
The Fighting Falcons gave up their first power play goal on home ice this season four minutes later as they got caught in a line change and Matis and Ferriss went in on a two-on-none break. Matis took the pass from Ferriss and beat Milosek for his fourth goal of the season. Goalie Brach Tiller got his first NAHL assist on the play.
Eckler and Gruse each got their third points of the game when Eckler's shot at an empty net beat the buzzer at 19:59 to give Michigan the 5-2 win.
Each team put up 33 shots on net.
Brach Tiller got the win in net for Michigan, stopping 31 of 33 shots. Milosek took the loss for Port Huron, making 28 saves on 32 shots before being pulled in favor of a sixth skater with 1:02 remaining.
With the win, the Warriors hold on to sole possession of first place in the North Division, improving to 8-2-1. The Fighting Falcons fall to 6-4-2, remaining tied with Kalamazoo for second place with 14 points.
The Fighting Falcons will play their third home game in four nights when they host the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings Saturday at 7 p.m. Fans wearing a pink hat or shirt can get a walk-up ticket for just $6 at the gate as the Fighting Falcons hold their first "Breast Cancer Awareness Night."
Fans can place their orders for 2011 Star Wars Night t-shirts at Saturday's game. The limited-edition t-shirts can be ordered for $12 for youth sizes and $20 for adult sizes. All proceeds from sales of Star Wars t-shirts and jerseys will benefit St. Joseph Mercy Hospital's Pink Ribbon Fund.
Free entries into a drawing for an autographed Fighting Falcons jersey will also be available at the merchandise window. The team will draw a winner at the end of October.
Port Huron's four-game week comes to an end Sunday when they travel to Kalamazoo to complete the home-and-home with the Jr. K-Wings.
Single game tickets are available now at the McMorran Arena Box Office. Tickets in any section are just $7 this season. Student, senior citizen and military tickets are only $6.
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North American Hockey League Stories from October 13, 2011
- Bobcats Return to Central Play Against Bruins - Bismarck Bobcats
- Warriors Hold off Fighting Falcons - Port Huron Fighting Falcons
- Tony Curtale Approaches All-Time Wins Record - Texas Tornado
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