Game Preview: Hat Tricks vs. Port Huron Prowlers | Feb. 28, 2025

LAST TIME OUT

Connor Woolley’s two goals and one assist, including the shootout winner, gave the Hat Tricks their fourth shootout win of the season, 4-3, in Watertown on Sunday.

The Hat Tricks scored two straight goals in the third period. Woolley’s snipe in the left slot brought Danbury to within one and with about 4 ½ minutes left, co-head coach Jonny Ruiz tied the game at three, forcing the fifth overtime affair between the Hat Tricks and Wolves this season.

Woolley netted the only goal of the shootout next to Frankie McClendon’s sterling performance in the net. McClendon denied Tate Leeson, Trevor Lord, and Davide Gaeta in the shootout to help Danbury to its first win past regulation against Watertown this season.

Gaeta, Trevor Grasby and Lord all scored, two of which came on the power play, in the middle frame and Watertown took a 3-1 lead into the third.

Vadim Frolov buried the go-ahead goal for the Hat Tricks in the first on a rebound, giving Danbury its only lead in regulation. Each team had three shots in overtime.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Friday marks the sixth of seven meetings between the Hat Tricks and the Prowlers this season. The two teams last battled in Danbury on Saturday as the Hat Tricks stormed back from a three-goal deficit in the third to swipe two points in a shootout win. Noah Robinson, Dylan Hullaby, and Jonny Ruiz potted three straight goals in less than 5 ½ minutes and Gleb Bandurkin ultimately scored the deciding goal in the shootout’s seventh round. The victory moved Danbury to 3-1-0-1 in the season series.

The Hat Tricks and the Prowlers also faced off on Feb. 14–15 in Michigan. Danbury posted nine combined goals but split the weekend with a 7-2 win on Feb. 14 and a 4-2 defeat the following night.

Connor Woolley leads the Hat Tricks in the season series with four goals and three assists. Aleksandr Vasilyev has chipped in with two goals and seven assists, including three points (1g, 2a) in Saturday’s 6-5 shootout win.

Conor McCollum is 3-1-0 and has a .916 save percentage through four starts.

Port Huron’s Joel Frazee leads his side with three goals in the series while Matt Graham has provided two goals and three assists.

Prowlers goaltender Valterri Nousiainen has a .835 save percentage and is 0-2 in two appearances. Reid Cooper is 1-1-1 in three starts (.883) and made 29 saves on Feb. 22 in Danbury.

The Hat Tricks and the Prowlers meet for the final time in the regular season on Saturday at the Danbury Ice Arena.

ABOUT THE PROWLERS

Port Huron enters tonight’s matchup in fourth place in the Empire Division. With 61 points (16-16-5-4), the Prowlers are five points behind the Wolves for third place and 43 back of Binghamton for the top spot. They have won only one of their last six games with a 4-2 home victory against the Hat Tricks on Feb. 15. The Prowlers are 3-4-1-0 in their previous nine contests following a five-game win streak (Jan. 4–18).

Port Huron’s four-game East Coast road trip has gotten off to a rocky start. It dropped two games to HC Venom (3-2L) and Danbury (6-5SOL) last weekend. In the second period of their loss to HC Venom, the Prowlers allowed back-to-back goals and were held silent in the third.

Port Huron is led by defenseman Alex Johnson, who paces the club in points (48), goals (15) and assists (33). Johnson is on a three-game point streak (1-4-5) for the first time since Jan. 25. Former leading-goal scorer Tucker Scantlebury is still on loan to the Knoxville Ice Bears (SPHL) as of Feb. 13.

Valtteri Nousiainen is 13-11-2 with a .911 save percentage and has the FPHL’s eighth-lowest goals against average (2.73).

HAT TRICKS HEADLINES

Danbury has won 10 of its last 11 games and has points in 13 of the previous 14 outings.

Friday’s home game against Port Huron provides the Hat Tricks the opportunity to win four straight contests and, with a regulation victory, improve to 11-1-1-2 in a 15-game stretch. They will begin a five-game homestand and host HC Venom next weekend (March 7–9) as part of seven total home contests in March.

During its recent three-game win streak, Danbury has averaged 4.7 goals per outing and has scored five or more goals in seven of the last 10 games. The Hat Tricks’ shootout win over Watertown marked the first time this season they have won consecutive games via shootouts.

Danbury takes on Port Huron with a record of 19-11-6-4 (71 points) and is five points ahead of Watertown for second place in the Empire Division. The Hat Tricks stand 33 points behind the Binghamton Black Bears for the top spot.

The Hat Tricks’ power play is tied with Binghamton (25%) for second in the FPHL and has scored the third-most goals (41). On the penalty kill, Danbury is 11th (77.2%) and has allowed the league’s fourth-most goals (38) but has delivered in 33 of its past 36 opportunities (91.7%) through eight games. In five games against the Prowlers, Danbury is 24-for-26 (92.3%) on the kill.

Gleb Bandurkin is the Hat Tricks’ leading goal scorer (25) and has two hat tricks in his last nine outings. Josh Labelle, Jacob Ratcliffe, and Aleksandr Vasilyev are all tied for the team lead in assists (28).

COMEBACK KIDS DO IT AGAIN

The Hat Tricks completed their 12th come-from-behind win of the season on Sunday over the Wolves in Watertown. Despite trailing 3-1 after two periods, Danbury scored back-to-back goals to tie the game with 4:35 to go in regulation before Connor Woolley buried the deciding goal in the shootout. The triumph marked the Hat Tricks’ seventh comeback victory in February and the second of the weekend, both resulting in shootout wins.

O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!

Co-head coach and captain Jonny Ruiz scored in the third period for the second straight game on Sunday, extending his point streak (6-8-14) to six games with goals in four of his last five (6). The Hat Tricks’ all-time leader in goals (163), points (302), and games played (232) has logged 10 multi-point outings this season. His latest was on Saturday with a goal and two helpers against Port Huron (6-5SOW). Ruiz holds 16 goals, three shorthanded, and 20 assists in 31 games played this season.

WOOLLEY’S WIZARDRY

Connor Woolley posted two goals and one assist in Sunday’s road win, marking his third straight multi-point outing (3-4-7). The Pawling, N.Y., native returned from the 15-day IR on Feb. 8 against the Dashers (7-2W) and supplied two assists the following game. Woolley has nine multi-point performances and 28 points (10g, 18a) in 30 games this season.

VADIM THE DREAM

Vadim Frolov scored the go-ahead goal for the Hat Tricks on Sunday, marking the fourth game of his last seven where the 22-year-old forward has scored. A native of Saint Petersburg, Russia, Frolov has four multi-point outputs in that span and 12 points (6g, 6a) overall. Frolov holds 17 goals and 15 assists in his rookie season.

TWO VETERANS APPROACHING MILESTONES

Jacob Ratcliffe is two points away from the 100th in his FPHL career, all with the Hat Tricks. The forward of Canterbury, New Zealand, has 39 points (11g, 28a) this season, his third in Danbury. Josh Labelle is two assists from reaching 100 in the FPHL. The 25-year-old defenseman has recorded 28 helpers in his fourth professional season. Labelle spent his first season in Watertown (6g, 24a) and second with Columbus (7g, 21a).

ABOUT DANBURY HAT TRICKS:

The Danbury Hat Tricks are a professional hockey team based in Danbury, CT and compete in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL). Since their founding in 2019, the 2023 Commissioner's Cup Champions have brought thrilling, fast-paced, and hard-hitting hockey to the Danbury Ice Arena, earning a reputation for their competitive spirit, electric atmosphere and strong community ties. The team is dedicated to providing an unforgettable game-day experience for fans of all ages while proudly representing the city of Danbury.

Off the ice, the Hat Tricks are committed to fostering connections within the local community through outreach programs with schools, businesses and charities. By developing top-tier hockey talent and growing the sport in the region, the Hat Tricks aim to bring the community together and deliver entertainment that leaves a lasting impact.

Danbury Hat Tricks single-game tickets and full/partial season membership plans are still available for purchase. If you are interested, email herm@danburyhattricks.com or go to Tixr.

To stay up to date on all things Danbury Hat Tricks hockey, go to danburyhattricks.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok (@DanburyHatTricks).