Shrum Stops 45 as Wolves Drop 6-1 Decision at Port Huron

PORT HURON, M.I. — Anthony Shrum turned aside 45 of 51 shots and the Watertown Wolves killed off all four Port Huron power plays Friday night at McMorran Place, but the Prowlers pulled away in the second period to take the opener of the Halloween weekend series, 6-1.

Port Huron struck twice in the first: Arsenii Smekhnov opened the scoring at 3:58, finishing a feed from Bryan Parsons, and Reginald Millette made it 2-0 at 11:09 with help from Bobby Price and Jamie Bucell.

Brett Lockhart stretched the lead to 3-0 at 4:40 of the second, but Donovan Powell answered on Watertown's power play at 9:29, finishing a feed from Brendan Hussey and Dean Balsamo to cut it to 3-1. The Prowlers answered with two more before the intermission — Bucell at 16:22 and Price at 17:30 — and Aidan LaValley closed out the scoring at 9:34 of the third.

Balsamo, signed by the Wolves on Thursday, picked up an assist in his first game as a Wolf. Powell's power-play goal was Watertown's only tally, and Hussey added the other assist.

Shrum kept the Wolves in it under a heavy barrage, facing 51 shots, while Andrew MacLean earned the win for Port Huron with 19 saves. Port Huron outshot Watertown 51-20 overall. The Wolves finished 1-for-5 on the power play; the Prowlers went 0-for-4.

Millette (one goal, two assists), Price (one goal, two assists) and Smekhnov (one goal) were named the game's three stars.

The loss drops the Wolves to 0-5-1 on the season, still in search of their first win.

The two teams run it back Saturday night at McMorran Place, with puck drop at 7:05 p.m.