The Binghamton
Black Bears (3-0) defeated the Port Huron Prowlers
(2-2) in Port Huron in shutout fashion by the score of 1-0. The
Black Bears wasted little time seizing momentum in Game 1 of their
Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series against the Prowlers, taking a
1-0 lead after the opening 20 minutes at McMorran Place.
Binghamton’s league-best power play delivered the game’s first goal.
With Port Huron’s John Larkin in the penalty box for cross-checking,
Mac Jansen capitalized on the man advantage at the
5:18 mark, wiring home his first goal of the postseason.
Austin D’Orazio and CJ Stubbs picked up
the assists on the play, continuing their strong playoff production.
The opening period also featured an early scare for the Black Bears’
blue line. Defenseman Jesse Anderson was forced to
leave the game less than two minutes in after being driven awkwardly
into the boards. Anderson remained down on the ice for several
moments, and play was delayed while the ice crew cleaned up blood
before he was helped off. His departure leaves Binghamton with just
five defensemen for the remainder of the contest. Despite the
setback, the Black Bears controlled much of the play, outshooting
the Prowlers 15-6 in the first period. Dominik Tmej
turned aside all six Port Huron shots, while Reid Cooper
kept the Prowlers within striking distance with 14 saves. Port
Huron’s John Larkin was whistled for two penalties in the period,
including the infraction that led to Binghamton’s opening goal.
Emerson Emery took Binghamton’s lone penalty of the frame for delay
of game, but the Black Bears’ penalty kill remained perfect. After
one period, Binghamton holds a 1-0 lead and will look to build on
its strong start in the second.
If the first period was about
execution, the second was all about emotion. The middle frame
featured no scoring, but plenty of intensity as both the Binghamton
Black Bears and Port Huron Prowlers ramped up the physical play in a
tightly contested Game 1. Scrums after whistles, matching minors,
and a steady parade to the penalty box defined much of the period. A
key sequence came at the 10:09 mark when tensions boiled over,
resulting in matching unsportsmanlike conduct penalties to
Binghamton’s Jesse Anderson and Port Huron’s
Bobby Price, along with roughing minors to Tyson
Kirkby and Vincent Dekumbis. The
coincidental penalties reflected the growing hostility between the
two sides as neither team was willing to give an inch. Special teams
opportunities were present throughout the period, but both
penalty-kill units stood tall. Binghamton successfully killed off
multiple infractions, including penalties to Ivan Bondarenko,
Dan Wieber, and Mac Jansen, while
Port Huron’s kill unit responded with a strong effort of its own.
The most dramatic moment of the period came shorthanded for
Binghamton. At 16:15, Jacob Shankar appeared to
beat Reid Cooper on a breakaway chance, driving deep into the crease
during the play. Officials immediately waved it off and initiated a
review, ultimately ruling no goal and keeping the score at 1-0.
Despite the lack of scoring, Binghamton continued to control the
shot clock, outshooting Port Huron 11-9 in the period and holding a
26-15 advantage through 40 minutes. Dominik Tmej
remained sharp between the pipes, turning aside all nine shots he
faced in the second, while Cooper continued to keep the Prowlers
within striking distance. With tensions high and the margin
razor-thin, the series opener heads to the third period with
Binghamton clinging to a 1-0 lead.
The Black Bears saved
their best defensive effort for the final 20 minutes, locking down a
hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Prowlers in Game 1 of the
Commissioner’s Cup semifinals. Protecting a one-goal lead, the Black
Bears faced their toughest push of the night as Port Huron pressed
relentlessly in search of an equalizer. The Prowlers outshot
Binghamton 12-5 in the third period, generating several quality
scoring opportunities, but Dominik Tmej was simply
unbeatable. Tmej turned aside all 12 shots he faced in the final
frame, capping off a stellar 27-save shutout—his first of the 2026
postseason. Time and again, the Black Bears’ netminder came up with
key stops as Port Huron threw everything they had at him in the
closing minutes. Binghamton’s defensive structure held firm, even
after Jacob Shankar was assessed a roughing minor at the 9:49 mark.
The Black Bears’ penalty kill, which entered the postseason as one
of the league’s best, remained perfect once again, denying every
Port Huron power-play opportunity. The lone goal of the night stood
as the game-winner: Mac Jansen’s first-period
power-play tally at 5:18. That strike, set up by Austin
D’Orazio and CJ Stubbs, proved to be all
the offense Binghamton would need. |
