DASHERS of DANVILLE at MOTOR CITY ROCKERS
Rockers Hold off Dashers, Earn Sweep with 4-3 Win
by Brady Beedon
Fraser, MI - For the first time this season, the Motor City Rockers earned a full six points on the weekend.
Motor City knocked off the Dashers Hockey Club 4-3 on Saturday to collect the weekend sweep.
The Rockers got the scoring started in the first period when Tristan Wells tipped a Jameson Milam shot past Dasher goalie Parker Rutherford to get Motor City on the board with the power-play goal.
The lead would only last a few minutes, as after a scramble in the crease left the goal-mouth wide open, Kim Miettinen buried the shot for his first of the year, tying the score at 1-1.
After the fresh sheet of ice was laid, Cody Oakes deked his way past several Dasher defenders en route to the net, bypassing Rutherford and giving the Rockers the 2-1 edge.
As the second period was winding down, Dashers leading scorer Brandon Stojcevski went five-hole on Trevor Babin to even the game at 2-2.
Tied entering the games final period, Eli Rivers tipped another Milam shot past Rutherford, giving the Rockers the lead for the final time 3-2. Motor City captain Josh Colten gave the Rockers some insurance with a power play goal 9:03 into the third period.
The Dashers made it interesting with a Jhuwon Davis goal in the final minute of the game, but ultimately failed to get a look at tying the game up.
With the win, Motor City has earned a point in seven of its last nine contests.
“It’s good timing,” said Milam. “You keep wanting to do these things and keep expecting them out of your team. Then there’s lows and there's highs and then we have a short memory and forget how we got there.” Milam and the Rockers have been in some exciting games, but he says you don’t need to win with flash.
“I’ve been preaching that boring might be a good shift,” said Milam. “[A shift when] they don’t get in the zone, you have good angles and we are keeping them out of our end. It might not be the most exciting brand of hockey… if you’re keeping them away from our end, that’s a good shift.”
Milam and the Motor City Rockers will ring in the New Year when rival Port Huron comes to Big Boy Arena for a New Years eve matchup. Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Dashers’ Tenacious Effort Falls Short
by Devin Dobek
Fraser, MI - After a difficult 45 shot loss last night, the Dashers had a chance for revenge with the Motor City Rockers. In a game filled with frustrations, controversies, and tensions, Motor City was able to outlast the Dashers in a 4-3 thriller.
A fresh start. A new life. Whatever you want to refer to it as is what the Dashers had for another contest with the Motor City Rockers. A pair of fresh goaltenders would take their places in between the pipes, despite Rico Gonzalez putting together a 45 save shutout in last night’s affair. For the Rockers, it was Trevor Babin, AKA The Dark Knight who was ready for his first action since November. On the other end it was Parker Rutherford, the Dasher goaltender with a win this season and searching to make it 2. The Dashers came out hot like they did the previous night, with a handful of shots early into the period. However, a pair of penalties minutes later would kill the mojo. On the power play a Jameson Milam blast was redirected past Rutherford’s glove by Tristen Wells to open the scoring at 1-0. Playing from behind has been no irregularity for the Dashers this season. Dashers assistant captain and former Rocker Nick Gullo took it upon himself to make something happen. With a hard drive to the net, a Rocker shoved Gullo into Babin leaving him out of position. A loose puck in the high slot was snapped home by Kim Miettinen for his first of the season, tying the game at 1. Both teams had more chances the rest of the frame, including Nik Salov ringing one off the post for the second straight night, but the score would remain deadlocked going into the locker room.
Tensions would heat up in a fast paced end to end period 2. 3 posts were hit between the two teams in the frame. Motor City regained the lead on a Cody Oakes net drive to beat Jonatan Wik and tuck the puck past Rutherford around the midway point. In a 2-1 game, naturally things get chippy. Following Nick Gullo taking a hard, controversial hit in the neutral zone, Trey Fischer and Adam Kuhn exchanged some slashes and crosschecks before losing the mitts for the games’ first bout. It was a lively crowd on $2 Beer Night inside Big Boy Arena, and Motor had the momentum. However, the hockey gods answered the Dashers’ prayers when Brandon Stojcevski slid a soft wrist shot through Babin’s five-hole to tie the game at 2. In the closing moments of the period, Trey Fischer had a chance to fly in all alone, but a couple slashes from Eli Rivers broke up the opportunity. With a couple being after the buzzer, Dasher rookie Jacob Gagnon went after RIvers, and the two engaged in a brief scrum leading to offsetting minor penalties. Safe to bet, the final regulation chapter would be a fun one.
Period 3, the hockey gods turned on the Dashers. Just over 4 minutes in, Jameson Milam slammed a knuckle puck that was tipped a few times and when all was said and done Eli Rivers was credited for the tally to make it 3-2. Bad turned to worse on one of the more controversial moments of the Dashers season. Colton Wiacek gloved the puck to himself and was tripped as he was changing directions. Furious for the no-call, AJ Tesoriero let the refs have it and as a result was assessed a minor penalty and ultimately an ejection. On the ensuing powerplay, Motor City scored in just 13 seconds to make it 4-2. Thomas Murphy then took it upon himself to share some thoughts with the officials and was also given a 2/10/10 ejection. Without the ship’s captain, the Dashers began to reel. They were able to draw a pair of penalties, but time was not their friend. With under 25 seconds to go, Jhuwon Davis tipped home a Lester Brown rocket to make it 4-3, but it would prove to be too little too late, as the Dashers fell 4-3.
Motor City earns a much needed weekend sweep to improve to 8-11-3, as the Dashers fall and descend to 1-17-3. The Rockers are slated to host the Port Huron Prowlers on New Years Eve, as the Dashers travel to Monroe for a weekend set next Friday and Saturday with the Mocassins.
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