MOTOR CITY ROCKERS at PORT HURON PROWLERS

PROWLERS STUN ROCKERS IN OVERTIME

by Will Wiegelman

PORT HURON, MI - The Port Huron Prowlers got the tying goal with under two minutes to play and then defeated the Motor City Rockers 3-2 in overtime. Mitch Jones scored the winner after signing with the team earlier today.

“It wasn’t a perfect game, it was a good game though,” said Prowlers assistant coach Chris Paulin. “I thought our start was excellent. I thought in the second period, we lost our focus a little bit and let our foot off the gas. I thought there were some strong words said in the locker room between periods. I think the team that wanted it more came back and tied the game and eventually won it.”

Late in the first, Bryan Parsons floated a wrist shot from the point that Tristan Simm deflected past Trevor Babin to open the scoring.

That score held into the second when the Prowlers got a power play but it was the Rockers who capitalized on it. Jonathan Juliano picked the corner over Ian Wallace’s blocker to tie the score.

Late in the period, Cade Lambdin dropped a pass to TJ Delaney who sent a bloop shot on net. Wallace made the first save and stopped Scott Coash on the first rebound but Coash was finally able to put it home to give his team a 2-1 lead.

Late in the third, Port Huron still trailed by one when Jones sent a shot towards the net that produced a rebound. Tucker Scantlebury was able to slide the puck to the back post where Sam Marit potted it to level the game at two with 1:56 to go.

“Four-on-four, play at the net and [Scantlebury] made a nice play to kick it over and I had a wide open cage,” Marit said. “Just on the ice with good players there.”

The game needed overtime and Trevor Babin was whistled for tripping with under two minutes to go. The Prowlers worked the puck around the top of the man-advantage unit and Austin Fetterly one-touched a seam pass from one faceoff dot to the other where Jones fired a one-timer to end it. 

Jones was the first star with a goal and an assist while Scantlebury chipped in two helpers. Wallace made 35 saves in the win.

Coash added an assist to his goal while Babin made 36 stops.

The rivals do it again at McMorran on Dec. 30 at 7:05 P.M. Tickets are available at phprowlers.com/tickets or by calling the box office at 810-985-6166.

Motor City Rockers Lose 3-2 In OT To Prowlers

by Ben Szilagy

PORT HURON, MI - The Motor City Rockers dropped a tightly contested game to Port Huron 3-2 in overtime at McMorran Place on Friday night.

The Prowlers have won three straight games over Motor City after the Rockers opened the season series with four straight wins in the I-94 Rivalry. 

Port Huron was awarded a power play with 1:46 left in overtime, and needed only 28 seconds of the man advantage to earn the win.

Alex Johnson quarterbacked the Prowler Power Play from the point and fed the puck to the nearside circle to Austin Fetterly. Fetterly offered a quick one-timer across the ice to newly signed Mitch Jones who buried the shot for a 3-2 win. 

The Prowlers ended the game with a goal, and started the game with a goal with 5:13 left in the first period when the Prowlers broke a scoreless tie. 

Tucker Scantlebury won a puck battle down near the far side corner and chipped back to the point and on the stick of Bryan Parsons. Parsons loaded a shot on net that was deflected by Tristan Simm in front of the net for a 1-0 lead and his sixth of the year.

The Rockers offense took over in the second period with the help of a short handed goal. 

Jonathan Juliano carried the puck out of the Rocker D-Zone and created an offensive charge with Scott Coash. Coash accepted a pass but was drawn out to the nearside half-wall where he gave it back to a bailing Juliano towards the slot. Juliano rifled a shot from the circle high stick side for a 1-1 tie with 14:06 to play in the 2nd period.

It was Juliano’s first Short-handed goal of the year, ninth of his career, and first since the 2016/17 season.

Coash added the second goal of the period four minutes later when he cleaned up a Cade Lambdin shot, and a TJ Delany rebound in the crease. Coash gathered the loose puck and fired it while Ian Wallace was out of position for his team leading 14th goal of the year. 

Coash is on a six game point streak, and a four game goal streak for the Rockers.

The Prowlers were able to tie the score late with 1:56 left in the game on a flurry in front of the net. 

Jones fired the puck on net from the wall that Babin turned away. As the puck was jarred loose, Babin dove to cover it up, Tucker Scantlebury poked the puck to the far side post and on the stick of Sam Marit who pushed it across the goal line for a 2-2 tie. 

The Rockers and Prowlers will face-off in Game 2 of a three game set tomorrow (Saturday) at McMorran Place with a 7:05pm puck drop.

BINGHAMTON BLACK BEARS at ELMIRA RIVER SHARKS 

RIVER SHARKS FLOUNDER, FALL TO BLACK BEARS 7-3

by Jon Kliment

Elmira, NY - The River Sharks got healthy after a pre-holiday weekend saw several emergency call ups to play in Michigan, but with Binghamton coming in Elmira was looking to keep a home winning streak going on Friday night their first 3-in-3 of the season.

The Black Bears came out strong firing everything at goaltender Sammy Bernard, but it would be a lack defensively as Andrew Logar scored first battling through three River Shark defensemen before beating Bernard for the 1-0 lead. The first penalty of the game came against Elmira as well after Elijah Wilson took a hooking minor that saw Dakota Bohn light the lamp just 10 seconds into the man advantage.

Elmira came out firing in the second period and a new line combination of Bret Parker, Steven Klinck and Davide Gaeta went to work as on a perfect feed from Parker Gaeta netted his first goal as a River Shark to cut the deficit to 2-1. Unfortunately for the Sharks on a misplay during a power play Austin Pickford swatted a puck out of midair and behind his goaltender to give Binghamton back their two goal lead. The Black Bears weren't done there as the pressure continued and Thomas Wray took a perfect feed to blast one past Bernard to make it 4-1 Black Bears. 

Unfortunately for the Sharks the late surge in the second carried over into the third as Nikita Ivashkin and Logar both scored to make it 6-1. However, 2:18 later Elijah Wilson tapped in a rebound to close the gap to 6-2 and then 5:25 later Steven Klinck buried another chance from the top of the slot over an outstretched glove to bring it to 6-3. After pulling the goaltender to try to even the odds Ivashkin buried the empty netter to finish off the game 7-3. 

Bernard stopped 23 of 27 in the loss, while Rutherford made his debut stopped 4 of 6. 

The River Sharks head back into action tomorrow night against the Watertown Wolves in Watertown at 7:30 pm. Follow along on Youtube and Mixlr. #FeartheFun

MULTI-POINT SKATERS PUSH BINGHAMTON TO VICTORY

by Binghamton Staff

Elmira, NY - The Binghamton Black Bears defeated the Elmira River Sharks 7-3 on Friday night to kickstart their three-game weekend. Binghamton had four players record a multi-point game, including three skaters having multi-goal performances as well. 

Andrew Logar started the scoring at the 2:48 mark of the opening period. Logar was able to outwait the goaltender on a late developing 2-on-1 and managed to slide the puck past the goaltender. The Black Bears would score on their first power play opportunity of the night, as once again, Dakota Bohn was left unmarked at the top of the umbrella. The first period was all Binghamton, leading 2-1 and outshooting the home team 17-6. 

Elmira was able to cut the lead in half early in the second. Davide Gaeta scored the home squad and tilted the ice in favor of the River Sharks for the next 10 minutes. Binghamton interrupted the excitement, as they would go on to score the next two goals in the period. Bohn would earn his second of the night, and Thomas Wray would follow not too far down the line. The Black Bears continued into the locker room with a 4-1 lead.

The Black Bears were able to control the pace of play in the third, even though Elmira managed two more goals. Nikita Ivashkin bookend goals between Logar in the frame, propelling Binghamton to a 7-3 victory over Elmira. Logar, Bohn and Ivashkin recorded two goals each, and Don Olivieri tallied a three-assist night. Binghamton picked up their 17th win of the season, improving to 53 points atop of the Empire Division. 

DANBURY HAT TRICKS at WATERTOWN WOLVES

Wolves Snap Losing Streak Down Hat Tricks, 7-2

by Jeff Barrett

Watertown, NY - The sixth meeting of the season between these two teams took place this Friday evening in the Watertown Municipal Arena. 

The Wolves tried to get back on track after dropping their last four outings, with Danbury coming in with a two game win streak. So far this season, the Hat Tricks have won three of the previous five games.

The Hat Tricks would strike first when Connor Woolley would gather a rebound in front of the Watertown goal, and slip it past Wolves starter Josh Rosenzweig at 6:27 of the period, giving Danbury the early 1-0 lead.

At the 14:58 mark, Watertown's Josh Tomasi was Johnny on the spot when a rebound off Danbury's starting netminder came squirting out to the left side, and he was able to slap it home into a wide open net tying the game at one goal each.

Period one ended tied with that score. Danbury outshot Watertown 17 to 12 in the first. The Hat Tricks were 0 for 2 on the power play while the Wolves went 0 for 1.

Just 1:19 into the second period Watertown's Noah Doyle netted his first pro goal, giving the Wolves a 2-1 lead when he knifed a shot over the shoulder of McCollum, giving Watertown their first lead of the night 2-1. Assists on the goal went to Michael Mercurio and Trevor Lord.

At the 3:53 mark, the Wolves Marc Bottero lifted a nasty wrist shot past McCollum extending the Wolves lead to 3-1, assisted by Ivan Gamzatov and igniting the home crowd.

Tate Leeson would take a stretch pass from Trevor Lord and get behind the Danbury defense to go one on one with the Danbury netminder, and made a nifty move to beat McCollum lengthening the Wolves lead to 4-1.

Watertown controlled the offensive tempo in the second, outshooting Danbury 21 to 8, making the total shots after 40 minutes 33 to 25 in favor of the Wolves.

Period number three found Watertown captain, defenseman Dustin Henning scoring his first goal of the year, after Aleksandr Gamzatov fought through a couple of checks and slid the puck to Henning who lifted the shot over the blocker of McCollum making the score 5-1 Watertown.

Watertown continued the offensive outpouring at the 6:22 mark of the third when Chiwetin Blacksmith lifted a shot to the top of the cage, assisted by Tate Leeson and Carter Thornton, extending the lead to 6-1.

Tate Leeson added his second goal of the night at 17:19 assisted by William Godbout when they tag teamed once again to get behind the Hat Tricks defense adding to Watertow's lead 7-1.

Danbury's Jacob Ratcliffe was able to shorten Watertown's lead to 7-2 on a power play goal at 19:19 with assists going to newly signed Josh LaBelle and Nick DiNicola, but it was too late to give the Hat Tricks any hope of a comeback.

Danbury would go on to out shoot Watertown 17 to 7 in the third and 42 to 40 for the game in the loss.

The Wolves will host the Elmira River Sharks on Saturday evening, Watertown's final game of 2023. Danbury will head home for the first game of a home and home series with the Binghamton Black Bears to end 2023.  

HAT TRICKS THUMPED IN WATERTOWN FRIDAY, WIN STREAK HALTED AT TWO

by Doug Lattuca

Watertown, NY - The Hat Tricks’ winning streak stopped at two Friday night in a 7-2 loss to the Wolves in Watertown. After the Hat Tricks opened the scoring in the first, the Wolves netted six unanswered goals to pull away. It is the Hat Tricks’ fifth straight defeat on the road.

Not only did the Hat Tricks struggle defensively, but they had no answer for Watertown netminder Josh Rosenzweig who made 40 saves in the win. 

At 6:27 of the first period, the Hat Tricks got on the board. Forward Connor Woolley stole the puck from defenseman Dustin Henning, and slipped one past Rosenzweig. Since rejoining the Hat Tricks on Dec. 22 the forward has goals in back-to-back games. Watertown responded late into the period, after forward Joshua Tomasi sent a rebound shot into the back of the net knotting the game up at one a piece. 

Watertown commanded the second period of play scoring three straight goals. At 1:19, defenseman Noah Doyle put a wrister from the slot behind Hat Tricks’ goaltender Conor McCollum for his first professional goal. Moments later, forward Marc Bottero directed a shot under the bar for his sixth of the season. At the halfway point of the period, forward Tate Leeson received a breakaway pass from d-man Trevor Lord and snuck one in from the short side.

Henning continued Watertown’s offensive dominance when the d-man backhanded the puck into the goal for his first of the season. Not long after, forward Chiwetin Blacksmith fired the puck from the far side to extend the lead to five. Watertown was not done yet. At 17:19, Leeson slid the puck through McCollum’s five hole for his second goal of the night. 

With time winding down, the Hat Tricks added a garbage time tally to make the score 7-2.

The Hat Tricks return home Saturday, Dec. 30 for their final home game of 2023. They host the Binghamton Black Bears with puck drop at 7:00 pm. 

CAROLINA THUNDERBIRDS at COLUMBUS RIVER DRAGONS 

Jmaeff's Hat Trick Paved the River Dragons to Victory

by Tom Callahan

Columbus, GA - Alexander Jmaeff recorded a hat trick and Josh Pietrantonio added a pair of goals to power the Columbus River Dragons to a 5-3 win over the Carolina Thunderbirds on Friday night.

Jmaeff scored just 16 seconds into the first period to get the offense rolling for Columbus, tipping a Nathan Balkwill point shot past Frankie McClendon to make it 1-0.

Pietrantonio would follow with a power play goal, and then Jmaeff netted his second of the night on the power play for a 3-1 advantage after 20 minutes.

The two teams traded goals in the second as Jmaeff completed the hat trick at 12:09, restoring the River Dragons' two-goal lead after Jiri Pestuka pulled Carolina within a goal.

In the third, Carolina would go on the power play with five minutes left in regulation and pull McClendon for a 6-on-4 advantage. The gamble paid off as Dawson Baker scored with 4:29 remaining to make it a 4-3 game.

With time winding down, the Thunderbirds would once again pull the goaltender, but this time Pietrantonio scored into the empty net to cement the 5-3 victory. 

Talor Joseph made 23 saves to improve to 6-0-0-1 on the season and notch his fourth straight victory.

The same two teams rematch tomorrow night at 6:05 pm ET. The AirForce Heating and Air Pregame Show kicks off at 5:30 on 106.9 Really Rocks and the River Dragons YouTube channel at youtube.com/@ColumbusRiverDragons. TV coverage will be provided by Christian Television Network, CTN-16.

BATON ROUGE ZYDECO at MISSISSIPPI SEA WOLVES 

Sea Wolves Follow Liarokos 

by Matthew Hoard & Wesley Barnett

Biloxi, MS- 3,660 fans in attendance witnessed a back and forth battle between the Zydeco of Baton Rouge and the Seawolves from Biloxi. 

Only a minute and eighteen seconds into the first period, assisted by Jackson Bond and Dimitry Kusnetsov, Dalton Anderson opened up the scoring. After a slashing penalty by the Seawolves, Mathias Tellstrom nets the powerplay goal with assists from Austin Weber and Don Carter Jr.. Shortly after, the zydeco would take a 2-1 lead on Brenden Hussey’s first goal of the night by way of Don Carter Jr’s second assist and Tyler Larwood.

Much like the Seawolves start to the first, 36 seconds into the 2^nd period the Zydeco extend their lead with Tellstrom’s second goal of the night with assist from Kyle Stevens and Austin Weber. Danny Liscio got the Seawolves back on track with a goal midway through the second period. With just under 4 minutes remaining Yianni Liarakos gets his first point of the night assisting Sam Turner with the powerplay goal. Just 43 seconds after the Powerplay Goal the Brenden Hussey would answer back and score for the Zydeco. While the exciting second period would seem to be winding down, the Seawolves weren’t done, Hugo Koch would tie it up with a goal assisted by Joakim Nilsson and Yianni Liarakos. 

 A back and forth third period did not result in goals until roughly 7 minutes left. Yianni Liarakos nets his second of the game with an assist by Sam Turner, and with only 17 seconds later, Liarakos’ third goal finds the back of the net unassisted to put the total and final touches on the game 6-4 in favor of the Seawolves.

 Anthony D’Aloisio made 29 saves on 33 shots on goal. His counterpart Gregory Hussey grabbed 31 saves on 37 shots on goal.

The Mississippi Saewolves host the Baton Rouge Zydeco 12/30. Puck drop at 6:05.

LIARAKOS PROPELS SEA WOLVES TO WIN WITH HAT TRICK, ZYDECO FALL 6-4

by Joseph Furtado

Biloxi, MS - The Baton Rouge Zydeco headed back to Mississippi for game three of their 19-game road trip, in search of a win after losing their last three straight games.

The first period saw a lot of offense from both teams, with three goals and 23 shots in the opening 20 minutes. Mississippi wasted no time getting on the scoreboard on a goal from Dalton Anderson who found the back of the net just 01:18 into the game on their first shot. Things didn’t look good for Baton Rouge, who entered the game at 1-7-1 when giving up the first goal. However, Mathias Tellstrom and Brendan Hussey would answer for the Zydeco to give them the lead, 2-1.

Entering the second period, the Zydeco offense continued where they left off. Tellstrom recorded his second goal of the game just 36 seconds in, doubling the Zydecos lead 3-1. From that point, the Baton Rouge offense would go cold, surrendering the next two goals to the Sea Wolves, courtesy of Danny Liscio, and Yanni Liarakos to make it 3-3. Brendan Hussey managed to score just before the end of the period to make it 4-3 Zydeco heading into the final period. 

Opening the third period, things wouldn’t get any better for Baton Rouge as they surrendered the last two goals of the game to Liarakos, who recorded his second hat trick against the Zydeco. The game would end 6-4 and would be a tough pill to swallow for the Zydeco, who surrendered a two-goal lead and a chance to pull closer in the division. 

Baton Rouge will have to turn the page quickly, as they play the Sea Wolves again tomorrow night in Mississippi. With the loss, they now fall to 4-13-2-1-0, while Mississippi improves to 7-10-1-1-1.