PORT HURON PROWLERS at MOTOR CITY ROCKERS
Rockers Earn 33rd Win Of The Season In Front Of Record Crowed At Big Boy Arena
by Ben Szilagy
Port Huron, MI - The Motor City Rockers earned a franchise high 33rd win behind a 6-2 win on Saturday night in the regular season finale against the Port Huron Prowlers.
The Rockers also set a franchise record with 2,123 people in attendance at Big Boy Arena.
The bye week ring rust was full off and Motor City returned to playoff form jumping out to an insurmountable three goal lead.
The lone goal of the first period was scored off Avery Smith’s stick with 5:45 to play in the period.
Nick Gullo cycled the puck from the nearside half wall to the point and on the stick of Nick Magill-Diaz. Magill-Diaz then flicked a shot on net that was deflected by Smith who was standing in the slot for his fourth goal in nine games.
The Rockers increased its lead while killing a power play in the second period when TJ Delaney intercepted a pass at center ice and walked the puck in the offensive zone for his 26th goal of the year, and his third short-handed goal of the 2023-24 campaign.
Motor City then cashed in the front end of a 5-on-3 thanks to Scott Coash who threw a prayer on net that went through the five-hole of Oscar Whalgren that was initially set up by a Magill-Diaz pass to Jameson Milam who fed the puck to the near circle to Coash. It was his fourth power play goal of the season.
The Prowlers pulled within two, 3-1, five minutes later when Conor Foley intercepted a pass at center ice and raced the puck into the Rocker end. As he hit the end line, he attempted to center the puck that deflected off Trevor Babin’s stick and redirected through his five-hole for Foley’s 8th of the season.
The Rockers regained a three-goal lead, 4-1, when Declan Conway offered a stretch pass that deflected at center ice and floated into the end line. Coash raced Braden Deck to the puck and fought to regain it in the offensive zone. Coash centered it, and bounced in the crease to Conway’s skate where he then put in the puck for his third goal of the weekend with 1:17 remaining in the second period.
The Rockers and Prowlers traded goals in the third period as TJ Sneath earned his 19th of the season and Port Huron’s Alex Johnson earned his 12th of the year on an unassisted goal late in the third with 5:10 remaining in the game.
Tristen Wells did net an empty net goal to close the game with 18.5 seconds left to secure a 6-2 win for Motor City. The win is the Rockers’ 21st win over Port Huron in two seasons and secures Motor City a 19-9-1 record on home ice this year.
Motor City will travel out to Danbury to face the FPHL defending champion Hat Tricks on Friday night to kick off the FPHL Playoffs before returning home on Saturday for Game 2, and Game 3 on Sunday, if necessary.
PROWLERS FALL TO END REGULAR SEASON
by Will Wiegelman
Fraser, MI - The Port Huron Prowlers wrapped up their regular season with a 6-2 loss to the Motor City Rockers at Big Boy Arena on April 13. Port Huron rested some of their regulars to prepare for playoffs.
Avery Smith opened the scoring late in the first, tipping home a point shot from Nick Magill-Diaz in the high slot.
The Prowlers got a power play chance early in the second but TJ Delaney was sprung on a shorthanded breakaway and he went five hole on Oscar Wahlgren to double the lead. Scott Coash turned home a power play marker later in the frame to make it 3-0.
Conor Foley got Port Huron on the board with a shot from the goal line that fooled Trevor Babin.
With under two to play in the frame, the puck pin balled in front of the Prowlers’ net and Declan Conway whacked it home to restore the three-goal advantage for Motor City.
TJ Sneath made it 5-1 just over a minute into the third, with a deflection off a Josh Colten shot. Alex Johnson, who played in all 56 games this season for Port Huron, stopped the bleeding by picking the top corner from the bottom of the faceoff circle.
Tristan Wells hit the empty net to seal the deal.
Foley led the way for the Prowlers with a goal and an assist while Wahlgren made 19 saves.
Coash added a helper to his tally while Magill-Diaz dished out a pair of apples himself. Babin stopped 22 shots in net.
Port Huron begins the Commissioner’s Cup playoffs against the Carolina Thunderbirds on April 19th with a 7:05 P.M. puck drop at McMorran Place. Tickets are available at phprowlers.com/playoffs.
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