Rockers Late Rally Edge Wolves, 7-6

by Jeff Bartlett

Watertown, NY - For the second night in a row the Watertown Wolves played host to the Motor City Rockers in the Watertown Municipal arena. Unlike Friday night where it took 61 minutes and 16 seconds for a goal to be scored, the lamp was lit at just 41 seconds into the first period as the Rockers took the early lead with an even strength goal from Roman Gaudet, assisted by Tommy Cardinal.

The Wolves would answer that in short order as Tommy Cardinal took a roughing penalty at the 2:05 mark and Michael Mann would make him pay with a powerplay goal at 2:37, assisted by Santino Foti and Matt Brown to tie the game at one.

23 seconds later the Rockers would regain the lead on a Ross Bartlett even strength goal at the 3:00 mark, assisted by Roman Gaudet and Derek Makimaa, giving the Rockers a 2-1 lead. The Wolves got one back at 7:04 of the frame as Fabian Lehner nets his first goal for the Wolves, assisted by Evan Carroll, knotting the game 2 a piece.

The scoring calmed down a bit after that point, then at the 17:30 point of the period both teams decided they had seen enough of each other already this year and tempers boiled over. Multiple melees broke out with the Wolves Charlie Pens Jr and the Rockers Chris Corgan getting tangled together, and then Watertown's Larry Yellowknee engaging Vaughn Clauston in battle. There were several smaller scrums all happening simultaneously in the Rockers end of the ice, when the Rockers Trevor Babin decided to leave his net and jump into a pile of players on the ice. Watertown's Michael Mann was also involved in the fighting mixing it up with several of the Rockers players.

After things calm down the referees had a laundry list of penalties to hand out. For the Wolves, Charlie Pens Jr, Larry Yellowknee and Mike Mann would all receive 5 minute fighting majors and game misconducts. Michael Mann would also recieve 2 minutes for intigating. Charlie Pens Jr. would be done for the night.

On the Rockers side, 5 minute fighting and 10 minute game misconducts were handed out to Chris Corgan and Trevor Babin. Vaughn Clauston would also get 5 minutes for fighting. Trevor Babin would be done for the night.

After all the fighting was over, the period would finally end with the teams tied at two goals a piece.

The second period saw plenty of offense from both teams as each would lite the lamp 3 times. The Wolves first goal would come just :59 seconds in as Rocco DiCostanzo was able to slide one by the Rockers goalkeeper Travis Ridgen for a short handed goal, but it only took a minute and 40 seconds for the Rockers to again tie the score when Cade Lamdin was able to knock home a rebound of a Josh Colton shot from just outside the blue ice on the left hand side. Each team would get their second goals of the period on even strength efforts. First, at the 8:13 mark, Watertown's Kolton Maguire sent a nasty wrist shot to the top of the cage, briefly giving the Wolves the lead 4-3. But at 16:32 of the frame Cade Lamdin would get his second goal of the night, again on a rebound that bounced out to the left hand side, end he was able to swat it out of the air and beat Greg Hussey to the near side. At 18:08 the Wolves jumped back into the lead when Rocco DiCostanzo would net his second goal of the game, assisted by Santino Foti and Trevor Lord. The lead wouldn't last long as the Rockers would get a powerplay goal, after the Lincoln Gingerich tripping call, by Josh Colton at 19:02, assisted by Derek Makimaa and Roman Gaudet. The period would end tied at 5 goals each.

The third period would find the Wolves again jumping out to a one goal lead when Brennan Young potted his first goal in Watertown at the 5:02 mark, assisted by Santino Foti, making the score 6-5. The Rockers would again even the score at 8:37 of the period with a goal by Artem Alehkin, assisted by Tommy Cardinal and Brendan Mackenzie.The Rockers would take the lead for good at the 16:08 mark on a goal from Tommy Cardinal assisted by Brad Reitter to take a 7-6 lead.

The Wolves will return to action next Friday and Saturday evenings as they host the Elimira Mammoths for the first time. Puck drops at 7:30 both nights.