Rockers Earn 33rd Win Of The Season In Front Of Record Crowd At Big Boy Arena

Fraser, 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.