Conway's Career Night Leads Motor City Past Prowlers On NYE

Fraser, MI — There are normally fireworks on New Years Eve. But instead of them appearing in the night sky ringing in the new year, it was on the ice at Big Boy Arena.

The stat sheet was stuffed with goals, and infractions as the Rockers beat the Prowlers 8-4 on Sunday Afternoon in a classic I-94 Rivalry game. 

Motor City’s leading scorer Scott Coash was inactive for the second game, and the Rockers had to find someone to step into his place. That man was his linemate Declan Conway who had a career night scoring four goals, and recording his first hat-trick of the season as he propelled the MC offense. 

Before Conway got on the score sheet, the Rockers took a 2-1 lead thanks to goals by Roman Gaudet and Jameson Milam that were separated by an Austin Fetterly power play goal for the Prowlers.

Conway’s first of the night came with 48 seconds left in the first period when TJ Sneath entered the offensive zone and passed the puck to Devon Fields. Fields then fed the puck to Conway who was all alone in the near side circle where he finished the one-timer for a 3-1 lead to close the first period. 

Sneath opened the second period with a power play goal for a 4-1 lead at the 55-second mark before Jonathan Juliano added another before Conway added his second of the afternoon for a commanding 6-1 lead, and five unanswered goals. 

Starter Makar Sokolov was pulled for Ian Wallace after letting in the fifth goal of the evening on 19 shots. 

Brandon Picard earned a short-handed goal after a fantastic fore-check by Frank Schumacher broke up a Rocker breakout that cut into the lead, 6-2, and Mitch Jones continued his hot play for the Prowlers with a power play goal of his own that cut into the lead, 6-3, with 2:46 to play in the second period. 

Conway added his third and fourth of the night completing his first hat trick since April 1st, 2023 before the Prowlers added another power play goal by Fetterly as Port Huron played with an extra attacker for the last three minutes. 

Between the two teams 44 penalties were called, surpassing last year's 30 penalties on last year’s New Years Eve game at Big Boy Arena. The Rockers finished 2-for-3 on the power play, while Port Hurn was 3-for-10 on the night. 

Motor City will now travel to the Empire state to take on the Watertown Wolves on Jan. 5th before playing the Binghamton BlackBears Visions Veterans Memorial on Saturday for the first ever meeting this season between the top two teams in the Empire Division.