Motor City Loses Two Goal Lead, Falls In OT To Watertown

Watertown, NY — After a bye week, the Motor City Rockers were back in action in Watertown on Thanksgiving Eve where the Wolves erased a two-goal lead to win 3-2 in overtime. 

The Rockers jumped out to a two-goal lead in the first period thanks to goals from Scott Coash and Danny Vanderwiell. 

With 6:15 left in the first period, the puck caromed off Trevor Babin who made a save from a deflected shot in the slot. The loose puck was picked up by Erik  Oganezov who then lofted a pass from the end line to center ice to Coash. The forward from Plainfield, IL walked the puck into the offensive zone and earned his fifth goal of the season with a quick wrister for a 1-0 lead. 

Vanderwiel scored his fourth of the season on the power play. 

Defensemen Jaime Milam fired a hard blast from the point that Eloi Bouchard turned away. Brad Reitter picked up the rebound and tried a wrap-around attempt, but lost the puck to the slot. Vanderwiel quickly fired the loose puck in the net for his power-play goal of the 2023-24 campaign and a 2-0 lead with 1:34 to play in the period. 

Watertown got back into the game and cut the lead to one, 2-1, off the stick of Trevor Lord midway through the second period. 

Tate Leeson received a pass and tried to deke to the five-hole, but Babin stopped the initial try. Lord followed up the play and fired the puck on the sprawled goaltender with 11:21 to play in the middle frame. 

The Wolves added another goal in the third off the stick of Chase DiBari with 4:08 to play in the third period. 

Lord offered a hard shot from the high slot that was turned away towards the nearside corner where DiBari picked up the rebound. In two steps around the net, he completed the wrap-around for the 2-2 tie that forced overtime. 

In the extra frame, the Wolves earned the game-winner with 49 seconds left in the overtime period. 

Watertown forward Marc Bottero snuck behind the Rocker's defense and fired a hard wrister at Babin that was turned away. The force of the shot forced the rebound back on the stick of Lord who fired the puck on net to the short side for the game-winning goal and his second of the game. 

Motor City will immediately travel back to Michigan to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday and then travel back to New York to face Elmira on Nov 24th and Nov 25th. Motor City Loses Two Goal Lead, Falls In OT To Watertown