Motor City Secures Home Ice With 3-2 Comeback Win
Port Huron — The Motor City Rockers secured home ice through the first round of the FPHL Playoffs on Friday Night behind a 3-2 comeback win versus the Prowlers.
The night started out like many nights between the Rockers and Prowlers at McMorran Place with Motor City finding itself in a hole early.
Port Huron’s Jeromey Rancourt earned his first professional goal midway through the first period when the Prowlers pressure was just too much for the Rockers to overcome. Shots rang from the outside and Motor City couldn’t clear the defensive zone after multiple attempts.
A shot from Austin Fetterly was blocked by Ricky Gonzalez and the follow-up by Dan Chartrand was also turned away. But the puck lay near the crease and Rancourt put in the rebound for a 1-0 lead with 8:52 to play in the first.
The Prowlers added to its lead in the second period thanks to another press by its forecheck. The puck was behind the end line and Evan Foley won a wall battle, then kicked the puck to the hashes where Vincent Dekumbus buried a sharp wrister for a 2-0 lead with 7:57 to play in the middle frame.
The Rockers offense began to take off thanks to the help of four power plays that shook off the bye week ring rust. To Port Huron’s credit, they earned four straight kills, but Motor City was able to cut into the lead, 2-1, when Declan Conway offered a shot from the high slot that deflected off a Prowler and into the net.
Conway tied the score in the third period when Danny Vanderwiel hit the Painesville, OH native on a stretch pass from the endline to center ice. Conway raced his way into the Prowler end and fired a wrister all alone for his 21st of the season and a 2-2 score 7:04 into the final frame.
Motor City only needed a point to secure home ice over the defending FPHL Champions Danbury Hat Tricks and it looked like the game would head into overtime as both teams played a back and forth game in the final four minutes.
Scott Coash had other plans, however, as he needed a team leading 27th goal of the season with 5.1 seconds remaining to complete the comeback on three unanswered goals for the Rockers.
Motor City and Port Huron will meet for the final time this season on Saturday at 6:05pm at Big Boy Arena.v