Rockers Come Up Short Against Columbus In 8-5 Loss
Columbus, GA — The Motor City Rockers had more pep in its step on Saturday night, but couldn’t come away with a win against the Columbus RiverDragons in a 8-5 loss.
Much like Friday night, the RiverDragons scored early and often to kick off the first period and build a substantial lead.
1:45 into the opening frame Columbus took a 1-0 lead when Austin Daae put away a Josh Pietrantonio rebound from the far circle. Then four minutes later Alexander Jmaeff doubled the lead, 2-0, when he put away a Sequoia Swan rebound for his first of the weekend. Two minutes after that, Justin MacDonald increased his point streak to 36-games with his second of the weekend at the 7:07 mark of the first period for a 3-0 game.
A minute and a half later the Rockers went on a goal spurt to pull within one.
Nick Gullo carried the puck down the ice along the farside boards and quickly attacked the offensive zone. He was stopped along the half wall and passed the puck to Scott Coash. Coash fired a shot that was turned away, but he followed up his own shot and fired it through the five-hole for his 26th of the season.
Motor City pulled within one four minutes later when Nick Magill-Diaz received a pass from Pavel Svintsov at the point. Magill-Diaz worked his way down low through the circle and fired a shot as he approached the endline that went in. The goal increased his point streak to four games and was his 7th of the season.
Columbus added a 4-2 goal off the stick of MacDonald for his second of the night to stop the bleeding before the close of the first period.
Alex Storjohann earned his second of the weekend to start the scoring in the second period for the RiverDragons and Pietrantonio scored 11-seconds later on an intercepted pass for a 6-2 at the 5:53 mark of the second period.
Motor City cut the lead back down to three, 6-3, when Lane King scored on his former team when TJ Sneath picked up a loose rebound in the Rocker goal crease. He chipped it ahead to King who fired the puck through the five-hole of Hunter Virostek with 40-seconds left in the second period.
Columbus quickly added another goal to start the third period off the stick of Kirk Underwood for a 7-3 before the Rockers got another quick goal spurt by Nick Gullo 27-second apart.
Gullo’s first came on the nearside when TJ Sneath offered a pass from behind the net to the Penfield, NY native who buried it along the near post for a 7-4 game. Gullo's second came when Avery Smith offered a drop pass to Jameson Milam. Milam ripped a shot that Gullo deflected for a 7-5 game.
Hunter Bersani scored seven minutes later for an 8-5 game.
Motor City and Columbus will square off one final time in the weekend series on Sunday at 4:05pm before Motor City comes home and faces the RiverDragons in Fraser, MI on Friday.