Rockers Drop Opening Weekend Game To Port Huron In Battle of I-94

Port Huron, MI — The Motor City Rockers thought they had the Prowlers right where they wanted them. But four unanswered goals by Port Huron proved to be too many as the Prowlers came away with a 4-2 win on Friday night.

The season series sits at 8-5-1 on the year with six games remaining between the two teams.

The Rockers have felt comfortable at McMorran Place all season long with a 5-2-1 road record in the series, and it didn't take too long for Motor City to make themselves feel right at home with two goals in the first period. 

The first one was scored midway through the first when TJ Delany kept his point streak against Port Huron alive when he received a pass from Jonthan Juliano. Delaney moved down the far wall and feathered a centering pass to Roman Gaudet who settled the puck down and shoved it through the five-hole for a 1-0 lead with 9:58 to play in the opening period. 

Juliano was playing in his 400th career game on Friday. 

Meanwhile, it was Gaudet’s first goal since returning from his second IR stint, and snapped a four game drought. Delaney now has an 8-game point streak versus the Prowlers as well. 

The Rockers extended the lead with just under six minutes remaining. 

TJ Sneath won the face-off draw that was controlled by Lane King. King worked his way from the end line to the half wall and centered the puck to Jameson Milam who was able to hit the top shelf for a 2-0 lead with 5:35 to play in the first period. 

It was Milam’s 13th of the season, and extends his point streak to four games. Lane King now has five assists in six games since joining the Rockers and is now on a five-game point streak as well. 

Just as the first period belonged to the Rockers, the second belonged to the Prowlers.

Dalton Jay cut into the Motor City lead after a giveaway in the defensive zone. Vincent Dekumbis found a loose puck that was poked to his stick from Evan Foley. A quick chip from Dekumbis to Jay allowed the Hamilton, ON native to offer a back-hand for a 2-1 game 3:26 into the 2nd period. 

The Prowlers tied the score, 2-2, with a short handed goal eight minutes later when Liam Freeborn got a loose puck from the Rocker endline and worked it into the slot for a quick wrister for his first short handed goal of the season. 

The scoring streak continued with the help of Port Huron’s college signing Conor Foley. 

Foley weaved his way from his own endline toward the Motor City end and dropped the puck off for Mitch Jones in the high slot. Jones then picked a corner and fired a wrister for a 3-2 lead with 11:14 to play in the third period. 

Evan Foley completed his three point night with an empty net goal for a 4-2 lead with six seconds remaining in the contest. 

The Rockers and Prowlers will now play two games in Fraser, MI as the Battle of I-94 continues on into the weekend at Big Boy Arena with a 6:05pm puck drop on Saturday and a 2:05pm face-off on Sunday.