Rockers Erase Two Goal Lead, Tame Wolves With 4-3 OT Win
Watertown, NY — The Motor City Rockers offense struggled to get going on Friday night, but it found a way to stop chasing goals and earn and overtime win on Friday night against the Wolves.
It was the first win of the season against the Wolves for Motor City.
Both teams skated to a scoreless tie in the first period before the Wolves jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second period.
Watertown forward Marc Bottero walked the puck from the d-zone into the offensive end. A poke check from the Rockers left the puck in the circle where Joshua Tomasi backhanded the rubber disc past Ricky Gonzalez for the first lead of the game 2:34 into the middle frame.
Motor City was struggling to find its offense but got an opportunity to tie the score, 1-1, when Declan Conway fired a shot from the point that was deflected in front by TJ Sneath for his third straight game with a goal midway through the second.
Sneath now has a point in eight of his first nine games in Motor City.
Watertown’s Chiwetin Blacksmith picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and worked his way into the Rockers’ end. As he entered the right circle Blacksmith offered a power move towards the goal and fired a shot for a 2-1 lead two minutes later.
The Wolves extended the lead when Blacksmith chipped the puck ahead to Chase DiBari as he slipped behind the Rocker defense for his sixth goal of the season and a dominating two goal lead, 3-1 with 7:37 to play.
The best power play in the league helped Motor City stay in the game when Josh Colten carried the puck into the zone and centered it to Adam Kuhn for a prime scoring opportunity in between the hashes. Kuhn buried the shot to cut into the lead 3-2 for his first PPG of the season with 2:36 to play in the second period.
Another Rockers power play Colten fired the puck from the outside that was initially saved. Kuhn slid the puck toward a sprawled Josh Rosenzweig that went through his five-hole. TJ Delaney picked up the puck in the crease and put it in the net for a tying goal 3-3 with 4:37remaining in the third period.
Motor City earned the win when Roman Gaudet settled the puck down in the Rockers end, and gave an outlet pass to Jameson Milam. Milam quickly attacked the offensive zone and followed up his own shot in overtime and just beat a sprawling Rosenzweig for his first GWG of the year and a 4-3 win.
Ricky Gonzalez earned the start and stopped 44 out of 47 shots. Rosenzweig stopped 33 of 37.
The Rockers will travel to Binghamton to take on the Black Bears for the first time this season as Motor City looks to continue to chip into the Black Bears’ Empire Division lead. The puck drop is at 7:05pm.