Rockers Rebound Behind Babin's 42-save Night with 4-2 Win Over Blue Ridge

Wytheville, Va — The Motor City Rockers bounced back at the Apex Center behind a stellar performance by goaltender Trevor Babin as the Rockers beat Blue Ridge 4-2 on Saturday night. 

Babin, who returned from a three game suspension, stopped 42 of 44 shots in the win. 

The Rockers jumped out to another early lead, just as it did on Friday night with 2:03 into the first period. 

Newly signed and Virginia native John Horn cycled the puck to the point and onto the stick of Josh Colten. Colten ripped a shot from the blue line that was deflected in front by Adam Kuhn for his third goal in six games with the Rockers and a 1-0 lead. 

Blue Ridge was able to tie the score at 1-1 late in the first period off a heavy shot from the far circle by newly acquired Dmytro Babenko who is on a four game PTO with the Bobcats for his first of the season.

The Rockers were able to build a lead in the second period with two goals in the first ten minutes of play, one coming off the power play. 

The first goal was notched 2:40 into the middle frame after a previous goal for Blue Ridge was waived off. 23-seconds into a man-advantage, Jameson Milam cycled the puck to Pavel Svintsov who pushed the puck towards the net. Declan Conway deflected it through the five-hole for a 2-1 lead.

The Rockers added to its lead seven minutes later when Milam created a turnover at center ice. The puck bounced toward the wall where Svintsov then fed the puck to a racing Tristen Wells. Wells walked the puck deep into the offensive zone and fired it high glove side for his second of his career, scoring on his former team for a 3-1 lead with 10:40 to play in the second period.

The Bobcats were able to cut back into the lead off the stick of Daniel Martin who finished with three goals on the weekend with 3:12 remaining in the second period.

The score held until the last minute of play when Blue Ridge pulled its goaltender Connor Green. Rockers Forward Jonathan Juliano earned his seventh goal of the year when he blocked a shot in the d-zone and created a breakaway for an empty net opportunity.

Juliano buried the shot for a 4-2 lead. 

Motor City will now travel back to the mitten state where it will host the Port Huron Prowlers in the I-94 Rivalry with a home game on January 19th.