MOTOR CITY ROCKERS at PORT HURON PROWLERS

PROWLERS DROP SECOND STRAIGHT TO MOTOR CITY

by Will Wiegelman

Port Huron, MI - The Port Huron Prowlers fell 3-2 for the second straight night at McMorran Place to the Motor City Rockers, this time in regulation. Nick Magill-Diaz was the hero with the only goal in the third.

“I saw a lot of positive things out there, a lot of good things to take away from this weekend,” said Prowlers head coach Matt Graham. “The more time we get to spend together and bond as a group, the more you’ll see guys playing for each other.”

The Prowlers again opened the scoring and again, it was a player scoring his first FPHL goal. Davide Gaeta banged home a rebound for a power-play goal late in the first to give his team a 1-0 lead. 

“We look for a lot of movement up top, get Babin moving a bit” Graham said. “You want to crowd the front of the net because he doesn’t like it and neither do they.The rebound control in the slot, leaving it right there for us to pick up, was perfect and it seemed to work for us tonight,”

Scott Coash tied things up with a long-range shot through traffic on a 5-on-3 man advantage early in the second to tie things up.

The same power play unit struck again for Port Huron late in the second as Sam Marit cashed in the loose change. Rocco DiCostanzo brought the score back to level with under two to play in the period as he crashed the net on an odd-man rush.

Magill-Diaz potted a shot on a two-on-one in the third and that was the only goal of the period as Trevor Babin turned aside all 10 shots the Prowlers threw his way in the final frame.

Matt Stoia and Alex Johnson picked up two assists apiece while Ian Wallace made 29 saves in the loss. The Prowlers power play went 2-5. 

Nine Rockers recorded a point in the victory. Babin turned aside 29 shots and got his second victory of the new year.

The Prowlers return to action on Oct. 27 when Joe Pace and the Mississippi Sea Wolves come to McMorran Place for the first time. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 P.M. and tickets are available at phprowlers.com/tickets or by calling the box office at 810-985-6166.

Rockers Earn Early Season Sweep In Port Huron

by Ben Szilagy

Port Huron, MI - The Rockers earned an early season sweep of rival Port Huron with a 3-2 win on Saturday night at McMorran Place. 

The Prowlers got on the board first in the first period on the power play for the only goal of the period for Davide Gaet’s first professional goal.

With 3:28 left in the first period, Matt Stoia offered a one-timer to Alex Johnson in the far side circle. Trevor Babin stopped the shot, but the puck caromed into the crease and Gaet put in the rebound for a 1-0 lead.

Friday night’s hero, Rocker forward Scott Coash, tied the score in the second period on the power play as well. 

Dante Suffredini and Josh Colten were moving the puck around the point looking for a good angle to attack. Coash received a pass from Colton as he was in the near side circle. As he moved into the slot, he fired the puck for his second of the season. 

The Prowlers regained the lead late in the second period when Sam Marit scored on the power play with 5:50 to play in the second period. Port Huron finished 2-for-6 with the man advantage on Saturday night.

From then on, it was the Rockers that led the way. 

Answering the Marit goal was Rocco DiCostanzo who scored his first goal as a Rocker.

With 1:14 to play in the period, Pavel Svintsov carried the puck deep into the Prowlers end. As he approached the end line, he centered the puck to the slot for DiCostanzo who fired the puck in for a 2-2 tie. It was Svintsov’s first assist as a Rocker. 

The third period was capped when Nick Magill-Diaz earned his first of the year when he carried the puck to create a 2-on-1 and decided to snipe the water bottle for a 3-2 lead.

The Rockers will travel back to Fraser and prepare for its home opener against the Blue Ridge Bobcats on Friday and Saturday, October 27th and 28th at Big Boy Arena.

DANBURY HAT TRICKS at BINGHAMTON BLACK BEARS

Binghamton Defeats Danbury at Home

by Brooks Hill

Binghamton, NY -  The Binghamton Black Bears defeated the Danbury Hat Tricks 3-1 on Saturday night. Binghamton scored once a period and finished the night with 38 shots on goal. 

The captain Tyson Kirkby scored his second of the season, deflecting a pass from Mac Lewis and Dan Stone. Binghamton outshot Danbury 12-8 in the first frame, in an even-battled opening period. 

Connor Smith, scored his 3rd goal in two games for Binghamton to extend their lead 2-0. While the Black Bears power play struggled on the night, Danbury was able to take advantage and score a shorthanded goal to cut the lead in half. Bohdan Zinchenko would score the only goal of the night for the visitors. 

Danbury started a push back in the third. Clinging to a one goal lead, Binghamton stayed on the forecheck, and led to the insurance goal they were looking for. Andrew Logar stole the puck and beat the goaltender for his first of the ever, pushing the lead to 3-1. 

Binghamton gapped up in the final five minutes, and stood tall in front of Sam Livecchi, making his pro-debut, stopping 24 shots. Binghamton wins 3-1 and picks up the three points on Saturday, four on the weekend. 

2023-24 Season Tickets are still on sale! Call the Black Bears office at 607-722-7367 or stop into the third-floor hockey offices of Visions Veterans Memorial Arena. Save up to 30% on tickets and receive over $200 in benefits. 

Stay current with the latest team news by visiting www.binghamtonblackbears.com and by following the Black Bears all year long on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok @BlackBearsFPHL 



WATERTOWN WOLVES at ELMIRA RIVER SHARKS

River Sharks Claim First Win With a Shutout Over Watertown Wolves, 4-0 

by Jon Kliment

Elmira, NY -  After having to postpone two games already this season the Elmira River Sharks are still looking to establish an identity. Coming into the first game at their home arena Elmira continued tinkering with the lineup and trying to find success.  

Coming out in the first period against the Wolves the River Sharks began throwing the body around which has been a strong part of the makeup of this team. Though they couldn’t find the back of the net Elmira threw 12 shots on Eloi Bouchard.  

In the second period Elmira watched five Wolves make their way to the penalty box and at 3:49 of the second period Ryan Fritz buried a puck from Kona Jackson and Elijah Wilson to give Elmira a 1-0 lead.  

Martin Moucha had his coming out party in the third frame as he scored twice. The first goal came at 8:56 of the third period as he poked home a goal past Bouchard. Moucha followed up his first of the season with an empty netter at 17:33 of the third period to cement the River Sharks victory. However, even though victory was assured Elmira wasn’t done yet as Elijah Wilson scored off a cross crease pass from Luke Richards to ice the game at 4-0. 

Spencer Kozlowski earned his first shutout of the season stopping 19 or 19. 

The River Sharks are back in action Thursday night at the First Arena at 7:05pm. Get your tickets now by going online to Ticketmaster or by calling the First Arena box office at 607-734-PUCK.

MISSISSIPPI SEA WOLVES at WYTHEVILLE BOBCATS 

MISSISSIPPI SEA WOLVES TAKE OVERTIME WIN IN PENALTY SHOT AGAINST BOBCATS 4-3

by Charles Ryan

Wytheville, VA -  On Saturday, October 21st 2023 the Mississippi Sea Wolves skated past the Bobcats in an overtime win 4-3. 

The scoring started out by the Sea Wolves as Chuck Costello as he picked up the tap in from a wrap-around assist off the sticks of Jackson Bond and Philip Wong 1:06 into the first period. 

But the scoring wasn’t done, following the face-off just seconds later Jackson Bond stole the puck away at the top of the Bobcats attacking slot, and sent it down ice where Chuck Costello sent the lateral to Philip Wong who buried it into the top shelf. 

The Bobcats took a while in the first to get going but found the back of the net from a creasesuffocation by Hunter Hall as he pushed it through the five hole with assists from Zac Horn and Christopher Ciolek at 18:43. 

Then it was the Bobcats who took over in the scoring department as Jakub Volf sent it over the shoulder of Joseph Sheppard on the one-two-three transition sending it coast-to-coast for the goal 14:52 into the second period. With assists from Fabian Granqvist and Vladislav Vlasov. 

After some quick fighting the Bobcats found themselves with the upperhand man advantage during the Hitachi Energy powerplay. Vladislav Vlasov took it down ice with the help of Zach Tatrn and Fabian Granqvist at 17:43. Giving Blue Ridge their first lead. 

Mississippi looked to respond two minutes later as Yianni Liarakos found a way to break through the crease with the help of Kyle Russell and Jake Raleigh at 19: 29 to bring the score tied at three. 

The game stayed pretty silent throughout the third but in the overtime period a penalty by Kolton Maguire gave Jackson Bond and the SeaWolves a penalty shot. As Christian “Patches” Pavlas moved back to block the shot Bond found the opening right over his right calf. Giving the Mississippi SeaWolves the win 4-3 over the Bobcats. 

The Blue Ridge Bobcats hit the road next weekend as they travel up to Fraser Michigan to take on the Motor City Rockers on Friday October 27th with puck drop at 7:35 p.m. and Saturday October 28th with puck drop at 6:05 p.m.