Game Recaps 12/31/24

PORT HURON PROWLERS at MOTOR CITY ROCKERS

Prowlers Control Play, Down Motor City 7-3

by Brady Beedon

Fraser, MI -  Anytime the Motor City Rockers had even an inkling of momentum the Port Huron Prowlers snuffed it out in the 7-3 Port Huron victory.

Motor City started out on the right foot, when 11:42 into the first period Avery Smith forced a breakaway on the penalty kill, and buried it to give the Rockers a 1-0 lead.

Port Huron would score the next three goals of the game.

In the first period, it was Ludwig Thellstom and Tucker Scantlebury that lit the lamp for Port Huron. To start the second period it was Joel Frazee that scored a short handed goal to extend the Prowlers lead to 3-1.

Eli Rivers got one back for Motor City when he buried a shot from between the circles, bringing the Rockers within one, at 3-2.

Then for the second time in the game, Port Huron scored three straight unanswered.

This time it was Scantlebury, Frazee, and Dan Chartrand in short order to put the game out of reach for Motor City.

The Rockers Adam Kuhn and Port Hurons Jamie Bucell each added a late goal to bring the final score to 7-3 Port Huron.

Motor City hits the road this weekend, as they head to Winston-Salem for a two game tilt with the Carolina Thunderbirds.

Prowlers Rock Motor City on New Year's Eve

by Will Wiegelman

Fraser, MI -  The Port Huron Prowlers wrapped up the calendar year 2024 with a dominant 7-3 victory over the Motor City Rockers at Big Boy Arena. The seven goals are a season high for Port Huron.

Avery Smith started the scoring, taking advantage of a miscue and converting on a breakaway for his second shorthanded tally of the season. The game was tied 1:11 later when Ludwig Thellström sent a seeing-eye wrister to the top shelf.

In the opening period’s final minute, Ryan Rotondi overskated the puck in front of his own net and Tucker Scantlebury made him pay. Port Huron took a 2-1 lead into the break. 

Less than two minutes into the second, Joel Frazee made it 3-1 as he picked the short-side corner on a shorthanded rush. It was his fifth goal as a Prowler, all of which had come on special teams.

Eli Rivers got his team-leading 12th of the year to pull Motor City back within one but a few minutes later, Scantlebury netted his second as a shot along the ice found the back of the net.

That 4-2 score held over seven minutes into the third. Then, the puck pinballed around in the Rockers’ crease and Frazee pounced on it for his second of the night and first even-strength goal with Port Huron. 1:24 later, Brett Lockhart found Daniel Chartrand on the back door for the Prowlers’ second power play goal of the night.

Josh Colten scored a man-advantage goal of his own to make it 6-3 but less than two minutes later, Stefan Diezi set up Jamie Bucell who scored for the second time in as many games.

As is typical in these meetings, a couple of fights came before the final buzzer.

Diezi, Lockhart and Reggie Millette all dished out two assists while Valtteri Nousiainen made 30 saves in net. The Prowlers lead the Battle of I-94 season series 5-1.

Ricky Gonzalez stopped 39 shots in the loss for Motor City.

Port Huron returns home for matchups with the Binghamton Black Bears on January 3 and 4. Both games are scheduled for 7:05 P.M. and tickets are available at phprowlers.com/tickets.

HC VENOM at BINGHAMTON BLACK BEARS

Binghamton Ends 2024 with a Bang

by Brooks Hill

Binghamton, NY - The Binghamton Black Bears defeated the Hockey Club Venom 7-2 on New Year’s Eve. Binghamton was able to record their 20th victory of the season, most in the FPHL, in front of a sold-out crowd of 4,893. 

Binghamton opened up the scoring in less than five minutes. Gavin Yates was able to steal the puck away from a defender and waited out the goaltender with a move on the backhand. The Black Bears were then able to stop the league’s best power play with Don Olivieri was serving a double minor. Seven minutes later, Tyson Kirkby, also stole a puck away from the Venom and was able to tally an unassisted goal as well. At the end of the first, Binghamton held a 2-0 advantage. 

In the second frame, it didn’t take long for the Black Bears to get back on the score sheet. Binghamton found themselves down by two men on the ice, but that did not stop Dakota Bohn. Bohn was able to record his second career 3-on-5 with the Black Bears, also the second in franchise history. Dakota was finally able to crack the goal column, but he wasn’t done yet. 

Kirkby would extend the home lead to 4-0, scoring his second of the night, but this time just 15 seconds into the frame, and shorthanded. Kirkby would finish with three points, extending his league leader status up to 10. Binghamton would go back on the power play and Bohn was able to rifle home his second of the season, and night, giving the Black Bears their biggest lead of the contest. The Venom would bite back, breaking the shutout bid, scoring two quick goals, but the power play was not able to get going. Olivieri added another power play strike, and Khaden Henry finished up the scoring with 4:37 left to go in the game. 

Binghamton ends their best calendar year in franchise history with a 7-2 victory over the Venom

MISSISSIPPI SEA WOLVES at ATHENS ROCK LOBSTERS 

The Athens Rock Lobsters Ring In the New Year with a Shootout Win

by Matteen Zibanejadrad

Athens, GA - The Athens Rock Lobsters defeated the Mississippi Sea Wolves 3-2 in the shootout Tuesday night at Akins Ford Arena.

The New Year fireworks started early for Athens, as Garrett Milan found the top-right corner after following up a rebound off a Matt Garcia shot from close distance. The player-coach’s 14th goal of the season came at the 10:04 mark of the first period.

The Sea Wolves turned the game on its head in the second period, starting with a nifty zone entry from Don Carter Jr.. The defenseman flicked a pass over to the left for leading goalscorer Dalton Anderson to first-time wrist it past Josh Rosenzwieg at 2:48 of the second period.

The 1-1 scoreline lasted less than three minutes, as the Rock Lobsters converted on a five-on-three power play. Kayson Gallant scored his 11th of the campaign as he went hard to the net and scored on a wrist shot of his own.

Reminiscent of the last time these two teams met, the Sea Wolves scored to tie the game up for the fourth time in the two games these teams have played. 22-year-old rookie Blake Keller scored on a breakaway in the late stage of the second period.

Ed Coffey kept his team in the game making a total of 53 saves on 55 shots on goal; he would force the game into overtime and eventually a shootout.

Rosenzwieg stopped all of the shots he saw in the shootout and secured his fifth win of the season after shootout goals from Milan and Carter Shinkaruk.

The Rock Lobsters (13-2-2, 34 pts) return to Akins Ford Arena with a series opener against the Columbus River Dragons on Friday, Jan. 3. Puck drops at 7:05 p.m.

Sea Wolves Force Shootout, But Fall to Rock Lobsters 3-2

by Jon Kliment

Athens, GA - Mississippi and Athens met up to complete the season series with both games coming in Athens this year. The Rock Lobsters took game one in a 3-2 game with a later third period goal proving to be the difference. 

Despite a number of power plays for both sides in the first period Athens found the back of the net 5 on 5 halfway through the period after Ed Coffey made a point blank save on Matthew Garcia the rebound bounced to Garrett Milan who scored his third of the season against Mississippi and 14th of his season to give Athens the 1-0 lead.

The Sea Wolves scored two goals all weekend last weekend both from Dalton Anderson and he continued to find the back of the net just 2:48 into the second period picking up a dropped pass from Don Carter Jr and sniping it behind Josh Rosenzweig to tie the game at 1-1. Special teams remained a focal point and seconds into a 5 on 3 Athens took their one goal lead back off a Kayson Gallant shot. Mississippi regrouped towards the end of the period however as Blake Keller was sprung on a breakaway off a Bradley Richardson pass and went high glove to beat Rosenzweig to tie the game at 2-2. 

The game went to a shootout as Garrett Milan and Carter Shinkaruk buried goals for the Rock Lobsters and the Sea Wolves couldn't beat Rosenzweig to give up the extra point. 

Coffey stopped 52 of 54 in the loss.

The Sea Wolves return home to take on the Watertown Wolves Friday night for little dog races. Get your tickets on Ticketmaster.com the Ticketmaster app or by stopping by the box office!



BATON ROUGE ZYDECO at MONROE MOCCASINS

MOCCASINS RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH DOMINANT 6-0 SHUTOUT OVER ZYDECO

by Joseph Furtado

Monroe, LA -  The Monroe Moccasins ended 2024 with a resounding victory, shutting out the Baton Rouge Zydeco 6-0 on New Year’s Eve at the Monroe Civic Center. Sean Kuhn’s stellar 27-save performance earned him the first star of the game, while Declan Conway and Corey Cunningham also shined in a lopsided contest that saw Monroe dominate from start to finish.

The Moccasins wasted no time establishing control, scoring four goals in the first period. Declan Conway opened the scoring at 5:24 with an even-strength goalLess than two minutes later, Chris Corgan doubled the lead, capitalizing on a pass from Trygve Many Guns.

Monroe kept the pressure on with forward Kyle Heitzner notching his first goal of the season at 15:00. Scott Coash capped off the period with a power-play tally at 16:14, bringing the score to 4-0.

The second period saw the Moccasins continue their offensive onslaught. Blake Anderson struck early at 3:14 and Conway added his second goal of the night at 10:03, 

While the scoring slowed in the third period, the physicality ramped up. Monroe and Baton Rouge combined for 68 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct for Matthew Bazarin after a third-period altercation.



With the win, Monroe improves to [updated record], while Baton Rouge drops to 9-8-5-0-2. The Moccasins will look to carry this momentum into the new year as they get ready to host the Danville Dashers.

ZYDECO CLOSE OUT 2024 WITH A LOSS TO THE MOCCASINS

by Bryan Flores

Monroe, LA -  The Zydeco came into this New Years Eve matchup hoping for a statement win and a huge 3 points, but the Moccasins had other plans in their home finale of 2024. 

The first period is where Monroe set the tone fast as just over 5 minutes into the game Declan Conway netted the game’s first goal. Two minutes after Christ Corgan got in on the action making it 2-0 Moccasins early. At 15 minutes in the first Kyle Heitzner made it a 3-0 game and just a minute later the Power Play the Moccasins would make it 4-0 off the stick of Scott Coasch. 

In the second Blake Anderson would make it 5-0 just 3 minutes into the middle frame after a Zydeco turnover. And Declan Conway with his second goal of the game would put the dagger in as Sean Kuhn saving 27 straight would earn his third shutout of the year, stone walling the Zydeco. On the other side Breandan Colgan with 6 goals against still earned a .864s% for just his 5th loss of the season for a season record of 12-5-0-1

Turning the calendar, the Zydeco may have left 2024 on a sour note, but it’s a year of vast improvement for the team. Tying their 2023-24 season win total at 16. Next year, with the top two seed in the division, the Zydeco have sights on bigger goals. That starts with the Blue Ridge Bobcats back at home on Friday and Saturday as the Zydeco kicks off 2025. 

BLUE RIDGE BOBCATS at CAROLINA THUNDERBIRDS 

Thunderbirds Shutout Bobcats, 5-0

Salak records 300th point as Thunderbird in victory

by Brendan Reilly

Winston-Salem, NC - After being swept two weekends ago by the Blue Ridge Bobcats, the Carolina Thunderbirds responded on New Year’s Eve blanking the Bobcats, 5-0, on Tuesday evening at the Fairgrounds Arena in front of 3,150 fans.

Carolina (15-3-3) started quickly going on an early power play just 64 seconds into the contest. Petr Panacek blasted home a slapshot from the top of the slot putting Carolina up, 1-0. Seven mintues later, Nate Keeley weaved his way through the Blue Ridge (11-9-2) defense backhanding a pass across the slot to Jan Salak doubling the advantage, 2-0. 

In the 2nd period, Thunderbirds goalie Mario Cavaliere was peppered, seeing 19 shots across the middle 20 minutes, but Cavaliere stopped all 19 keeping the 2-0 lead heading to the 3rd. 

Across the final 20 minutes, Carolina pulled away. Zach White, who hit the post late in the 2nd, hit the iron again on a snapshot but bounced in putting the Thunderbirds ahead, 3-0, 1:50 into the frame. After Blue Ridge tried to respond, Carolina went to a 5-on-3 power play and executed. Nate Keeley from his knees in the slot lifted a snapshot over the shoulder of Hunter Virostek to give the Thunderbirds a 4-0 lead with 12:48 remaining in the 3rd. Later on the power play, Dawson Baker ripped home his second goal of the year giving the Thunderbirds a 5-0 lead. Cavaliere saw another fifteen shots in the 3rd but finished off the shutout stopping all 45 shots he saw finishing off the 5-0 win.

In the win, Salak recorded three points pushing his Thunderbirds career total to 300 points. Salak joins Gus Ford as the only two players in franchise history to record 300 points as a member of the Thunderbirds. 

The Thunderbirds have now won three straight games and get set to welcome in the Motor City Rockers on Friday. Puck drop is slated for 7:35 p.m. from the Fairgrounds Arena.