Rockers Come Back to Defeat Prowlers in OT

The Port Huron Prowlers opened their 2023-24 season with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Motor City Rockers at McMorran Place on Oct. 20. Scott Coash scored the winner after Motor City battled back from a two-goal deficit.

“I thought we played pretty well for 40 minutes,” said Prowlers head coach Matt Graham. “In the third, I was pretty disappointed with our level of play and compete, our composure as well [and] discipline. I think there’s a lot to build on, a lot of good habits that I saw today that we can take forward into tomorrow and next week.” 

Ian Wallace and Trevor Babin kept the teams off the board in the opening period and Port Huron struck first in the second. Brandon Picard stepped over the blue line and wired a wrist shot over Babin’s glove for the Prowlers’ first goal of the season and his for as a pro.

“It’s awesome for a guy to play his first game and get his first goal in the same game,” Graham said. “It was a play that we don’t work on in practice where you walk in and take a shot one-on-three, but sometimes that’s how it works out.”

1:35 later, Dalton Jay picked the same corner over Babin’s glove to double the advantage.

The Rockers got the power play going in the third. Brad Reitter potted a loose puck after Danny Vanderwiel drove the crease and then Dante Suffredini one-timed a shot from the slot to knot the score at two. In all, Motor City had five power plays in the third.

Wallace made 39 saves in the loss while Jay added an assist to his goal. Matt Graham also picked up a helper for Port Huron.

Coash’s overtime goal was enough to notch him the first star of the game. Six different Rockers picked up a point and Babin made 22 saves in net.

The rivalry is renewed on Oct. 21 at McMorran Place with puck drop scheduled for 6:05 P.M. You can get tickets at phprowlers.com/tickets or by calling the box office at 810-985-6166.

Photo courtesy of Delta Imaging