Series Preview: Battle of I-94 Highlights St. Patrick's Day Weekend

The March edition of the Battle of I-94 will see the Port Huron Prowlers host the Motor City Rockers on Friday and then visit Big Boy Arena on Saturday and Sunday. The Rockers have taken eight of the first 13 meetings this season and can clinch the season series victory with two wins this weekend.

The Prowlers hosted two teams outside of the playoff picture, the Blue Ridge Bobcats and Watertown Wolves, on March 8, 9 and 10 but only came away with one victory. That win was in the first game against Blue Ridge as Port Huron scored six unanswered between the second and third periods to claim a 6-2 victory. The next night though, the Bobcats bit back and scored three straight to win 4-2 and split the two-game season series. The Wolves came to McMorran Place on Sunday afternoon and dominated in likely the most forgettable performance of the season for the Prowlers. Watertown went up 5-0 within the first 12 minutes of action and finished with an 11-6 win. The 11 goals are the most given up by Port Huron this season. The Prowlers still sit third in the Continental at 21-17-6 with 65 points. Their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is nine points.

The Rockers hosted the same two teams on the same nights, just with an opposite schedule. They began with the Wolves on Friday and took a 4-2 win to open the weekend behind Ricky Gonzalez’s 35 saves. The next night, Watertown scored the game’s final three goals in a 3-1 win. Jacob Kment made 28 stops in his pro debut for the Wolves. Motor City finished with the Bobcats on Sunday and took the matinee game 4-1 behind three special-teams goals, two power play and one shorthanded. The Rockers are 27-15-4 with 79 points, second in the Empire. They can clinch a playoff spot with a win OR Watertown loss this weekend. The Wolves host Danbury on Sunday. 

SEASON SERIES (ROCKERS LEAD 8-5)

Oct. 20 @ Port Huron: Rockers 3, Prowlers 2 (OT)

Oct. 21 @ Port Huron: Rockers 3, Prowlers 2

Nov. 10 @ Motor City: Rockers 7, Prowlers 1

Nov. 11 @ Port Huron: Rockers 3, Prowlers 2

Dec. 8 @ Port Huron: Prowlers 5, Rockers 3

Dec. 9 @ Motor City: Prowlers 5, Rockers 4

Dec. 29 @ Port Huron: Prowlers 3, Rockers 2 (OT)

Dec. 30 @ Port Huron: Rockers 5, Prowlers 3

Dec. 31 @ Motor City: Rockers 8, Prowlers 4

Jan. 19 @ Motor City: Prowlers 5, Rockers 3

Jan. 20 @ Port Huron: Prowlers 2, Rockers 1

Feb. 16 @ Port Huron: Rockers 5, Prowlers 1

Feb. 17 @ Motor City: Rockers 4, Prowlers 3 (OT)

LAST MEETING

A back-and-forth battle saw the Prowlers take a 2-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes but the game was tied heading into the third. After Motor City took the lead, Evan Foley tied things up with under four to play but TJ Delaney notched the winner 35 seconds into overtime. Port Huron’s power play went 0-5 in the third period alone.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Prowlers - Conor Foley (F) - Foley signed with the Prowlers after his college season and made an immediate impact offensively with three goals and an assist in three games. The team hopes he can continue that momentum as they try to fill the hole left by the injury to first-line center Matt Graham.

Rockers - Avery Smith (F) - Smith is another rookie who signed after finishing his college season and will likely make his pro debut this weekend. He led Indiana Tech (ACHA) with 29 assists and 50 points this season.

STAT CENTRAL

The Prowlers gave up 3 shorthanded goals (2 were empty netters) in the Sunday loss to Watertown. That accounts for nearly half of their total against all season (8)…The Rockers have 4 players (TJ Sneath, Pavel Svintsov, TJ Delaney and Scott Coash) with 2 shorthanded goals, tied with Watertown for most players with multiple shorties in the FPHL this season…Last weekend Austin Fetterly (PHP) passed Branden Parkhouse for 6th on the Prowlers all-time assists list with 107 and tied Ahmed Mahfouz for 5th in points with 177            

SERIES SCHEDULE

Mar. 15, 7:05 P.M. at McMorran Place (Port Huron, MI)

Mar. 16, 6:05 P.M. at Big Boy Arena (Fraser, MI)

Mar. 17, 2:05 P.M. at Big Boy Arena (Fraser, MI)

Tickets to the March 15 game are available anytime at phprowlers.com/tickets.