Series Preview: Prowlers, Rockers Look to Find Footing

The Port Huron Prowlers and Motor City Rockers will collide for the fourth and fifth times this season as the Battle of I-94 is renewed for another home-and-home series. Both teams have struggled out of the gates this season, each sitting below .500.

The Prowlers traveled to Binghamton last weekend and earned a split in the league-leading Black Bears’ building. Despite travel issues forcing Friday’s game to be pushed a half hour and the team showing up minutes before warmups, Port Huron got a 5-3 win behind Tucker Scantlebury’s hat trick. The victory was Reid Cooper’s first in the FPHL as he made 29 saves. The Bears bit back the next as Cameron Clark scored a hat trick to help his team to a 5-2 win. Port Huron grabs three points during the weekend and is 7-9-2 with 21 points, fourth in the Empire Division.

The Rockers hosted the Danbury Hat Tricks and also split their weekend set. Friday, Motor City went up 2-0 before Danbury scored four unanswered goals. The Rockers tied things up at four early in the third but were behind again in the final minutes. Jameson Milam’s tally with 1:22 left sent the game to overtime and Adam Kuhn and Eli Rivers got shootout goals to give Motor City a wild victory. The next night, Vadim Frolov potted a pair for Danbury, including the game winner midway through the third, and the Hat Tricks took it 3-2. Ricky Gonzalez started both games and faced 118 shots, stopping 110 of them. His team is fifth in the Empire at 6-10-0 with 15 points.

SEASON SERIES (PROWLERS LEAD 3-0)

Nov. 1 @ Port Huron: Prowlers 5, Rockers 1

Nov. 2 @ Motor City: Prowlers 3, Rockers 1

Nov. 27 @ Port Huron: Prowlers 2, Rockers 1

LAST MEETING

Valtteri Nousiainen made 29 saves to outduel Ricky Gonzalez’s 28 stops and give Port Huron its only win of a six games in 10 nights stretch. Joel Frazee tallied his first goal as a Prowler while Matt Graham got the game winner in the third period.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Prowlers - Jamie Bucell (F) - He made his Prowlers debut on Saturday but now the 28-year-old will have a full week of practice under his belt before his first Battle of I-94 series.

Rockers - Mathias Tellström (F) - The Rockers are Tellström’s fifth team in his third FPHL season. That includes a stint with Port Huron last year when he had 3 points in 5 games before being moved to Baton Rouge.

STAT CENTRAL

Valtteri Nousiainen (PHP) has recorded the win in all three Battle of I-94 games this season, stopping 86 of 89 shots on goal in the process…Nick Magill-Diaz (MCR) has 7 assists over his last 3 games and is the only Rocker with a positive +/- (+2)…Both the Prowlers (1-0-0) and Rockers (1-6-0) have 1 win at Big Boy Arena this season

SERIES SCHEDULE

Dec. 13, 7:05 P.M. at McMorran Place (Port Huron, MI)

Dec. 14, 7:05 P.M. at Big Boy Arena (Fraser, MI)

Friday’s game is CL Spirit night at McMorran Place and the Prowlers will be wearing specialty jerseys that will be auctioned off in the arena afterwards. Tickets to that one are available at phprowlers.com/tickets.