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Rockers Never Say Die is 6-5 Shootout Win

By Brady Beedon

Fraser, MI - Two is a fluke, three is a streak.

The Motor City Rockers would not go away Friday night, as the Rockers took a come-from-behind shootout victory over the Danbury Hat Tricks, 6-5.

The evening started off on the right foot for Motor City, when Cody Oakes buried a short-handed goal just 2:24 into the game to give the Rockers the early edge. 

Motor City would add on to its early lead when Tristin Wells tipped one in for his fourth goal of the year, bringing the Rockers advantage to 2-0.

Then Danbury flipped a switch.

Longtime Hat Trick captain and leading point scorer Jonny Ruiz scored with 29 seconds left in the first period to send the game to the first intermission at 2-1 Rockers.

It was just 36 seconds into the second period when Danbury’s Vadim Frolov tied the game poking in a rebound.

Then 11 seconds later, Connor Wolley would give the Hat Tricks their first lead at 3-2.

Later in the second period, Hat Trick forward Gleb Bandurkin found the back of the net for his fifth goal of the season, bringing the Danbury lead to 4-2.

Motor City’s Eli Rivers would flip the script on Danbury, scoring in the final minute of the second period to bring the Rocker deficit to one heading into the final frame.

It wouldn’t take long for Motor City to tie it up in the final period, when TJ Sneath scored on the powerplay to even the score, 4-4.

After seven minutes of tight checking hockey, a cross crease pass would find Danbury’s leading goal scorer Aleksandr Gamzatov, as he found the back of the net to take the air out of Big Boy Arena, regaining the Hat Trick lead, 5-4.

Danbury maintained the lead until the 16:44 mark of the third period, when Danbury’s Chase Harwell was called for tripping, opening the door for the Rockers.

It would take a 1:54 of the two-minute minor penalty, but Rockers head coach and defensemen Jameson Milam unleashed a furious slap shot that snuck under the bar to tie the game at five aside.

“I knew I had to get a shot to the net quickly before [Harwell] came out of the box” Milam said. “I would’ve liked to have taken a one-timer, I didn’t get the opportunity. So what happened was I dragged myself out of probably getting my shot blocked and into them getting out of the shooting lanes.”

The goal would send it to the overtime period, where neither side could convert an opportunity, sending Motor City to a shootout for the third time this season.

In the first round Danbury’s Connor Wooley would go five-hole on Rocker goalie Ricky Gonzalez, getting the Hat Tricks on the board.

After TJ Sneath and Josh Colten were denied in the shootout in the first and second rounds respectively, Ricky Gonzalez kept the game alive by denying Danburys Frolov and Aleksandr Vasilyev, setting a score-or-go-home shot for Motor City’s Adam Kuhn.

Kuhn, with the game on the line, calmly beat Danbury goalie Andrew LoRusso to keep the shootout alive.

In the extra round, Gonzalez stood tall yet again when he stonewalled Danbury’s Zachary Pamaylaon.

Eli Rivers hopped over the boards for Motor City, with a third straight win on the line for the Rockers. Rivers, unphased by the pressure, was able to pick the top right corner of the net, giving Motor City itsthird win in as many games.

With the game-winning goal, Rivers leads the Rockers with 10 on the season.

“A lot of it is the confidence this group has given me,” Rivers said on his strong start. “I was given a lot of opportunities right when I came in playing with some great linemates in Sneath and [Carson] Baptiste.”

Milam was pleased with the effort his team showed in the come-from-behind victory.

“Things don’t always go our way, we don’t always get the right bounces,” said Milam. “We find a way and we battle all the way through. When teams are willing to do that game in and game out, you’re going to be able to get more wins on straight up grit alone.”

The Rockers and Hat Tricks will rematch Saturday night at Big Boy Arena when the puck drops at 7:05 pm.