By David Dell
FRASER- The Port Huron Prowlers and Motor City Rockers wrapped their regular seasons with the 2nd of a home and home game before a reported 2,074 fans. Port Huron won the Cider Boys trophy in the third iteration of the Battle of I-94 several weeks back and with both teams making the playoffs, this was just a game of pride for them.
Prowler’s fans were treated to quite possibly goalie Yoshihiro Kuroiwa’s last professional hockey game, who has filled the Back Up Goalie spot all season for the Prowlers. He said in a speech Saturday morning to the team, he said, “I told them this might be the last time I play a professional hockey game. I told them to please help me out and protect the front of the net.” And the boys responded in spades.
A dozen minutes in Brendan Ronan got things going for Fraser when he bested Kuroiwa to put the home team up one nothing. In an evenly played period where Port Huron put up 8 shots to Fraser’s 7, Drew Welsch (3rd of the season) evened things up at 10:45. The score would remain tied through the period.
In the middle set, Luke James (5th of the season) tallied a powerplay goal when Jamie Bucell won a faceoff to the left of Bryn Sommerfelt back to James who picked the top corner to put Port Huron back in the lead with a one goal advantage. The Rockers Brad Reitter evened things up for a minute at 13:27 before Jamie Bucell (14th of the season) put the Prowlers back in front at 14:30. Bucell got the lead pass into the zone where Bobby Price and Welsch tic-tac-toe put it back on Bucell’s stick where he beat Sommerfelt in close. Port Huron got double digit shots on goal with 14, while holding Fraser to just 8.
With a slim 3-2 lead to start the final 20 minutes of play, while on the powerplay left over from the second period, the Prowlers would go to a 5 on 3 when Ryan Rotundi picked up a High Sticking minor when he got Brett Lockhart on the face with the blade. Bobby Price (3rd of the season) gave Port Huron a 2-goal cushion at 1:11. Captain Austin Fetterly from the blueline let a rocket go, that was skimming the ice, when Price got his stick on it to stuff it in the corner past Sommerfelt’s skate. With 4:12 gone from the clock, Price (4th of the season) gave Port Huron a 5-2 lead when he cleaned up the slop on a couple of uncontrolled rebounds in the crease, started with Welsch’s attack up the slot and the initial shot on goal. The score would stand when the final horn sounded with Yoshihiro Kuroiwa ending his 10th and final season of professional hockey with a perfect 6-0 record, with 1.64 Goals Against Average and a .930 Save Percentage.
The Prowlers move on to the first round of the Commissioner’s Cup championship Friday April 18 at home when they host the Danbury Hat Tricks in game one of a three-game series.
The Prowlers play in the Empire Division of the Federal Prospects Hockey League, now in its’ 15th year
