FPHL Motor City Rockers

Motor City Suffers First Regulation Loss to Danbury

Published on December 3, 2023 under Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL)
Motor City Rockers News Release


Danbury, CT - For the first time in thirteen games, the Motor City Rockers lost in regulation, becoming the last team in the FPHL to do so this year.

The Rockers fell to the Danbury Hat Tricks 5-3 on Saturday night at Danbury Arena.

The game-winning goal was scored with 5:19 to play in the third period when Nick DiNicola slipped behind the Motor City defense and caught up to a broken stretch pass from Sam Dabrowski creating a mini breakaway. DiNicola flipped the puck with his backhand as he crashed the net for a goal and a 4-3 lead.

Danbury got an empty net goal with just under a second remaining Jacob Ratcliffe beat the buzzer with a wrap-around attempt.

The game started out all Motor City in the first seven minutes of the first period.

The Rockers jumped out to a two-goal lead thanks to goals from both Jonathon Juliano and Brad Reitter.

6:02 into the first period, TJ Delaney carried the puck into the offensive zone and found his trailer in Juliano. The FPHL veteran stepped into the shot in the high slot and scored stick side for a 1-0 lead on his fourth goal of the season.

A minute and twenty seconds later, Pavel Svintsov centered the puck to Danny Vandeirwiel who fed it to Brad Reitter for a tap-in goal for his fourth of the season, and second on the weekend for a 2-0 lead.

The celebration was short-lived because Vanderwiel was hit from behind into the end boards by Daniel Amesbury and immediately fell to the ice. In 16 minutes, the Rockers Captain immediately was checked and attended to by on-site training staff and taken to a local hospital where he was reportedly responsive to tests.

While the wind was out of the Rockers' sails, Danbury was able to claw its way back into the game with a short-handed goal off the stick of Jonny Ruiz that cut into the lead, 2-1, with 8:56 to play in the period. Danbury also added another goal two and half minutes later when Brandon Stojcevski recorded his fifth of the season to end the first period tied at 2-2.

The Rockers were able to regain the lead in the second period when Reitter found Svintsov off the bench in the slot and connected with the Russian for a quick wrister and a 3-2 lead before Daniel McKitrick tied the score a minute later at 3-3.

The Rockers will travel to Watertown to face the Wolves on Sunday night at 7:05 at Watertown Arena before heading back home to Michigan after the game.

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