Athens Win the Battle of the Rockers

The “Rock On” matchup between the Motor City Rockers and the Athens Rock Lobsters kicked off in the Federal Prospect Hockey League, though arena issues caused delays before the puck finally dropped. The game started slow, with only four total shots on goal between both teams in the first period.

However, the lack of early offense didn’t mean a lack of action. With 12:12 on the clock, Motor City Rockers goalie #72 Trevor Babin found himself in a brawl with #67 Malik Johnson of the Athens Rock Lobsters. Both players received major penalties, though Babin’s penalty was served by #19 Cody Oaks.

Babin faced relentless pressure, nearly twice as many shots on goal as his counterpart, but made one highlight-reel save after another to keep the Rockers in the game. His stand held until five minutes into the second period, when Athens’ #76 Brand Picard broke through with a goal, assisted by #7 Kyle Russell. Babin’s physical presence continued, engaging in another scuffle—this time with #94 Nick Gullo—before Athens struck again. Just seconds later, #9 Kayson Gallant found the back of the net, closing the period with a 2-0 Athens lead.

The third period brought even more drama, featuring two more fights between the Rockers and Rock Lobsters—though this time, no penalties were assessed. Desperate to break an eight-game losing streak, the Rockers turned up the aggression, but Athens held strong, limiting their offensive chances. The Rock Lobsters remained in complete control.

Rockers player-coach #6 Jameson Milam struggled to spark any momentum, and Athens capitalized yet again. #88 Orca Wiesblatt delivered a shorthanded goal, extending the Rock Lobsters’ lead to 3-0. Frustration boiled over in the final minutes, culminating in a bench-clearing brawl involving nearly a dozen players. Thankfully the Rockers were able to end their nil goal count with a late goal by #47 Kyle Stevens assisted by #12 Chris Corgan and #4 Josh Colton. Before the final buzzer, Athen makes one more empty net goal by #88 Garrett Milan, taking it to 4-1.

Athens the the win over Motor City 4-1, take Motor City’s loss to 9 in a row.