The Rockford IceHogs saw their special teams units factor heavily in Saturday night’s Central Division tilt with the Iowa Wild. Rockford kept the Wild from converting on five chances on the man advantage. In the third period, the IceHogs used two power play goals to grasp control of a tight game. The result was a 4-1 victory at the BMO Center for coach Anders Sorensen’s club.
“I thought our special teams were unbelievable,” Sorensen told Rockford broadcaster Mike Folta following the win. “Our PK there was huge, and then to be able to come back, kill those off and get a power play and get a goal right away was huge.”
After neither team found the twine in the first period, the IceHogs and Wild traded goals in the middle frame. Wyatt Kaiser picked up his first professional goal 3:08 into the second period, knocking in a rebound of a David Gust shot. Four minutes later, Iowa’s Adam Beckman got a piece of a Carson Lambos point shot, redirecting it past Rockford goalie Drew Commesso to tie the score at 1-1.
The key stretch that Sorensen was referring to proved to be the first half of the third. Brandon Baddock was given a four-minute penalty for a high stick in the sixth minute. Rockford and Commesso rose to the occasion, denying the extended Iowa power play and keeping the game all square.
Energized by their defensive stand, the IceHogs held the momentum for the duration of the contest. With Brenden Miller in the box for tripping, Michal Teply sent a shot on net that Zane McIntyre blocked. The Wild goalie left the rebound near the left post, however. Brett Seney was in front of the crease to complete the scoring play at the 11:43 mark.
Rockford would soon add some insurance as a two-man advantage was waning just minutes later. Ryder Rolston blasted a one-timer from the left circle that McIntyre never saw, making it 3-1 IceHogs at 16:19 of the third period. Mike Hardman capped off the scoring with an empty-net goal a minute later.
Notes
- Rockford (16-15-3-1) was able to shake off a loss to Chicago the previous evening and earn a split of the two-game weekend home stand. The IceHogs sit in fourth place in the Central Division. By contrast, the scuffling Wild have now lost nine of their last ten games.
- Commesso stopped 21 shots on the night and picked up his second straight win. In his previous start, he made 22 saves a week ago in an overtime triumph in Grand Rapids.
- Gust finished with two helpers on the night. He remains on top of Rockford’s scorers with 30 points (10 G, 20 A). Seney’s game-winner gives him eleven on the season, which leads the IceHogs. Jackson Cates also picked up a pair of assists Saturday.
- The IceHogs were attired in special jerseys for the team’s Autism Awareness Night.
- Rockford is back in action Wednesday, when they travel to Grand Rapids. The Wild hope to break a three-game skid Monday night, when they host Texas in what will be the first of a four-game home stand.
