ROCKFORD, Ill. – Rockford’s power-play unit continued to shine as they defeated the Iowa Wild 4-1 on Saturday night at the BMO Center. Power-play goals late in the game by Brett Seney and Ryder Rolston propelled the IceHogs to victory on Autism Awareness Night. Wyatt Kaiser scored the game’s opening goal as well as his first professional goal.
Entering Saturday night, the team that scores first between Iowa and Rockford had won in the last seven games in the season series. Saturday’s win by Rockford extends that streak to eight games. Drew Commesso shined in goal for the Hogs as he saved 21 of 22 shots on goal.
During the season series between Rockford and Iowa, 277 penalty minutes have been recorded in the last seven games, the first period featured an additional 16 minutes to that total including a scrap between Mike Hardman and Daemon Hunt after a big hit was laid on David Gust. Commesso saved all nine shots from Iowa for a clean first period in the net.
Early in the second period, Wyatt Kaiser scored his first professional goal to give Rockford a 1-0 lead (3:08). Gust sent a shot on Zane McIntyre that bounced off his chest and to the right side of the net for Kaiser who deposited the puck into the open net.
Iowa responded with a goal tipped off Adam Beckman’s stick from a shot at the blue line by Carson Lambos (7:21).
With the score tied entering the third period, Iowa’s Brenden Miller committed a tripping penalty giving Rockford their second power-play opportunity. Gust sent a shot towards the net that deflected off Michal Teply and off McIntyre’s pads. Brett Seney was able to tap the loose puck into the net for his 11th goal of the season (11:43). The score was also his team-best seventh power-play strike of the campaign.
Mason Shaw was called on a delay of game faceoff violation to give Rockford a third power-play opportunity. On the 5-on-4 power play, Greg Meireles was sent to the penalty box on an interference call to make it a 5-on-3 man-advantage. Ryder Rolston initiated a give-and-go play at the blue line with Filip Roos and then fired a one-timer from Roos into the back of the net to give Rockford their second power-play goal of the game and take a 3-1 lead (16:19).
Nearly a minute later, Hardman scored an empty-net goal as the Wild attempted to close the lead by pulling McIntyre from the net (17:40).
The Rockford IceHogs travel to Grand Rapids on Wednesday, Jan. 24, and then to Milwaukee on Friday, Jan. 26 before returning to the BMO Center on Saturday, Jan. 27 for the first of two games against the Manitoba Moose. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m. CST on Wednesday.
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