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Rockford takes five points in three-game weekend

  
Rockford takes five points in three-game weekend
The Rockford IceHogs snapped their losing skid with a pair of victories over the Iowa Wild. (Photo courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Weekly results

Friday, Nov. 17 — Milwaukee 5, Rockford 4 (OT)

The Rockford IceHogs scored with 11 seconds remaining in regulation when Joey Anderson beat Troy Grosenick to tie the game at 4–4 and force overtime in Rockford. Anderson’s sixth goal this season would get the IceHogs a point but Milwaukee’s Cal O’Reilly beat IceHog goaltender Drew Commesso at the 2:20 mark in overtime.

Rockford fell behind 2–0 after one period of action only to tie the game at 2–2 when Antti Saarela and Anders Bjork each scored in the middle frame. Bjork’s tally came on the power play late at the 16:04 mark.

Milwaukee would take back the lead early in the third period, but that lead would be short-lived after Colton Dach buried his first professional goal to tie the game at 3–3. After Milwaukee took back the lead, the aforementioned Anderson goal sent the teams into overtime.

Commesso stopped 19 of the 24 shots he faced in the overtime loss.

Saturday, Nov. 18 — Rockford 4, Iowa 3 (SO)

Dach would conitnue his hot weekend with a hat trick, scoring the only three regulation goals for the visiting IceHogs. The second-round pick was a force to be reckoned with and carried the IceHogs on his back for the entire game. Dach scored one goal each period, giving him a total of four goals on the season.

In the shootout, Cole Guttman and Dach would beat Wild netminder Zane McIntyre to secore the 4–3 victory, snapping the IceHogs’ four-game losing streak.

Sunday, Nov. 19 — Rockford 3, Iowa 1

Rockford would jump out to an early lead when Bjork scored his fourth goal of the season at the 16-second mark of the opening period. Bjork won the opening face-off and found himself at the right circle and fired a shot behind McIntyre for the early 1–0 lead.

Anderson continued to show his scoring touch with his seventh goal of the season on the power play early in the second period to give the visiting IceHogs a 2–0 lead before the Wild’s David Spacek scored midway through the third to cut the Rockford lead to 2–1 before winger Bryce Kindopp scored into an empty net for his second goal this season and topping off the Rockford 3–1 victory.

High on the hog

  • Colton Dach scored his first professional goal on Friday and followed up with a hat track on Saturday. The brother of former first-round pick Kirby Dach has the size and nose for the net that can raise havoc on the ice for opposing teams. Dach’s development in Rockford as a 20-year-old is one to keep an eye on as he learns the professional game without the spotlight of the NHL.
  • Anders Bjork and Joey Anderson continue to lead the way on the ice with Brett Seney and David Gust. All four are players to keep an eye on if Chicago decides to bring up some hot hands in Rockford.
  • Goaltender Drew Commesso continues to show he is prepared early on in his professional career. Commesso uses his athleticism and his excellent positioning to compete on every shot. With some health and Jaxson Stauber taking a night in net every once in awhile, the former second-round pick should see 50–60 games in net this season, exactly what a 21-year-old goaltender needs in his development.

Upcoming week

The IceHogs take on the Manitoba Moose at home on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. CST puck drop. The Milwaukee Admirals will come skating into Rockford on Friday for a 7 p.m. CST start before traveling up to Milwaukee for a Saturday matchup with the Admirals scheduled for a 6 p.m. CST start.

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