Commesso, Balanced Offense Lead Hogs

Game Recap Presented by IBEW

Rockford, Ill- The Rockford IceHogs opened the 2024-25 regular season with a 4-1 win over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday Night in front of a sold-out crowd of 6,242 at the BMO Center. Rockford used four different goal scorers and a solid goaltending performance by Drew Commesso to earn an opening night win.

Colton Dach got the sell-out crowd out of their seats late in the opening period when he beat Griffins goaltender Sebastian Cossa at 16:57 to give Rockford the lead.

Rockford would add to their advantage early in the second period with Kevin Korchinski went coast-to-coast while the Hogs skated on a power play and netted his first career AHL goal at 5:30 of the middle stanza.

Offseason acquisition Cavan Fitzgerald would add to the IceHogs lead at 9:28. Frank Nazar III picked up his first AHL point, feeding Fitzgerald who beat Cossa glove side for a 3-0 lead. Another IceHogs rookie would find his first goal when Samual Savoie gave Rockford a 4-0 lead late in the second period. The rookie took advantage of a 2-0 breakaway with Gavin Hayes, burying his first professional goal in his pro debut.

Grand Rapids would finally break through on Commesso when Brogan Rafferty found the back of the net at 13:48 of the third period. Commesso turned away 18 Griffins shots to pick up a win on opening night.

The IceHogs will host the Milwaukee Admirals next Friday, Oct. 18 at the BMO Center in the first game of a home-and-home series between the two teams.

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