Del Mastro’s Third Period Goal Lifts Hogs Over Wild

Rockford, Ill.-A brief two-game preseason slate opened on Wednesday morning for the Rockford IceHogs and the Hogs knocked off the Iowa Wild 4-3 in front 4,844 fans at the BMO Center during the team’s annual School Day game.

Tied 3-3 midway through the third period, defenseman Ethan Del Mastro poked a loose puck sitting on the goal line into the Iowa net at 11:24 on a power play for the game-deciding goal. Goalie Mitchell Weeks made 27 saves for the IceHogs to earn the win.

Rockford and Iowa will conclude their preseason slate on Thursday with a rematch in Coralville, Iowa at 7 p.m. The IceHogs open the regular season on Saturday, Oct. 12 against the Grand Rapids Griffins at the BMO Center.

After falling behind 1-0 midway through the first period, the IceHogs tied the contest before the first intermission when Frank Nazar shelved a Brett Seney cross-ice feed over Wild goalie Kyle McClellen at 19:09 of the opening period.

Ryder Rolston opened the second-period scoring when he finished off a two-on-one breakaway with Marcel Marcel 2:45 into the middle stanza. After Iowa tied the game 2-2 with a marker from Matthew Sop at 3:58, Rockford winger Matus Spodniak knocked in a rebound from a point shot from Austin Strand at 5:44 to make it 3-2.

Sop tied the game back up at 3-3 at 17:44 of the second when he beat Mitchell Weeks blocker side after a Rockford turnover in their own zone.

Nazar (1g-1a), Spodniak (1g-1a) and Landon Slaggert (2a) all finished with multi-point games for Rockford while the Hogs power play finished the day 1-3 and held Iowa off the board on all three of their power-play opportunities.

Opening Night - Saturday, Oct. 12

The IceHogs take on the Grand Rapids Griffins at 7 p.m. to kick off the 2024-25 season on Saturday, Oct. 12. Come early for the block party starting at 4 p.m. featuring the Trippin' Billies and see our reigning MVP, fan favorites and more take the BMO Center ice for the first time this season. Get your tickets now!