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HOGS COMEBACK NOT ENOUGH, FALL 4-3 TO MOOSE

Vs Manitoba 120609
Skille tallies twice in loss

Rockford, Ill.- Three third period goals were not enough on Sunday afternoon for the Rockford IceHogs as they fell 4-3 to the Manitoba Moose at the Rockford MetroCentre.

The loss ends Rockford's season-high five-game winning streak and a three-game home win streak.

Sergei Shirokov took the early advantage to put the Moose up 1-0, scoring on a feed from Marco Rosa at 16:50 in the first period. It was Shirokov's team-leading tenth goal of the season.

But then in the second frame the teams engaged in a bit of extracurricular activity. Rockford goalie Dan Cloutier was removed from the game at 6:22 as the result of a match penalty for roughing and replaced by Joe Fallon. Then Ryan Flinn was given a game misconduct for instigation, instigator, rough and fight at 11:56. Flinn's penalties put the Moose on a nine-minute power play, which Manitoba too full advantage of.

Brian Salcido scored at 12:33 with assists from Rosa and Alexandre Bolduc 5-on-3 advantage. Then Guillame Desbiens pushed the third goal of the game past Fallon at 17:31. Marty Murray and Matt Pettinger were credited with the assists. Overall, Manitoba had 13:08 straight power play time in the frame.

Rockford came back strong in the third when Jack Skille scored 53 seconds into the final stanza on the power play. Brian Connelly and Daryl Boyle were credited with the helpers. He finished off a drive from Boyle at 5:19 to put the Hogs within reach for his seventh goal of the season.

But the Moose took the two-goal advantage right back thanks to a blast from Aaron Rome at 7:15 with helpers from Murray and Mike Keane.

Rockford closed the gap to 4-3 when Kearns redirected a Kyle Greentree shot past Cory Schneider at 19:02. Boyle chipped in his third assist on the night on the marker.

Fallon was saddled with the loss making 18 saves on 21 shots while Schneider got the win making 23 saves. Power plays were a big factor as Rockford finished 3-for-6 and Manitoba 3-for-9.

Next Home Game: The Rockford IceHogs welcome the rival Chicago Wolves into the Rockford MetroCentre for their seventh of ten meetings on the 2009-10 season. The first 2,500 fans will pick up an IceHogs Christmas Stocking courtesy of the Rockford Park District and WXRX.