HOGS OFFENSE STALLS IN IOWA

Rockford drops second straight 4-1 game

Des Moines, Iowa- For the second straight night the Rockford IceHogs suffered a 4-1 loss. On Saturday it was at the hands of the Iowa Chops at the Wells Fargo Arena.

The loss drops Rockford to 4-2-0-0 on the team’s season-long seven-game road swing which will conclude on Wednesday in Peoria.

Rockford and Iowa went scoreless in the opening period on Saturday night with just 12 combined shots. Rockford managed just five shots in on David LeNeveu while Iowa chipped seven in on Corey Crawford.

For the sixth consecutive road game the IceHogs tallied the first goal. While short handed, Tim Hambly hit Petri Kontiola with a long pass and the IceHogs center blasted his 11th goal of the season past LeNeveu at 4:14.

But liked they’ve done in each of the past two visits to Iowa, Rockford gave up the big period. Just after his penalty expired, Adrian Veideman hopped out of the box and picked up a Troy Bodie pass and beat Crawford at 12:23 to tie the game at 1-1.

Then the IceHogs penalty kill coughed up two more goals. The first came when Brian Salcido’s point blast bounced off the back half wall and off of an Petteri Wirtanen's skate and in at 14:19 for his eighth goal of the season.

Salcido would strike again, this time on a five-on-three advantage at 19:54 of the middle frame. The Iowa d-man blasted his seventh goal of the season past Crawford off of a set up from Matt Beleskey putting the Chops on top 3-1.

LeNevue and the Chops would deny a third period comeback for Rockford as the only goal in the final frame was potted by Wirtanen into an empty Rockford goal at 19:06.

The IceHogs finished the night 0-7 on the power play while Iowa went 2-5. Crawford was handed the loss after making 24 saves while LeNeveu got the win with 22 saves on 23 Rockford shots.

Game Highlights
Kontiola Second Period Goal
Salcido Second Period Goal
Next Home Game: Friday, Feb. 13 vs. Peoria Rivermen. Rockford returns home at 7:30 p.m. The IceHogs come home after a 19 day hiatus to take on the Rivermen. The first 1,500 kids to the game 14-and-under will receive an IceHogs Youth Jersey courtesy of Feldco Windows and Doors, FOX 39 and 104.9 FM, WXRX.

Kids can enter to win four (4) tickets in the Press Box Suite for the Feb. 13 IceHogs game against Peoria inside Feldco at 747 South Perryville Road in Rockford. The winner and three friends will receive VIP treatment for the night and will get a visit from an IceHogs player during the game.