IceHogs Close Decade with Loss in Valiant Comeback Effort

WINNIPEG, Man. – Brandon Hagel, Nicolas Beaudin and Anton Wedin each scored for the Rockford IceHogs in a wild comeback affair, but the Manitoba Moose ultimately pulled away with the 4-3 victory at Bell MTS Place on Tuesday evening.

After a scoreless first frame, Manitoba initiated a six-goal second period by netting four consecutive markers in just 4:16. C.J. Suess opened things up and Kristian Vesalainen, Emile Poirier and Cole Maier each added goals to make it 4-0 in favor of the home club.

Hagel ended the onslaught 12:58 into the middle stanza when he drove down the right side of the zone, broke behind the net and buried a wraparound to make it 4-1.

Beaudin continued the comeback five minutes later when he caught a pass in the high slot and ripped a shot off the right post that bounced off of Manitoba netminder, Mikhail Berdin, and trickled across the goal line.

Finally, midway through the final 20, Joseph Cramarossa stopped up inside the Moose blue line and blistered a pass to the back door where Wedin was driving. Wedin redirected the puck past Berdin to make it 4-3.

However, the Hogs’ comeback was stopped just short and the Moose escaped with the two points in the standings.

GAME NOTES:

Tuesday marks the first time this season that the IceHogs have scored three or more goals and lost in regulation...Including the loss to the Moose, Rockford is now 15-1-0-1 when scoring at least three times.

After going without a goal through the first nine games of the season, Brandon Hagel notched his 11th goal of the year Tuesday to lead the entire IceHogs roster.

Anton Wedin notched an assist on Tuesday and has now not gone pointless in back-to-back appearances since Nov. 8 at home versus Manitoba.