RECAP: Guttman Scores Twice in 4-1 Hogs Win

ROCKFORD, Ill. – Cole Guttman’s pair of goals helped the Rockford IceHogs sweep the San Jose Barracuda with a 4-1 victory on Sunday afternoon at the BMO Center.

Mike Hardman tallied the opening goal in the first and Jackson Cates scored early in the third to create space between the IceHogs and Barracuda. Drew Commesso flashed the leather several times resulting in 34 saves for the rookie goaltender. Commesso has four wins in his last five games.

In the first period, the IceHogs got on the board early to take a 1-0 lead. Rem Pitlick received a pass from Wyatt Kaiser near the half wall before sending a pass to Hardman positioned in front of the goal crease. Hardman set his stick on the ice and tipped the pass from Pitlick into the back of the net (5:01).

With seven minutes left to go, Guttman won the faceoff sending the puck to Pitlick. Pitlick sent a quick pass to Nolan Allan at the blue line before sending a shot to the net where Guttman tipped the puck into the net to give the IceHogs a 2-0 lead (12:28).

Rockford incurred a tripping penalty to give San Jose their first odd-man advantage. Ethan Cardwell scored on the power play to cut the lead in half, 2-1 (14:52).

Nearing the end of the second period, Guttman brought the puck up the ice with Pitlick. Pitlick received a pass from Guttman and a pass in Eetu Makiniemi’s goal crease where Guttman recovered the puck and tossed his second goal into the net (18:21). The tally marked Guttman’s seventh goal in the last six games.

At the beginning of the third period, Cates scored Rockford’s fourth goal of the night. Louie Crevier snapped a shot at Makiniemi that bounced off his left pad, Hardman recovered the loose rebound with his skates before making a short pass to Cates where he flipped the puck into the net (0:41).

Rockford returns to the BMO Center on Wednesday, March 20 against the Chicago Wolves. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20 AT 7PM: WET YOUR WHISTLE WEDNESDAY

Get a ticket and two drink tickets (good for beer, soft drinks, or water) for just $20 on our last Wet Your Whistle Wednesday of the season with media partner Power 106.3. Speaking of drinks, we're teaming with Lamonica Beverages to offer a free craft beer tasting for fans 21 and over! All you need to partake in the beer tasting is a game ticket and a valid ID verifying you are 21 or older.

SATURDAY, MARCH 23 AT 7PM: STEVE MARTINSON RING OF HONOR INDUCTION + HUSKIES & HOGS NIGHT

Former IceHogs Coach Steve Martinson will be on hand at the BMO Center to be honored as the third inductee into the IceHogs Ring of Honor, presented by BMO with media partner 13 WREX. Martinson led the IceHogs to the team's one and only league title in 2007 when he coached Rockford to a Colonial Cup Championship in the UHL. Martinson manned the IceHogs bench from 2004 to 2007 and finished his Rockford coaching career with all-time IceHogs franchise (AHL or UHL) coaching records for career win percentage (.660), most wins a single season (48-twice), and most playoff games coached (39).

We're also partnering with Northern Illinois University for Huskies & Hogs Night with media partner 94.9 WDKB! NIU alum, current students and staff can get a discounted ticket and have the option of adding $15 per ticket to receive a limited edition co-branded IceHogs/NIU alumni hat!

Tune In LIVE on the Icehogs Broadcast Network Presented by BMO

Watch and listen to every game this season on the IceHogs Broadcast Network presented by BMO! Listen from your favorite device, at home, or on the road at IceHogs.com and on the IceHogs app, and watch LIVE on AHLTV and selected games in High Definition on The365! Fans can also tune in on all of Mid-West Family’s local stations including 104.9 The X, B103, 95.3 The Bull, and Rockford Greatest Hits 100.5 and featured on Rock River Current, the Stateline’s premiere source for local events, news, and culture.