ROCKFORD RALLY COMES TOO LATE IN 6-3 LOSS

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Chris DiDomenico and Anthony Louis each scored in the third period to spark the beginning of a comeback, but the Rockford IceHogs could not overcome four earlier unanswered goals by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins as they fell 6-3 at Mohegan Sun Arena Friday night.

DiDomenico earned his first goal as a member of the 2017-18 IceHogs at 13:40 of the final frame, tipping home a Viktor Svedberg shot from the blue line. DiDomenico was playing his first game with Rockford this season following a trade from the Belleville Senators on Feb. 16. Three minutes later, Louis and DiDomenico combined on a nifty give-and-go play which Louis finished top-shelf to cut the Penguins’ lead to three goals.

The Penguins got off to a hot start, netting a pair of goals within the first 8:04 of the contest. But Tyler Sikura got the IceHogs on the board with his 16th marker of the season, directing a firm pass from John Hayden over the Penguins’ Casey DeSmith to halve the deficit. Sikura now ranks third in the American Hockey League with 13 goals in his last 25 outings.

Gage Quinney added a third strike for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before the end of the frame to kick off their string of four unanswered through the next two periods. Garrett Wilson, Adam Johnson and Reid Gardner also found twine for the Penguins before the IceHogs brief comeback bid.

Rockford’s Jeff Glass stopped 19 of 25 pucks, while DeSmith stonewalled 24 of 27 for the win.

Next Home Game: Wednesday, Feb. 28 | Rockford vs Texas Stars (7 p.m.)
The IceHogs welcome the Texas Stars to the BMO Harris Bank Center for a Fas Fuel Winning Weekday at 7 p.m. Fans can enjoy discounted hot dogs, select beer and companion tickets. If the Hogs win, tickets from Wednesday’s game can be redeemed for a ticket of equal or lesser value to the following Fas Fuel Winning Weekdays game on Tuesday, March 13. Former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman and Stanley Cup champion Brian Campbell will also be in attendance, and a select number of fans will have the chance to get an autograph. Tickets can be purchased at IceHogs.com, by calling (815) 968-5222 or in-person at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office.