ROOKIES HELP PACE HOGS TO SHOOTOUT WIN OVER OKC

Clendening scores with two seconds left in regulation

Oklahoma City, Okla.- Time was running out on the Rockford IceHogs on Friday night in Oklahoma City, but a blast from a rookie helped the Hogs top the Barons at the Cox Convention Center 4-3 in a shootout.

With time winding down, Brandon Pirri fired a pass to the right point, in the Oklahoma City zone, to Adam Clendening and the rookie defenseman blasted his sixth goal of the season over the shoulder of Niko Hovinen with just two seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 3-3.

After a scoreless overtime session, Brad Mills won it for Rockford in the fifth round of the shootout, breaking a 1-1 stalemate while helping Rockford steal two points against the Barons. Rookie winger Terry Broadhurst scored the IceHogs other lone shootout goal in the first round while Mark Arcobello tallied for the Barons in the fourth round.

The IceHogs held the Barons to just one third period shot and a season-low 15 overall in the game. Rockford fired 38 shots in on Hovinen. Pirri's assist on Clendening's game-winning goal extended his team season-high point streak to nine straight games.

Rockford had several chances to crack Hovinen in the first period, but it was Oklahoma City who snagged the first goal. Toni Rajala forced a turnover in the Rockford zone and beat Carter Hutton over the right shoulder at 16:22 to give the Barons a 1-0 advantage.

Early in the second period, the IceHogs evened the score at 1-1. Broadhurst picked up a Brandon Svendsen pass and beat Hovinen with a wrist shot five-hole from the slot at 2:47 for his fourth tally of the season.

A Rockford power play later in the stanza resulted in a Barons shorthanded strike. A pass hopped away from Ben Youds at the left point and Oklahoma City's Arcobello picked up the loose change and beat Hutton on a breakaway at 11:28.

Rockford evened the score just over two minutes later when Ben Smith redirected a Dylan Olsen point shot for his 18th tally of the season at 13:37. But OKC tied it while skating 4-on-4 at 15:18 when Taylor Fedun cleaned up a Rajala pass, making it 3-2 Barons.

These two teams meet again on Saturday night at the Cox Convention Center at 7 p.m.

Next Home Game: Friday, March 15 vs. Chicago Wolves. The puck hits the ice at 7:05 p.m. as the IceHogs and Wolves go at it at the BMO Harris Bank Center in an Illinois Lottery Cup matchup. It's Country Night at the BMO sponsored by Frito Lay and Q98.5, where fans will be treated to live music from Back Country Roads. There will also be a mechanical bull on site for fans to ride and a contest for best-dressed cowboy/cowgirl.