SPECIAL TEAM STRUGGLES TANK ICEHOGS IN TEXAS

Hogs drop a 4-2 decision to the Stars

Cedar Park, Tex.- After a solid win on Friday night in Houston, the Rockford IceHogs couldn’t carry the momentum over to Saturday as they fell 4-2 to the Texas Stars at Cedar Park Center. Special teams were the issue on Saturday as Texas scored on their first two power plays while holding Rockford to 0-5 on the advantage.

Just like Friday, Rockford jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on Saturday. Dylan Olsen’s slap shot from the point was redirected past Andrew Raycroft by Jeremy Morin for his sixth goal of the season at 3:03.

But the IceHogs penalty kill put them behind with two first period goals against. At 8:55 of the period, Brad Lukowich’s shot from the point was tipped past Alec Richards by Francis Wathier for his seventh goal on the campaign.

Then Colton Sceviour cleaned up a rebound off of a Ryan Garbutt shot at 16:19, sliding his fifth marker of the campaign under Richards on the power play giving the Stars a 2-1 advantage.

That lead was extended to 3-1 just 21-seconds into the second period. Lukowich snuck his second tally of the season past Richards through traffic off of a Maixime Fortunus pass.

Rockford’s deficit was reduced back to a goal at 14:28 of the second frame. Philippe Paradis found Ben Youds streaking to the net and the rookie defenseman shelved his second goal of the season over Raycroft.

In the third period, Rockford rang two posts, missed two open nets and had a goal disallowed due to a hand pass. The Stars iced the game when Matt Fraser dumped his 18th goal of the season into an empty Rockford net at 19:14. Rockford held Texas to two shots on goal in the third period.

The two teams will face off again in Texas on Sunday at 5 p.m.

Next Home Game: Monday, Jan. 16 vs. Texas Stars. Game time is 1:05 p.m. The IceHogs return home for the first time in more than two weeks for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. matinee game to take on the Stars for the second and final time at the BMO Harris Bank Center. The first 1,500 kids 14 and under will pick up an IceHogs Drawstring Bag courtesy of Frito Lay.

For every goal that the Rockford IceHogs score in 2011-12, IceHogs head coach Ted Dent will make a donation to children’s cancer research. BMO Harris Bank will also make a donation for every goal to the “BMO Harris Bank Goals For Grades”