THREE GOAL THIRD PROPELS HOGS TO 6-2 WIN OVER MILWAUKEE

MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – The Rockford IceHogs struck for three goals in the final frame to take a 6-2 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals on Saturday night at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wisc. The Hogs were led offensively by Vinnie Hinostroza (2g-1a-3pts) and David Kampf (2g-1a-3pts).

Rockford led 3-1 entering the final frame, but an early power play for Milwaukee helped the Admirals cut the score to 3-2. Emil Pettersson fired a one-time shot from the right wing and Tyler Kelleher pounced on the rebound just 2:33 into the third.

Kampf answered right back for the IceHogs for his first career AHL goal. Alexandre Fortin led a rush into the attacking zone and found Kampf streaking in along the right side. Kampf fired a wrister into the net to put the Hogs back up by two at 4:31 of the frame.

The score held until Hinostroza buried an empty-netter at 17:26, and then Kampf finished it off with his second goal of the contest, this time on the power play, with 1:13 left in the game.

The IceHogs jumped out to the lead just past the midway point of the first. Shortly after Fortin rang a shot off the post, Will Pelletier struck for his first goal of the 2017-18 campaign. Erik Gustafsson took a pass at the center of the blue line and blasted a slap shot towards the cage. Matthew Highmore knocked the shot out of midair and slipped a pass to Pelletier in the left circle, and the winger snapped a shot inside the left post at 12:24 to open the scoring.

Milwaukee struck back less than two minutes later, as Pettersson picked up his second goal and seventh point of the season. Stephen Perfetto raced down the right wing and fired a backhand pass to Pettersson in the left circle. Pettersson then wristed a shot past IceHogs netminder Jeff Glass to even the game at 1-1 at 14:15 of the first.

Luke Johnson restored the IceHogs advantage at 8:23 of the middle frame. With the two teams playing four-on-four, Johnson fired a sharp-angle shot that just slipped past Milwaukee goaltender Matt O'Connor to put the Hogs up 2-1.

A shorthanded tally by Hinostroza increased the Rockford lead to 3-1 with 5:52 to go in the second stanza. Johnson bumped a puck up to Hinostroza along the left wing, and he skated to the top left corner before firing a shot into the cage. It stood as Rockford's third shorthanded goal in five games to open the season.

Next Home Game: The Rockford IceHogs return the BMO Harris Bank Center for their first-ever matchup against the Hershey Bears Sunday, Oct. 22 at 4 p.m. Sunday is Princess and Pirates night and the second KIDS Eat Free game of the 2017-18 season. Tickets can be purchased at IceHogs.com, by calling (815) 968-5222 or in-person at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office.