Week 1 Report: Hogs Drop Heartbreaker in Iowa

BACON BITS

The Rockford IceHogs dropped their season opener 3-2 at the Iowa Wild on Friday. The IceHogs are now 8-11-1-1 all-time in the first game of the season, including 4-7-1-1 during AHL affiliation. The last time Rockford won a season opener was a 4-0 shutout of Cleveland to begin the 2016-17 season.

Matthew Highmore scored the IceHogs’ first goal of the season with a shorthanded strike in the second period at Iowa. Highmore leads all IceHogs skaters (at least 50 games with the team) in goals/game since making his debut during the 2017-18 season with 28 markers in 77 contests (.36 goals/game). In addition, he now has nine goals with two hat tricks in 11 career games against the Wild.

Four IceHogs skaters made their AHL debut during the season opener in Iowa. Forwards MacKenzie Entwistle and Mikael Hakkarainen and defensemen Nicolas Beaudin and Adam Boqvist each made both their professional and AHL debut during the contest, with Entwistle tallying the primary assist on Highmore’s goal.

Entwistle picked up his first point (assist) in his first pro game Friday. The rookie forward tallied a point-per-game average in the OHL last season and won a second consecutive OHL championship. He concluded the regular season with 57 points (30g, 27a) in 57 games between Hamilton and Guelph.

Dylan Sikura scored a goal against the Wild and has now tallied five goals over his last seven AHL games with the IceHogs dating to April 2. Including Friday’s marker, Sikura now has points in 11 of his last 15 AHL contests and 14 total points (5g, 9a) over that 15-game span dating Jan. 21.

The Hogs scored the first goal of the game on Highmore's second-period tally. Rockford netted the first goal in 36 of 76 games (47.4%) during the 2018-19 season and lost only eight games when scoring first (24-8-1-3).

UPCOMING GAMES

Saturday, Oct. 12 | Rockford vs. Grand Rapids (6 p.m.) The Rockford IceHogs host their 2019-20 home opener against the Grand Rapids Griffins at 6 p.m. at the BMO Harris Bank Center. The first 4,000 fans in attendance will receive a free IceHogs calendar, courtesy of Impact Networking.

BUD LIGHT MONTHLY MONDAY HOG TALK AT SKYBOX

Bud Light Hog Talk debuts TONIGHT, Oct. 7, at Skybox. The new venue is located inside the Indoor Sports Center at Mercyhealth Sportscore Two at 8800 E Riverside Blvd, Loves Park. Fans can join broadcaster Joseph Zakrzewski from 6-7 p.m. once per month throughout the season as he chats with IceHogs players, coaches and front office members. For those unable to attend the show in-person, Monday’s show will be streaming live on IceHogs.com. “Bud Light Hog Talk” will also be available on www.icehogs.com following the live show.

ICEHOGS BROADCASTING NETWORK

Catch the IceHogs this season on WIFR’s 23.2 Antenna TV. The games can also be viewed on Comcast Cable channel 434, Charter Cable channel 194, Dish Network channel 252 or Mediacom 102 in the Rockford market and online through watchtheAHL.com. Each TV broadcast will start with “IceHogs Warm Up” 30 minutes prior to puck drop. Fans can also listen to the action for free at sportsfanradio1330.com, facebook.com/rockfordicehogs and IceHogs.com. For a complete listing of TV stations carrying IceHogs games, visit IceHogs.com, and for the complete schedule of radio broadcasts, visit sportsfanradio1330.com.

TICKETS ON SALE FOR 2019-20!

IceHogs individual game tickets can be purchased by calling (815) 968-5222 to reserve your seats for any regular season home game during the 2019-20 season. Tickets can also be purchased online at IceHogs.com, in person at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office in downtown Rockford or at any Ticketmaster outlet, including Walmart.