IceHogs top Fort Wayne in wild game one
Published on April 22, 2006 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Rockford IceHogs News Release
Rockford, Ill.- The Rockford IceHogs started the post season exactly how they hoped to, with a win. A 7-5 win, in fact, taking a one-game-to-none best-of-seven series lead over the Fort Wayne Komets on Friday night in front 3,419 at the Rockford MetroCentre. Rockford rookie Chaz Johnson led the IceHogs offensive output with two goals showing he's not intimidated by the raised stakes of the playoffs.
Rockford took a 1-0 lead in the first period when Johnson slipped one past Fort Wayne goalie Kevin St. Pierre at 11:14. Winger Greg Barber scored the second Rockford tally soon after on a short-handed, top-shelf breakaway blast. Oddly, it was the first of two short-handed goals scored by the Hogs, but they failed to score on the power play. Fort Wayne answered quickly when defenseman Mike Dombkiewicz bested Rockford goalie Michel Robinson at the 14:59 mark. They wasted no time in scoring another to tie the match via a Jonathan Goodwin blast at 16:15. Rockford hopped back on top with Johnson's second score of the night at 18:07.
In the second frame, Fort Wayne responded with two early goals to take their first lead of the game. Just 25 seconds into the period, winger Lance Galbraith fired in a goal to tie the score. At the 3:52 mark, center winger Kelly Miller tallied a short-handed goal giving the Komets the lead. It would be their only lead of the night, though, as a pair of rookies, wingers Robin Big Snake and Steve Yetman, stepped up to notch two goals and gave the Hogs a one goal advantage, 5-4, at the second intermission. Big Snake's came at 6:26 and Yetman's shorthanded breakaway beauty from defenseman Ryan Carrigan came at 18:35.
In the third period, Rockford would go up by two when winger Rob Voltera put back a rebound off a Bruce Watson shot. Like they had all night, Fort Wayne, and more particular, Goodwin, answered. Goodwin looked as though he was going to deek Robinson to his left, but instead pulled the puck back and let go a pretty wrist shot that seemed to catch the goalie off guard. Fort Wayne pulled St. Pierre late in the match hoping for that score that would even things up again, but this time it did not come. Instead, Watson put the puck in the empty net to seal the 7-5 victory for the IceHogs.
The Komets out shot the IceHogs 50-36 in the game. Robinson turned away 45 Fort Wayne shots and Rockford finished the night 0-for-6 on the power play, while Fort Wayne was 3-for-7 on the advantage.
Colonial Cup Playoffs: Sunday, April 23: Game Two, First Round vs. Fort Wayne Komets. Game time is 5:05 p.m. For tickets call (815) 968-5222.
International Hockey League 2 Stories from April 22, 2006
- Tapp shuts door with 50-save effort as Quad City defeats Danbury 3-1 - Danbury Trashers
- Countdown to Face-Off - Kalamazoo Wings
- IceHogs top Fort Wayne in wild game one - Rockford IceHogs
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
