AHL Rockford IceHogs

Rockford Snags a Point in Milwaukee

Published on December 11, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Rockford IceHogs News Release


Milwaukee, Wis.- For the second straight contest the Rockford IceHogs had to play extra hockey. But unlike Saturday, the IceHogs on Sunday couldn't grab the extra point in the shootout as the Milwaukee Admirals knocked them off 5-4 at the Bradley Center.

Rockford finished their three-game weekend 2-0-0-1 after dropping all three contests a week ago.

Dylan Olsen's first career professional goal gave Rockford a 1-0 first period lead. Jimmy Hayes found Olsen streaking to the Milwaukee net at 4:09 of the opening stanza and Olsen buried his first marker past a sliding Jeremy Smith.

Milwaukee evened the game at 8:36 off of an IceHogs turnover in its own zone. Admirals winger Ryan Flinn picked off a pass and found Joel Champagne on the left circle and he beat Alec Richards for his third goal of season.

Peter LeBlanc would put Rockford back on top in the first frame with his eighth goal of the season. Standing in front of Smith, LeBlanc redirected a Brian Fahey shot from the right point past the Admirals puck stopper at 13:12 of the first.

Just 58-seconds later, however, Milwaukee tied the game back up. Mark Van Guilder picked up a Taylor Beck pass and lit his fourth lamp of the season at 14:10. Before the first intermission, the Admirals grabbed a 3-2 lead when Jani Lajunen cleaned up a rebound behind Richards at 18:51 for his first goal of the season.

In the second period Rockford tied it off of a Milwaukee turnover in the neutral zone. Jeremy Morin fed Andrew Shaw and the rookie winger slid his seventh goal of the season under Smith at 2:04 making it 3-3. Brandon Pirri forced the turnover and figured in on the secondary helper.

Rockford later shook out of a power play slump to retake the lead. Just 10-seconds into their first power play, Rostislav Olesz batted in a Shawn Lalonde rebound for his sixth goal of the season at 6:54 of the middle stanza, giving Rockford the 4-3 edge.

Van Guilder pulled Milwaukee even early in the third period with his second marker of the game. The winger picked up a Flinn pass from behind the Rockford goal and beat Richards short-side at 3:02 to make it 4-4.

After a scoreless overtime, Rockford faced a shootout for the second-straight night. The only goals of the shootout were tallied in the first-two rounds by Milwaukee's Michael Latta and Ryan Ellis, while the IceHogs were held off the board.

Richards made 40 saves to help Rockford earn the point while Smith made 16 saves in the shootout win.

Next Home Game: Friday, Dec. 16 vs. Peoria. Game time is 7:05 p.m. The Rivermen return to the BMO Harris Bank Center for a Illinois Lottery Cup matchup for a fourth time this season. The first 1,500 fans (21 and older) into the building will receive a voucher for an IceHogs pitcher, courtesy of Applebee's.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 11, 2011


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