FIRST 40 MINUTES CARRIES ROCKFORD OVER CHICAGO

FROM PRESS RELEASE - SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 2011

FIRST 40 MINUTES CARRIES ROCKFORD OVER CHICAGO

Rosemont, Ill.-There is no home-ice advantage anymore in the Rockford IceHogs-Chicago Wolves series. Rockford skated away with a 3-2 win at the Allstate Arena on Sunday and the road team has now won five of the nine games so far in 2010-11 after winning just six of the first 30 in the all-time series.

The win was a season-best fourth straight for the IceHogs, all coming in Week 25.

Rockford tallied first on Sunday while skating on the power play. Mathis Olimb followed up a Peter LeBlanc rebound and potted his eighth goal of the season past Edward Pasquale at 4:53 of the first period.

Moments after a Wolves power play expired, Chicago tied the game at 1-1. Jason Krog picked up a loose puck of the right boards and fed a pass across the IceHogs zone to Frederick Petterson who one-timed his tenth goal of the season past Alec Richards at 11:21.

Rockford outshot the Wolves 22-6 in the opening frame and would continue the shot barrage in the second period.

The IceHogs finally cracked Pasquale again midway through the stanza with a Ben Smith marker. The rookie winger blasted his 17th goal of the season five-hole on Pasquale at 10:18, set up by LeBlanc.

Then at 17:08, Rob Klinkhammer finished off a Jeff Taffe pass to extend the Rockford lead to 3-1. Pasquale got his blocker on the shot, but the puck settled behind the goal line for Klinkhammer’s 14th goal on the campaign.

Chicago reduced Rockford’s lead to 3-2 in the third period. Carl Klingberg picked up a Krog pass and backhanded his first goal of the season past Alec Richards at 13:38 of the final frame.

Rockford staved off the Wolves the rest of the way to pick up the win. Richards made 21 saves for the IceHogs while Pasquale blocked 38 of 40 IceHogs attempts.

Next Home Game: Friday, April 8 vs. Lake Erie Monsters: The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. Rockford returns home after a five-game, 12-day road swing to take on the Lake Erie Monsters for the sixth and final time this season. The IceHogs will be celebrating Hammy’s birthday with several area mascots as the team opens the final weekend of the 2010-11 season.

Next Home Game: Friday, April 8 vs. Lake Erie Monsters: The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. Rockford returns home after a five-game, 12-day road swing to take on the Lake Erie Monsters for the sixth and final time this season. The IceHogs will be celebrating Hammy’s birthday with several area mascots as the team opens the final weekend of the 2010-11 season.