Rockford, IL—After two goals from each side in the first seven minutes of the game, it was forward Lukas Reichel who came up with the game-winning goal in the third period to lead the IceHogs (26-23-3-1) to a 3-2 win over the Milwaukee Admirals (31-23-4-3) Sunday afternoon at BMO Harris Bank Center.
The IceHogs picked up right where they left off last night when forward Michal Teply scored 1:45 into the contest. Reichel got it to Teply who’s initial shot was blocked, but as Teply started falling down he was able to throw his stick back out and tap it in on the rebound. Teply finished the night with a goal and an assist.
The Admirals, however, quickly responded when forward Tommy Novak took it down the right-wing side and fired a one-timer past Rockford goaltender Collin Delia to tie the game 1-1 at 4:42 in the opening frame.
Later in the period IceHogs forward Kurtis Gabriel was called for holding and Milwaukee delivered on the man-advantage when forward Cole Smith found the back of the net to give the Admirals a 2-1 lead at 6:02.
But the IceHogs kept the pressure on and less than a minute later, in his 700th professional game, forward Brett Connolly scored on a pass from Josiah Slavin to tie the game 2-2 at 6:53 in the first period.
After no scoring action throughout the entire second period and halfway through the third, it was Reichel who scored his team-leading 19th goal of the season to put the IceHogs up 3-2. Reichel’s goal, paired with his assist on the game’s opening goal, now gives him 43 points on the season as he continues to chase the all-time point record for an IceHogs rookie. That record is currently held by Vinny Hinostroza who had 51 points as an IceHogs rookie during the 2015-2016 season.
The IceHogs are back home on Wednesday, March 23 for a contest against the Manitoba Moose at 7:00 p.m. Rockford will then travel to Des Moines to take on the Iowa Wild Friday, March 25 at 7:00 p.m. before returning home with a matchup against the Moose once more on Saturday, March 26 at 6:00 p.m. Tune into the action on the IceHogs Broadcast Network presented by BMO Harris Bank Center!
Watch and listen to the action on the IceHogs Broadcast Network presented by BMO Harris Bank! Tune in from your favorite device, at home or on the road at IceHogs.com and on the IceHogs app! Fans can also watch every IceHogs home game and select road games this season on 23.3 Circle TV and every game on AHLTV and listen in on all of Mid-West Family’s local stations including 104.9 The X, B103, 95.3 The Bull, and Rockford Greatest Hits 100.5 and featured on Rock River Current.
