10/23/2004

ROCKFORD BREAKS DOWN THE MECHANICS

10/23/2004

Hogs knock off Motor City 6-2
Rockford, Ill.- Week 2 of the United Hockey League season has come to a close for the Rockford IceHogs and the Hogs pushed their record to 3-1-0 with a 6-2 win over the expansion Motor City Mechanics before 3,548 at the Rockford MetroCentre. Hogs goalie Grady Hunt picked up his second win and Rockford received scoring from 12 different skaters.
Rockford got the power play going early as center J.C. Ruid beat rookie goaltender Tyson Motz at 9:52 of the first period for the 1-0 lead. The power play marker was Rockford's first of the season, just six seconds into the power play.
The Hogs would break the game open in the second period. The barrage began at 13:11 when defenseman Nathan Lutz fired home his second tally of the season on the power play. Winger Bruce Watson then made the score 3-0 with his first marker of the season at 15:43. The Mechanics got on the board, however, with a short-handed goal at 17:16 from Kevin Hansen. The Hogs retaliated with another power play goal on the same penalty when winger Terry Harrison netted the Hogs fourth goal at 18:05.
The momentum didn't seize at the break for the IceHogs, as defenseman Ryan Bonni scored his first goal of the season just 41 seconds into the third period for a 5-1 lead. Blue liner Vince Malts would tally another power play goal at 7:15 to push the Hogs lead to 6-1. Motor City tacked on one more power play marker on a 5-on-3 advantage to make the final 6-2, when Jeff Goldie tipped one home at 11:04.
Hunt turned away 20 shots in the winning effort and Motz made 31 saves in his professional debut. Rockford had five multi-point scorers, including Bonni (1g-2a), center Olivier Proulx (2a), Harrison (1g, 1a), winger Miguel Lafleche (2a) and winger Chris Gobert (2a). Rockford's power play finished the evening 4-10 while the Hogs held the Mechanics to just 1-9 on the man advantage.