LONE STAR STATE SWING ENDS TONIGHT IN TEXAS

By: Mike Peck

Photo courtesy of Portraits by Deena Hogs and Stars meet at 5 p.m. Cedar Park, Tex.- A win tonight and the Rockford IceHogs will skate away with a winning record for the first week of 2012. The IceHogs face off against the Texas Stars at Cedar Park Center at 5 p.m. to conclude a three-game road trip through the state of Texas. Today’s game can be heard on 100.5 NTA FM, 1330 AM WNTA, 1380 AM WTJK, on-line through nta.fm or on Comcast Cable channel-57. The game can also be viewed on the web through AHLlive.com. After starting the weekend with a 4-1 win over the Houston Aeros on Friday, Rockford dropped a 4-2 decision to the Stars on Saturday. Rockford has jumped out to early leads in both games on the weekend, but on Saturday the Stars countered with a pair of first period power-play tallies and an early second period strike to take control. Forward Jeremy Morin enters Sunday’s game riding Rockford’s most current five-game point streak. Morin tallied a goal last night to extend his streak to five games, matching an IceHogs season high accomplished four other times. Brian Connelly had his five-game point streak end last night. Rockford is 0-2-0-0 against the Stars this season and tonight’s game is the second and final at Cedar Park Center. The season series concludes on Monday, Jan. 16 at the BMO Harris Bank Center. Next Home Game: Monday, Jan. 16 vs. Texas Stars. Game time is 1:05 p.m. The IceHogs return home for the first time in more than two weeks for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. matinee game to take on the Stars for the second and final time at the BMO Harris Bank Center. The first 1,500 kids 14 and under will pick up an IceHogs Drawstring Bag courtesy of Frito Lay. For every goal that the Rockford IceHogs score in 2011-12, IceHogs head coach Ted Dent will make a donation to children’s cancer research. BMO Harris Bank will also make a donation for every goal to the “BMO Harris Bank Goals For Grades”