PR loses control quickly

Prairie Ridge's Chris Dallas skates with the puck toward Rockford's goal during the second period Saturday at the Crystal Lake Ice House. (Lauren M. Anderson - landerson@nwherald.com) ( (Photographer))

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CRYSTAL LAKE – Prairie Ridge’s hockey players hardly could believe what they were seeing on the scoreboard at the Crystal Ice House.

“In my entire career, all four years, I don’t think we’ve given up that many goals [in a game],” defenseman Johnny Pottala said.

After an even first period, things unraveled quickly for the Wolves and the Rockford Icemen rolled to a 9-2 victory. The Icemen (45-5-4) scored three times in the first 4:23 of the second period to bust the game open.

Prairie Ridge center Chris Van Damme scored in the final minute of the first period to tie the score at 1-1.

The Wolves (23-18-5) lost by one- and two-goal margins in two previous games this season to Rockford, but it was clear early in the second period that was not going to happen this time.

“We just fell apart,” Van Damme said. “We were unfocused and undetermined. Normally we don’t get beat like this.”

Goalie Ryan Fichuk saved 26 shots while playing the first half of the game, but did not get the necessary help from his defense early in the second period. Fichuk left with the Wolves trailing, 5-1, but the Icemen added four more against Cory Simons, Prairie Ridge’s No. 1 goalie.

“We lost our focus and they put a couple in,” Pottala said. “We couldn’t get back. They get the puck on the net and keep going after it, they never give up.”

Clarke Carpenter scored off Spencer Burks’ assist in the second period, cutting the lead to 5-2, but the Wolves could not score again. For the game, the Icemen outshot the Wolves, 46-21.

“The first period was a good hockey game, we got out of what we did best and started hitting and didn’t keep our eye on the puck,” Wolves coach Casey Van Damme said. “Things just didn’t go the way we wanted. You can’t let down against them, they’re a very good team.”