AHL Peoria Rivermen

Admirals Sink Rivermen 5-2

December 10, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Peoria, IL (December 10, 2005) - The Milwaukee Admirals defeated the Peoria Rivermen 5-2 on Saturday evening in Peoria. Left wing Libor Pivko powered the Admirals to the victory with one goal, one assist, a plus-three rating, and one shot on goal. Pekka Rinne had a solid night in the Milwaukee net, allowing only two goals on 23 shots.

The loss extends Peoria's current losing streak to a season-high three games. Prior to their current string of futility, the Rivermen had lost two consecutive games only twice this season. Back in early November, Peoria lost two consecutive outings at home to Omaha and Toronto. The Rivermen then finished out the month with two straight losses to Iowa and Milwaukee.

The Rivermen now claim an overall record of 15-9-0-1 and a home record of 9-6-0-1. The Admirals now stand at 16-6-1-1 overall and 8-5-1-1 on the road.

The first goal of this contest went to the Admirals about midway through the opening period. Taking a pass at the right face-off dot from his opposite winger Darren Haydar, Libor Pivko faked a shot and then moved in on the Peoria goal. As Rivermen goaltender Reinhard Divis came across the goalmouth to the right post, he slid off of the post and left enough of an opening into which Pivko stuffed the puck for a 1-0 Milwaukee advantage 9:18 into the game.

The Admirals went up 2-0 on a shorthanded tally. During a Peoria power play, Milwaukee got the puck into the Rivermen zone, and Pivko took a shot that fluttered by two Peoria defenders. The puck dribbled to the doorstep to Milwaukee defenseman Kevin Klein, who had snuck in behind the Peoria defense, and Klein stickhandled the puck around Divis and into the goal at the 12:24 mark of the first.

The Milwaukee lead grew to 3-0 shortly thereafter. Picking up the puck above the left circle in the Rivermen zone, Admirals center Greg Classen skated down the left-wing boards. From deep in the left corner, Classen threw a backhanded shot on net that deflected in off of a stick in front at 13:35 of the first. Following that goal, the Rivermen opted to replace Divis between the pipes with Jason Bacashihua.

Late in the first period, the Rivermen got one of the goals back. After winger Jon DiSalvatore found center Troy Riddle in the slot with a nice pass from the left-wing boards, Riddle sent a touch-pass to the left post. There, Peoria's Trent Whitfield shoveled the puck up over Admirals goalie Pekka Rinne to make the score 3-1 in favor of Milwaukee at 18:01 of the first.

The Admirals struck for a fourth goal early on in the second period. When Milwaukee forward Chris Durno's shot was blocked in front, the puck slid into the left circle. Approaching the puck from the left corner, center Marco Rosa got to it, wheeled around, and fired a quick shot from the bottom of the left circle that zipped by the right shoulder of Bacashihua to give Milwaukee a 4-1 lead at 3:41 of the second.

In the final period, Peoria drew to within two goals of Milwaukee. On a Rivermen power play, winger Peter Sejna settled near the right half-boards in the Admirals zone and sent a pass back to the center point. Waiting there for the puck was right wing Mike Glumac, who blistered a slap shot past Rinne to the stick side. That Peoria lamp-lighter made the score 4-2 for Milwaukee at the 6:19 mark of the third period.

Down by two goals as regulation time in this game dwindled, the Rivermen tried mightily to muster a comeback and pulled Bacashihua in favor of a sixth attacker. The move backfired, however, as Admirals wingers Timofei Shishkanov and Jordin Tootoo combined on an empty-net goal that iced a 5-2 Milwaukee victory at 18:03 of the third period.

The Rivermen will complete their slate of four games in five nights this week by heading back to Chicago, where the Rivermen dropped a 6-5 decision to the Chicago Wolves on Friday night. Sunday's Rivermen-Wolves match-up at 5:00 p.m. at Allstate Arena will be carried LIVE in the Peoria television market on Insight Cable Channel 74.

Check out the Peoria Rivermen Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from December 10, 2005


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